Tread Lightly on Grace

2 Chronicles 20:18 KJV

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

Jehoshaphat is a marvelous story of recovery and the hope of another chance. A good king and a godly one, Jehoshaphat had that near fatal indiscretion of making an affinity with Ahab. He survived and not only returned home in peace but returned to demonstrate a greater spiritual ardor than previous. His rekindled faith was rewarded by great victory against an invading enemy. Truly he had not only survived his compromise with Ahab - he improved. 

But this ought not to be taken as permission to presume upon God's grace. A future, terrible price was yet top be paid. The seeds sown in his compromise did not yield fruit until his death, but it was bitter fruit indeed. 

When Jehoshaphat's son became king, his first act was to murder his brothers. Jehoshaphat's compromise introduced his son to Ahab's daughter. They married.

Whether she poisoned Jehoram alone or if the poison had already been planted by his grandfather's anger against God and his father's compromise and then sudden revival to spirituality, is difficult to tell.  Jehoram proved to be a wicked man. 

I am thankful for the grace of God; thankful for the second and sometimes third and fourth chances He gives. But I would be a fool to believe I can tread on such grace without price.