Did You Ask God About It First?
I came across some really wonderful things recently in Scripture and I thought I'd share them with you. Right now, I am reading the Bible in chronological order, and I am smack dab in the middle of the divided kingdom. A friend of mine teaches this way, and she came up with 14 eras of the Bible, and one era is the divided kingdom.
All of the kings of that time in Israel were either in the Northern kingdom or the Southern kingdom. The kings in the Northern kingdom were bad, and some in the Southern kingdom were bad as well, but with some good ones thrown in here and there. Jehoshaphat was one of the good kings from the Southern kingdom, and he is where I want to spend my time today.
I mention Jehoshaphat because I strive to be like him...ultimately I strive to be like Jesus, but I love what I came across that Jehoshaphat was known for. I found this while doing some homework from a Bible study, Trustworthy, by Lysa TerKeurst. This study is on 1 and 2 Kings, and it goes perfectly along with this divided kingdom era I'm currently reading. That was what appealed to me about the study and why I chose this particular one.
But God is sovereign, my friends. He knew I would need to be studying these books in the Old Testament at this exact moment in my life. The reason I even share this is because there's something I've been praying about for a few weeks now -- about six weeks to be exact. I struggle sometimes with praying about decisions I have to make. I wonder if it's the Lord opening a door for me with an opportunity or if it's ME trying to bring it to fruition on my own.
I had just spoken with a friend last night about what I've been praying for and about a possibility of something soon, and then I came across a verse in 2 Chronicles 18. Before I tell you which verse, I'm going to pause and say something my pastor always says to remind us of: the Word of God is living and active. As we read the Word, the Word of God is reading us and able to judge our thoughts and intentions (Hebrews 4:12).
So, as I was doing my homework from this Bible study last week, the same day I had been meaning to do since last Tuesday, it was no surprise to the Lord that I would need to hear THIS verse at THIS exact moment:
But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "First, please ask what the LORD's will is." -2 Chronicles 18:4
I stopped right then to write a note to my husband, four sons, and bonus son, because someday this Bible will belong to them. The note says: "Guys, it is always the best idea to FIRST ask God what His will is!"
I could go on and on about this little statement and how it could preach all on its own, but I won't. I think you get the gist of what I'm trying to say. How many times do we just jump into something without first asking the Lord what His thoughts are? For those of us who are believers in and followers of Jesus, this should be very important. We should always seek to do God's will.
All of us could stop right now and name fifteen people we know or know of that are NOT seeking God's will for their lives and that are walking around miserable with life. When we seek His will, it will be accomplished and it will all work out beautifully and perfectly. When we try to “force it”, that is not the case.
How can this apply today?
If you're considering a move, talk to the Lord about it first.
If you're considering marriage, make sure it's what the Lord wants for your life.
If you're considering a new job, ask the Lord to show you if that's what His plan is.
We could seriously save ourselves some trouble and heartache if we would take the time to do this. If you don't walk closely with the Lord, you may consider this foolish, and I get that. I wasn't always like I am right now and twenty years ago, I probably would have made fun of this version of myself. But I've lived some heartache in those years and now that I can look back on that time and know how it would all end, I can honestly say I am glad I had to experience those hard times.
It was during that time when I had nobody else around standing with me that for the first time in my life, I had two choices: (1) fall apart and act drastically, or (2) I could turn to Jesus. I chose the best option: Jesus. If I hadn't chosen Jesus at that moment, I don't know where I would be right now.
I will always be glad for how He used that dark time: He drew me close to His side and His mighty hand was upon my life. He has been so very faithful; He always has been and He always will be. If I didn't have the relationship with Him that I have right now, I wouldn't bother with thinking about the will of God; but I sure am glad I am right here today. I am thankful for how He rescued me and that I have the Word of God to guide me.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When Jennifer isn't focusing on her family of her husband and four (almost) grown sons, she is passionate about leading women to a deeper knowledge of and relationship with Jesus, through the reading of the Bible and through prayer. After years of serving in student ministry, the Lord pulled her out of that and planted her solidly in the women's ministry within her local church. She leads a small group on Wednesday nights, and together they study the word of God verse by verse, and book by book of the Bible. She loves to write, and you can find her sharing regularly on her blog, Overflowing With Thanksgiving. She also loves to sing and to help lead worship at her church, and will always be a choir girl at heart. You can find out more about her and her hobbies on her favorite social media outlet Instagram, as JenLloydGoodwin.