2 Chronicles 17:1-19
“His son Jehoshaphat then became king in his place, and he proved himself strong over Israel.” (1) His strength is seen in not taking peace for granted, but fortifying all the cities of Judah. Secondly, he did not follow the trends of the nation, but followed the example of his father David whom he knew from recorded history. “So the LORD established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah gave tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. He took great pride in the ways of the LORD, and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah.” (6-7) Another thing Jehoshaphat did was send officials, Levites and priests, throughout Judah to teach God’s Word. Consequently, the fear of the Lord was on all the other kingdoms so as not to make war with him. They also brought great tribute to him so he built fortresses and storage cities. Jehoshaphat’s actions caused the army to be united and they stood with each other throughout the land. The phrase “next to him” implies there were no gaps in this fortification. We do not have to follow the trends of culture or even the decline of the church. May God give us the wisdom to turn to Him and draw the strength to follow Him fully.