Category Archives: Optimizing Life

Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

When You Gain Favor from God and Man, Don’t Change the Recipe

It is easy to become full of ourselves, filled with pride, when we succeed in the eyes of men. We must be careful to remain humble and serve God even in success. Many wise men, including David and Solomon, started with a close relationship with God and then drifted further from God when they had much success and power… and it was to their own downfall. Do not change the recipe when we find favor in the sight of God and man by living humbly and righteously according to God’s instruction. Keep doing the things that got you there… pray, study scripture, listen to God and obey, work hard, be patient, give glory to God for what He does through us, etc.

Joseph set a fantastic example in Genesis 41:38-49. Joseph did not change when he was given great power and authority. He worked diligently and responsibly, maintaining his right relationship with God and he continued to experience favor from God and men as a result.

Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt

38Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?” 39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. 40“You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” 41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. 43He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, “Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.

46Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth abundantly. 48So he gathered all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.

Joseph had experienced much suffering and difficulty in his early life… sold into slavery by his brothers, thrown into jail based on lies, forgotten in jail for years by one he helped. Joseph handled it with great patience and a righteous attitude toward God. Surely we would be tempted to think God forgot about us in his circumstances. But now at 30 years old, Joseph stood tall as second in command of all Egypt… right where God wanted him. When he assumed the position, Joseph did not change and take credit, or fill with pride. He continued to honor God and faithfully carry out his work.

I pray God would help each of us as His followers to take on the patience, diligence, humility, forgiveness, and faith which Joseph demonstrated throughout his life.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Ethics, Generate Income, Greed, Optimizing Life, Plan Carefully and Seek Wise Advice, Proverbs, Treasures In Heaven

God’s Word Provides Warnings and Advice We Should Heed

Our Father loves us dearly. He has provided us with His word to guide us, His Spirit to fill us and help us, and the death of His Son to make a way to forgive us. Let us never take that for granted, being complacent in our own way of living according to the ways of the world. The world if sinful and not righteous. Let us take His fatherly advice and change how we are living to be more like He instructs for us in financial matters and in all aspects of our life.

Proverbs contains insight we should watch out for and apply in our lives. Its insight is timeless and speaks to our conduct in pursuit of financial matters and wealth and integrity and many other such considerations.

Proverbs 19

On Life and Conduct

1Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

2Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And he who hurries his footsteps errs.

3The foolishness of man ruins his way,
And his heart rages against the LORD.

4Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor man is separated from his friend.

5A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who tells lies will not escape.

6Many will seek the favor of a generous man,
And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts.

7All the brothers of a poor man hate him;
How much more do his friends abandon him!
He pursues them with words, but they are gone.

8He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will find good.

9A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who tells lies will perish.

10Luxury is not fitting for a fool;
Much less for a slave to rule over princes.

11A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

12The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like dew on the grass.

13A foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping.

14House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the LORD.

15Laziness casts into a deep sleep,
And an idle man will suffer hunger.

16He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who is careless of conduct will die.

17One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD,
And He will repay him for his good deed.

18Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire his death.

19A man of great anger will bear the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.

20Listen to counsel and accept discipline,
That you may be wise the rest of your days.

21Many plans are in a man’s heart,
But the counsel of the LORD will stand.

22What is desirable in a man is his kindness,
And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.

23The fear of the LORD leads to life,
So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

24The sluggard buries his hand in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.

25Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd,
But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge.

26He who assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.

27Cease listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity.

29Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
And blows for the back of fools.

Take time and dwell on each verse. Which one or two strike you the most as relevant in your life. Pray the Lord helps you to deal with this area of your life and continue your transformation to be more like Him!

Do not misunderstand the point about poverty and riches relating to “friends”. It is a warning that if you are rich, many will claim to be your friend and try to use you. The poor know who truly are their friends and brothers. They stick with them even when there is nothing in it for them.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Optimizing Life, Proverbs, Treasures In Heaven

The Teaching of the Wise Is the Fountain of Life

There is stark contrast between the upright and the wicked. We are not talking “shades of gray”. Meditate on the guidance offered by our Creator in Proverbs 13 in regards to managing your finances. Pray for His help and guidance to lead you down the right path. Apply this wisdom to your financial considerations in life in how you act, in whom you put your trust, in how you teach your children, in how you treat others, etc.

Proverbs 13

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1A wise son accepts his father’s discipline,
But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

2From the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good,
But the desire of the treacherous is violence.

3The one who guards his mouth preserves his life;
The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

4The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made fat.

5A righteous man hates falsehood,
But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully.

6Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless,
But wickedness subverts the sinner.

7There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing;
Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.

8The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,
But the poor hears no rebuke.

9The light of the righteous rejoices,
But the lamp of the wicked goes out.

10Through insolence comes nothing but strife,
But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.

11Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles,
But the one who gathers by labor increases it.

12Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

13The one who despises the word will be in debt to it,
But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

14The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn aside from the snares of death.

15Good understanding produces favor,
But the way of the treacherous is hard.

16Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool displays folly.

17A wicked messenger falls into adversity,
But a faithful envoy brings healing.

18Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline,
But he who regards reproof will be honored.

19Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.

20He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will suffer harm.

21Adversity pursues sinners,
But the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.

22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

23Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor,
But it is swept away by injustice.

24He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

25The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,
But the stomach of the wicked is in need.

I urge you to consider Proverbs 13 as truly relevant to your life and decisions today. Think of this wisdom like a handy checklist and use it often for evaluating your behavior and making decisions. Don’t rely on your own “gut feel” or judgment… we are not as wise as we think. Rely instead, on the guidance that God has already provided to contrast the righteous from the wicked.

Proverbs 3:5-7

5Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.

6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

7Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

The Foundation of Your Financial Strategy

Effective organizations, and effective people, develop a set of guiding principles to help guide their decisions. Individuals that want to be effective in managing their finances need to do the same.

We provide an example of a Guiding Framework for managing finances on GrowMyMoneyNow.org that highlights some key principles or elements you need to consider while building your own personal financial strategy. However, this does not replace the need for you to develop your own personal guiding principles that should not be limited to finances but rather define how finances fit relative to broader aspects of your life.

I will share an example of my personal top three guiding principles.

  1. Serve God
  2. Serve my wife
  3. Serve my children

You notice that finances and career are not even on the list as a stand-alone priority. That is because for me money is a tool to achieve my guiding principles rather than a value in and of itself. (By the way… the pursuit to maximize money with no other objective is called greed and you will never have enough.)

Clearly identifying these principles ahead of time helps me make good decisions when I am confronted with tempting opportunities that come along such as opportunity to make more money. I consider that opportunity but must weigh it against whether it will help or hurt my ability to live according to my guiding principles.

If “making more money” were high in my guiding principles, then I would make a different decision. The guiding principles you set should steer your decisions.

You should periodically revisit this personal framework (e.g. annually). If you are married, you should involve your spouse.

If you set these principles meaningfully, you are setting the foundation upon which you build the rest of your financial strategy relating to income, spending, debt, investing, etc.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Ethics, Greed, Optimizing Life, Plan Carefully and Seek Wise Advice, Proverbs, Treasures In Heaven

Fatherly Advice from God

Our Father loves us dearly. He has provided us with His word to guide us, His Spirit to fill us and help us, and the death of His son to make a way to forgive us. Let us never take that for granted, being complacent in our way of living according to the world’s ways. The world if sinful and not righteous. Let us take His fatherly advice and change how we live to be more like He instructs us.

Proverbs 19

On Life and Conduct

       1Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

2Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And he who hurries his footsteps errs.

3The foolishness of man ruins his way,
And his heart rages against the LORD.

4Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor man is separated from his friend.

5A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who tells lies will not escape.

6Many will seek the favor of a generous man,
And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts.

7All the brothers of a poor man hate him;
How much more do his friends abandon him!
He pursues them with words, but they are gone.

8He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will find good.

9A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who tells lies will perish.

10Luxury is not fitting for a fool;
Much less for a slave to rule over princes.

11A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

12The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like dew on the grass.

13A foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping.

14House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the LORD.

15Laziness casts into a deep sleep,
And an idle man will suffer hunger.

16He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who is careless of conduct will die.

17One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD,
And He will repay him for his good deed.

18Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire his death.

19A man of great anger will bear the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.

20Listen to counsel and accept discipline,
That you may be wise the rest of your days.

21Many plans are in a man’s heart,
But the counsel of the LORD will stand.

22What is desirable in a man is his kindness,
And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.

23The fear of the LORD leads to life,
So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

24The sluggard buries his hand in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.

25Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd,
But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge.

26He who assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.

27Cease listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity.

29Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
And blows for the back of fools.

Take time and dwell on each verse. Which one or two strike you the most as relevant in your life. Pray the Lord helps you to deal with this area of your life and continue your transformation to be more like Him!

—-

Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Ethics, Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

At What Cost Do We Pursue Personal Money and Power?

I think most of us would agree that we witness examples in society of greed and pursuit of power in which individuals forsake the ways of God in pursuit of personal money or power. It is easy to look at dramatic examples and pick them out. I hope most of us would agree we would not do as Jehoram did in 2 Chronicles 21. But that is an extreme example.

Jehoram followed Jehoshaphat and Asa as king of Judah, both of whom were generally righteous kings, walking in the ways of David for much of their reign. Jehoram, however, turned away from righteousness and Yah’s way and toward the way of the wicked kings of Israel at that time, like Ahab.

He had every opportunity to continue ruling in a righteous manner according to his family heritage. However, he chose another path… a wicked path which is far from the LORD.

Truly, though we are not all going to be king or ruler with broad authority in our lives, we all must answer this fundamental question:

“At what price will we pursue our own personal wealth and power?”

Another fundamental question would be to really consider, “In whom will we put our trust? Yahweh or ourselves?”

2 Chronicles 21:1-7

Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat in Judah

      1Then Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. 2He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

      4Now when Jehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also. 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. 7Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

Most of us would say something like, “Of course I would never do what he did!” Let us take caution, however and prayerfully reflect, asking the Spirit to guide us and reveal to us any wrong motives or approach in our own lives. It will not always be killing others, but may still be harming others in some way to secure what we want in our own way. It may not be as obvious as a kingdom to rule, but many people act similarly even just for something worth a few hundred or a few thousand dollars. Many go astray and fight over inheritances. Others may fight over positions or promotions at work or even in ministry!

Let us each commit to seek the LORD and follow His ways and trust in Him!

Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Greed, Optimizing Life, Proverbs, Treasures In Heaven

Better is a Dry Morsel In Peace, than a Feast With Strife

No better place to explore an amazing cache of Father’s financial advice than Proverbs. Read and reread it. Pause and consider it. Pray for the Spirit to enlighten your mind to understanding and application in your life. Do not simply read over it quickly and move on.

Proverbs 17

1Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of feasting with strife.

2A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

3The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But the LORD tests hearts.

—

18A man lacking in sense pledges
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.

—

23A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom
To pervert the ways of justice.

Dwell on these. Truly consider each one, one at a time. There is tremendous wisdom contained within… a Father’s gift to His children.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

False Teaching, Greed, Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

Sharing Among Believers

Many today imagine that a strong federal government that takes from the “rich” and redistributes that to the “poor” is consistent with the sharing of the community of believers in Acts chapter 4. This is quite simply not the case as there are a number of key distinctions we shall cover in this teaching.

Acts 4:32-37

Sharing among Believers

32And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

36Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 37and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Note that the community of believers in Acts 4 was just that… a community of believers or followers of Jesus Christ. It was not a community involving those who rejected Jesus and lived according to their own desires. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and abundant grace was upon them. Those who rejected the values and teachings of Jesus were not part of this community. This fact is crucial in understanding why this approach worked for the Acts 4 community, but has failed every time a government has tried to employ forced redistribution of wealth among its people throughout time.

Socialism and communism repeatedly fail. Capitalism gives rise to the most prosperity across the population. Even within a somewhat capitalist system, such as the current situation in the USA, the government interference to constantly take money from some to give to others results in a great burden that threatens to collapse the economic success of the nation.

Why? When a strong government forces redistribution among its people, inevitably the government is also denying God’s authority so as to assert its own authority as unchallenged. Further, it includes all manner of people, not just Spirit filled believers. In this, the selfish nature of the unbeliever (and many believers who are struggling to follow Christ fully) is the downfall of these systems. Many people choose not to work or not to work as hard because it does not benefit them personally. On the other hand, in true capitalism, that same selfish nature is channeled across the population to create business, jobs, and wealth. It lifts the economic well being of the whole nation.

For a sharing community to truly work, it must be centered on Christ and include only true followers of Jesus Christ. Those who choose not to work, choose not to eat. All work together to contribute as much as they can and take as little as they absolutely need.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

6Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, 8nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; 9not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. 10For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. 11For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. 12Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. 13But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.

14If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. 15Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

In the community of Spirit filled believers in Acts, the poor people were likely not acting selfishly any more than the rich. So we can assume they took only what they needed and worked to provide what they could to help others.

Lastly, we must never forget or overlook that it was a community receiving the abundant grace and blessing of God because they honored Him through proclaiming and following the teaching of Jesus Christ! Government can not replace God as our provider and guide for a full and blessed life that our Father wants for each of us.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Greed, Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

You Can’t “Out Give” God

t sounds cliché, but it really is true. You can not “out give” God. He is a generous and loving Father, an all powerful king of kings. He provides His people with gifts and blessings that far exceed what we could hope to give back to Him or give to others. We are but His servants. Let us pray for His help, His grace through the Spirit in us, to given and give generously to help others with joy in our hearts. Let not covetousness or personal greed get in our way of glorifying God as we look to help one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

2 Corinthians 9

God Gives Most

1For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints; 2for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared; 4otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you—will be put to shame by this confidence. 5So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.

6Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

9as it is written,
“HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”

10Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Generous giving may include money or time and talent… or all three. Look for opportunities to help others generously… but don’t determine to do so on your own power and will alone. Seek God’s grace to help you through the Spirit within you. In His power we can do so much more and joyfully!

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Blessing or Curse, Ethics, Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

Seeking God’s Path: Lessons from Jehoshaphat’s Successes and Mistakes

We will not always be able to directly relate some of the historical accounts in the Bible to application in our own lives. Often it requires a little context and reflection. For example, there is much in the book of Kings and Chronicles, but the great majority of us are not literal kings. We must instead relate to it as any position of authority in business or personal life and not literally only “king”. We look to see how their choices for relationship with God affected their outcomes, without getting distracted that they may be talking about invasion and defending a nation and we may have a much smaller scope of affairs. The lessons are just as important and applicable!

As we read about Jehoshaphat, consider his walk with God and with man and see how he prospered and stumbled.

Jehoshaphat started by following a righteous example of David’s earlier days and God was with him and blessed him.

 2 Chronicles 17:3-6

 3The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, 4but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did. 5So the LORD established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. 6He took great pride in the ways of the LORD and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah.

However, later, Jehoshaphat chose to ally himself with the wicked and worldly rather than the righteous. This may have appeared to be a reasonable decision at first as it was to help prevent war, but if you read along through all of 2 Chronicles, you see how that led to his then going to join the wicked in their fights.

2 Chronicles 18:1

 1Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab.

Even when Jehoshaphat asked for a prophet of God, he did not heed the word of God delivered. He was drawn into the earthly alliance instead. Reading 2 Chronicles 18 we can see the full record of how the battle went and also with the warning of the prophet. It did not go well.

God spared Jehoshaphat’s life in the battle as he cried out to Him. It was gracious and merciful. However, we see two important follow ups in 2 Chronicles 19… the LORD rebukes Jehoshaphat and Jehoshaphat repents and applies his learning diligently to running his kingdom going forward.

2 Chronicles 19

Jehu Rebukes Jehoshaphat

      1Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. 2Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD and so bring wrath on yourself from the LORD? 3“But there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God.”

      4So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem and went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

Reforms Instituted

      5He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. 6He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD who is with you when you render judgment. 7“Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.”

      8In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD and to judge disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 9Then he charged them saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and wholeheartedly. 10“Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brethren who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before the LORD, and wrath may not come on you and your brethren. Thus you shall do and you will not be guilty. 11“Behold, Amariah the chief priest will be over you in all that pertains to the LORD, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to the king. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Act resolutely, and the LORD be with the upright.”

Prayerfully reflect on how these principles apply in your life. It could be a business partnership or an employer for whom you work, rather than a wicked king, that draws you away from your righteous walk. Take caution and evaluate. Share what God brings to your mind with a trusted mentor, spouse, or friend. Get an external perspective, but be careful not to pick someone who just rationalizes what is “normal” in the world of business instead of what is right according to God’s word. Anchor in the Bible and test your circumstances, not anchor in “normal” ways of men and rationalize why it is ok to be different than biblical principle.

This article was developed in partnership with HearingFromJesus.org.

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