2Chron 19-23 King Jehoshaphat started out well but did not finish well. That should be a warning to us. Just because we are saved and walking with the Lord now does not guarantee our walk later. So how do we keep on the straight and narrow path and not get diverted into the way of sin? Paul’s advice: “be ye steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord” [1Cor 15:58]. The key is being steadfast and immovable, like a ton of bricks. How are you doing in that department today?

We all make mistakes occasionally, and King Jehoshaphat did that, not just once but twice, by aligning with wicked kings. We don’t read of him seeking forgiveness for his errors like King David, but he was careful to do what the Lord approved otherwise. That little word “otherwise” stands out at the end of his life. Is that what we want on our tombstones?  

What is the lesson for us? Keep our eyes and hearts attuned to God so that when our death date arrives, we can hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant instead of “otherwise.” How gracious was God to this king, and how gracious He is to us?