Day 136: 2 Chr 15:11 - 19:9

These passages are so interesting because it seems like rather than dealing with black or white, good or bad, we're seeing alot dealing with the importance of seeking God to guide us in everything we do as opposed to relying on our own cleverness and instincts to get us where we need to be. We read both in the story of Asa and in the story of Jehoshaphat about men who loved God and served Him, but didn't always seek His guidance. It is a very human condition to rely on our own intelligence to make big decisions like how to best defend ourselves against our enemies, or who to fight alongside, but God wants us to remember that He will always show us the right way to go. It's also very interesting to note that although booth of these kings didn't consult the Lord before they made big decisions, God didn't just turn His back on them and kick them to the curb. God knew their hearts and knew that they still loved Him and wanted to please Him, they just didn't always know how to overcome their selfish, humanistic tendencies. 

- Lord, help me to be totally reliant upon You to show me the paths I should take in this life. I know that there are alot of choices out there that I would be able to make on my own and come out relatively successful, but I don't want want success based on my own ideas and plans, I want complete success that can only come be following Your Word and doing what You've said. -