II Chronicles 17:3-4 Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel.

    When video games became popular, and more complex, people began to discover ‘hacks’. Secret tricks that made the game easier. These days, the idea of a hack has spread to all sorts of contexts. You can find lots of videos on TikTok or Instagram showing ‘life hacks’. We sort of have the idea that there must be a secret to success. 

    Jehoshaphat was a king in the southern kingdom of Judah. He enjoyed great success and everything seemed to go his way, Certainly he must have discovered some life hack that made it all possible. Some secret sauce that made his life work. Well, he had discovered something but it wasn’t a secret. He had a threefold approach: 1)he walked in the ways of his father David  2)he did not seek the Baals, but sought God  3)he walked in God’s command-ments. 

    David would have been his great- great- great-grandfather. He wouldn’t have known him, but knew of him. David was a hero of the faith. Jehoshaphat chose a life worth imitating. The Baals were false gods that were very popular in Jehoshaphat’s day. It seemed everyone had some connection to them. But Jehoshaphat chose the unpopular way. He not only didn’t seek the Baals but he did seek God. He actively looked for God. He found Him where He chose to be found: in His Word. There, Jehoshaphat found God’s commandments and he walked in them. His lifestyle was marked by his connection and commitment to God. 

    Jehoshaphat’s life hack is still available today and it remains a secret to far too many people. It is still as simple as it was then. Although simple does not always imply easy, it is the best way. As I reread Jehoshaphat’s method I can distill it for my life. 1)Choose a hero of the faith to follow after. The Bible is full of them. Christian biographies offer more. Learn their life principles and imitate what made them the Godly people they were. 2)Don’t chase after man’s wisdom and ways of answering life’s questions. The popular way of looking at things may just be the exact opposite of God’s way. His ways are found in the Bible. The Bible is God’s revel-ation to mankind. It is how He has chosen to reveal Himself. 3)After you have sought God in the Bible, you will come upon His directives or commands. Walk in those! It’s a cliche that the Bible or Christianity is ‘just a bunch of dos and don’ts’. But there are some of those in there. Since God loves us so much, He has shown us a better way of life. It only makes sense that He would know what’s best for us. He cares about us enough to have offered several life hacks! 

Try it. Jehoshaphat’s way will work for you, too!

 

Blessings,

Pastor Russ