Before You Do

Over the last few years, I have become an ardent student of processes. What accounts for results? What are the hard factors? What are the soft factors? What things are critical? What things are adjuncts?

Recently, I have been reading through the Biblical histories of the kings of Israel and Judah, and I noticed interesting pattern emerge. The outcome of the kings almost went in a predictable direction.

And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

2 Chronicles 12:14 (KJV)

This was the account of Rehoboam, the son of the wisest king that Israel ever had and the grandson of the Psalmist of Israel, King David. It was disappointing to say the least.

In our feature verse, we are told that Rehoboam did evil, and the reason that Scripture puts forward is this: Because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. There’s a lot to unpack in this, but I will put forward three things.

First; Rehoboam did not do evil because he was particularly an evil person or because he wanted to do evil. I think this might sometimes resonate with us. We do some head-scratching things, and we are shocked because we know that we are better than that. We know we did not plan to do those things – but here we are.

Second; Rehoboam’s actions were the product of a lack of preparation. Maybe he felt that, based on his history and background, he would do well. But we see here that, without preparation of the heart in keeping with the outcome we desire, we can scarcely achieve it.

To put it differently, we must prepare out hearts to produce the outcomes that we desire. We must be intentional about it. I believe that Rehoboam was not intentional. He just didn’t think it important. He did evil, not because he set out to do evil but because he didn’t plan to do good.

And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.

2 Chronicles 12:1 (KJV)

Notice that in this verse Rehoboam established the kingdom and strengthened himself, but he forsook the law of the Lord. Rehoboam did not think highly of God.

Third; the path of good, the path of pleasing God, is a function of our decision to set our hearts to seek the Lord. So long as we set the Lord before us as the object of our affection and the foremost priority of our lives, we will do well, and we will serve him. We will find that our actions and the course of lives will bring us closer and closer to him.

So the bottom line is this; Prepare your heart. Prepare your heart to seek to the Lord. Be intentional about the outcome you desire and prepare your heart in that direction.

If you leave it to chance, you may not like where you will end up.