2 Chronicles 19

2Ch 19:2-4 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Therefore the wrath of the LORD is upon you. (3) Nevertheless good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God." (4) So Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD God of their fathers.

It seems like we have seen loads of kings start out strong, make one wrong decision, and just plummet from there. Some reform back to the Lord in the last minute, but it always seems that after turning from God for one thing, they turn from Him in everything. This is because when we turn from God, more often than not, this is something which has been going on in our hearts. Then when circumstances present our chance to make a stand, we do not. Jehoshaphat did not do this.

Jehoshaphat made an allegiance with Israel by marrying into one of the most wicked families ever mentioned in the Bible. He then went out with this king to battle, when he had heard from the Lord not to. Whenever this is the case we see God's judgment fall upon heavily. There is a difference with Jehoshaphat. This was a sin, a mistake, but it was not what was going on in his heart. Notice how quickly it seems to be forgotten in the verses above. With a quick, "Nevertheless," the prophet acknowledges that Jehoshaphat is a man who prepares his heart to seek God.

Judgment (discipline) will fall upon us if we turn our hearts from the Lord. Forgiveness will fall upon us if our hearts stay focused on Him. You can mess up today and tomorrow and the next day, but are you preparing your heart for the Lord or are you letting something else take root. Just like the wooden idols, Jehoshaphat made sure all false gods were uprooted in his heart before he ever made a claim to do it in the lives of the people of Judah.