“He had much property in the cities of Judah, and the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem. These served the king, besides those the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.”
2 Chronicles 17:13, 19
Jehoshaphat was a great leader who prepared for a secure future for his people. He knew that one day their enemy to the north (Israel) would attack, but he would be prepared by finding men who knew how to fight, men of courage and faithful to serve.
Wanted: Men of war, mighty spiritual men who will protect God’s people; men of prayer; men with understanding of the times; men who will prepare themselves and others for whatever may come; men without fear, willing to sacrifice their own lives, endure hardship, and even willing to relocate if need be when called upon by the King of Kings; men who are full of faith in the King and loyal to their own hurt if necessary; men who can hold up the shield of faith in one hand and the sword of the Lord in the other; men who will not retreat but advance the cause of Christ to the farthest regions; men not seeking their own cause or praise, but who seek only the will of their Father in heaven; men whose hearts are valiant and whose delight is to do the will of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
If you would be a wise and successful leader you must find mighty men of God to advance the cause of Christ. Not just any man will do. To be sure, these days, such a man is scarce, but if you pray and ask the Father, He will bring them. But understand this: no one is born a mighty warrior. He must first be trained in the skills of warfare and weaponry. You must train and equip those whom God has given you. It is not an easy task, nor a quick one. You must be patient, loving, but always truthful. If men around you are not walking in truth; if they cannot handle the truth; then they are not humble and are not ready for the task of warfare. Find the humble, teachable, yielded ones. Test them before you deploy them to see if they are to be one of the valiant warriors.
No leader leads alone. He must have others helping him to bring the vision of God to reality. Who are your mighty men of valor working with you to bring the Kingdom of God to your corner of the world? Pray for them now. If you have none, begin to ask God to help you find valiant warriors.
