I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Kings 3-4.

After King Ahaziah’s death, his brother Joram took the throne of the Northern Kingdom. As king Joram got rid of Baal worship in Israel, but continued to worship the golden calves set up by Jeroboam. Which leads us to the scene where King Joram has led his army combined with that of Jehoshaphat of Judah and that of the king of Edom into a situation where they had insufficient water. Despite this situation being the result of his own poor plannning, King Joram concluded that God had led them into this disaster in order for them to be defeated. Note that Joram had not consulted God before making his plans, but now concludes that it was God who led him to make bad decisions. He does not seem to be so much blaming God as concluding the situation is hopeless because God decreed this result. At this point, Jehoshaphat suggests that they try asking God what they should do. A bit late, but never too late, as the passage points out. This is a situation we all too often find ourselves in. We make plans without consulting God. Then when things go bad, we throw up our hands in frustration thinking that nothing can be done because this is where God wanted us to be. Hopefully at that point we are like Jehoshaphat and seek God’s guidance, or have a friend like Jehoshaphat who gives us such advice. But wouldn’t it be better to consult God before we made our plans?