2 Chronicles 20
This is probably one of the most inspiring chapters in the Bible, one which ought to fill us with faith and courage in the face of trouble. After all, Jehoshaphat was not a super saint, but someone like us who was fallible, who often lacked faith in God and did things that were not pleasing to the Lord. Yet, as we see here, he was capable of great faith. When the armies of the 3 nations marched against him, he was afraid, but his fear drove him to his knees in prayer before the Lord. Jehoshaphat's prayer drew upon the prayer that Solomon prayed at the temple dedication (2 Chron. 6:12-42). He went before the Lord in the Temple and reminded Him of His promises. God gave him an answer through one of the prophets, one which allayed his fears. He knew he could have faith in God and follow His instructions knowing that He would deliver Judah from His enemies. Though he did not know what form God’s deliverance would take, he knew that the battle was in a Holy War that God was waging against His enemies.
When the storm clouds gather, when the obstacles before us appear insurmountable, we often want to take some action. As we see from Jehoshaphat, our first and last action as people of faith is to approach the Lord in prayer. But after that, often we still want to act, we want to move quickly, to form a response, a plan based on our own wisdom or the counsel of others, often the ungodly and foolish. We want to take tangible steps to meet the enemy head on. But faith often involves taking intangible steps, waiting on God and throwing ourselves on His resources and strength. Jehoshaphat had that great faith. If we want to see God’s hand of power and glory we must often just be still and trust that He is already moving on our behalf. In this way we can stand firm in the face of what seem to be insurmountable obstacles.
Comments