(By Rachel Joyce)
Have you ever been in the position where you just didn’t know what to do? Maybe you had a difficult decision to make or were going through an overwhelming situation.
Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, knew just what that feels like. His story is recorded in 2 Chronicles 20. Three different armies had banded together and declared war against Judah. When the messengers arrived to tell Jehoshaphat that the enemy was marching to destroy his nation, Jehoshaphat was terrified. Immediately, he prayed and begged the Lord for guidance.
Instead of focusing on the problem, his eyes were on God. His first words were an affirmation of God's greatness. He prayed:
O Lord, God of our ancestors, You alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against You....we can cry out to you to save us, and You will hear us and rescue us. O our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to You for help.
“We do not know what to do.”
Have you ever been there? In that place of fear and helplessness? Where there are no answers and you know that only God can bring you through this?
“We are looking to You for help.”
As all the people stood together before the Temple and waited for God to meet their need, Jahaziel gave them a word from the Lord. He said:
This is what the Lord says: "Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged....you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you.”
Then all the people, including the king, bowed low with their faces to the ground and worshipped the Lord and the Levites stood to praise Him with a loud shout.
As the army of Judah marched forth, Jehoshaphat advised the people, “Believe in the LORD your God and you will be able to stand firm.” In front of the soldiers marched brave singers who praised God and sang, “Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!”
Those singers showed remarkable faith as they marched toward the enemy with no weapons in their hands, only praises in their mouths. As they sang of the faithful love of their God, He acted on their behalf and turned the enemy troops upon each other. The Lord, Himself, fought for them, just as He had promised.
And the result was victory and peace. Because the Lord subdued their enemies, the kingdom of Judah enjoyed “rest on every side” (2 Chronicles 20:30).
Only God can provide such victory and rest. When we don’t know what to do, when it seems as though there is no way to go on, God calls us to keep our eyes on Him.
He wants us to place our faith in Him and see what He will do. He is greater than anything we face. And He is with us. Overwhelming victory is ours. We can rest in Him.
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