Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. He told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.” 2 Chronicles 19:4-7

Few kings had a zeal for God after the reigns of King David and Solomon.

In fact, it was quite a tailspin until the eventual downfall of both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. The lack of spiritual leadership was to blame for the decline of the nation, but not on Jehoshaphat’s watch. He proactively set in motion a plan to lead God’s people back to God.

There are a few principles on display that every man would do well to consider in his leadership. First of all, you have to go among those you lead. Notice how Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. He went out and took action himself. Next, he left capable leaders in place. In a situation where being present to lead is not an option, finding like-minded leaders is important because leaders must be among the people. Jehoshaphat knew this and modeled this. Lastly, establish the standard. This king did not leverage his authority as a reason for judging with integrity; he pointed to God’s. God was the reason to judge carefully. We don’t lead for “mere mortals,” we lead for the Lord.

DO THIS TODAY: Lead people around you to God out of holy fear of the Lord.