As this storm increases, stay well informed, but keep your gaze upon God.
Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.
2 Chron 20:3-4
Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 Jehoshaphat has an unprecedented deluge of attack descending upon his people. Sound familiar?
There are so many principles in this passage, but I want to zero in on verse 3 and Jehoshaphat’s response to the crisis. “Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD”.
Jehoshaphat was afraid. God continually tells us “Do not fear”, but that is a very different thing than being afraid.
Afraid is:
An adjective
An emotion
A natural, normal, sometimes healthy reaction—just like you couldn’t help but feel pain if I kicked you in the shin.
But To fear is:
A verb
A response—we must train to become “response able” vs knee-jerk reactions
Giving power to that of which you are afraid
Jehoshaphat had a normal healthy response to a crisis coming down on him, but he immediately made a choice to reach out to the Almighty God rather than be controlled by fear.
It’s okay to feel afraid—or any other tough emotion. It can be very unhealthy if we do not feel emotional response to really difficult situations. But don’t get stuck there! Don’t give power to the fear. Pour your heart out to the Lord, remember who He is (may I recommend Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer?)
Read, remember, rehearse, rest in who HE is:
Once God has spoken;
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God;
Psalm 62:11
Spend some time looking at Jehoshaphat’s prayer. What timeless principles do you see?
Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD before the new court, and he said, "O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. "Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, 'Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.' "Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), see how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. "O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You."
2 Chronicles 20:13 All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, their wives and their children.
May we, as the Body of Christ, stand humbly before God, keeping our eyes on Jesus, trusting in the eternal God, encouraging our families and communities, ready to be obedient to His marching orders to love and serve in any way the Lord wants to use us. We kneel before the sovereign God, fix our eyes on Jesus, and respond with “Here am I, Lord. Send me.”
Praying for each of you as we walk through this minefield together. Take good care of each other.