Mercy

 December 11, 2020

“So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. And the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.” But Jehoshaphat said, “ Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?”            —II Kings 3:9-11 

The backstory here starts with Jehoram, Israel’s wicked king, asking Jehoshaphat to join him and the king of Edom in a raid upon Moab, which had thrown off the vassal status they had endured for years. Jehoshaphat was all in. Without consulting advisors or God, he said, “I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” —II Kings 3:7 

They ended up wandering in the desert for a week, till they were dehydrated and on the verge of collapse, easy pickings for Moab’s armies. Only when they had reached crisis stage did Jehoshaphat think to ask God about the matter. God graciously intervened for his sake, but it could have ended in disaster. 

There have been way too many times I charged ahead with a plan that seemed good to me, neglecting to pray or even think sensibly about my course of action. I’ve spent money on things that didn’t satisfy, agreed to do things people asked of me that robbed me of my independence and joy, charged headlong into sin because I hadn’t toughened my soul with spiritual disciplines. God has been gracious and like Jehoshaphat, he has delivered me in spite of myself, for which I am deeply grateful. I shudder to think of some of the consequences I might have had to endure had God not brought me up short and diverted the disaster I deserved. The Psalmist said it best: ““Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” —Psalms 107:1 NKJV