The right attitude of the soul to the Lord is the secret of true consecration.
1. Companioning with the Lord (2Ch 17:3). The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he was with the Lord by obedience to His word. To be is to have.
2. Directing to the Lord (2Ch 17:4). As the ship will be kept on its right course as the helmsman is guided by the compass, so the believer will be right in life as he directs his way by the written word of the living God.
3. Blessing from the Lord (2Ch 17:5). The way of Jehoshaphat was stablished, because he was stedfast, for the time being, in the way of the Lord. If we are faithful to the Lord by obeying His word, He will be faithful to us in giving us His blessing.
4. Encouraged in the Lord (2Ch 17:6). The king was encouraged (margin) in the ways of the Lord by the Lord's blessing. There is no fear of the Lord's blessing; the only fear is, lest we should fail to fear the Lord who blesses.
5. Word of the Lord (2Ch 17:9). To teach the Word of the Lord is to impart the greatest blessing upon mankind. See Psa 19:7-11 as to what the Word of God is and does.
6. Power through the Lord (2Ch 17:10). The greatest influence that any man can exert, is the influence that comes from the presence of God with him.
7. Offering unto the Lord (2Ch 17:16). To give ourselves to the Lord, and to allow ourselves to remain in His hands, is the very essence of consecration (Rom 6:13; Rom 12:1).