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Daily Devotion: 2 Chronicles 20:20

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2 Chronicles 20:20    "And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper."  

This is the beginning of one of the most miraculous battles ever fought. We think about the battle of Jericho, the battle between David and Goliath, and other battles which were great. But this one has always stuck in my mind for the manner in which the people prepared and then went into the battle field.

The Lord answered their prayer and told them to wait until the next day to go into the place of battle. "They rose early in the morning, and went forth..."  I am trying to imagine both the excitement and anxiety that night. I wonder how many of them really had a good night's sleep as they were anticipating this day. To me, it is a wonderful example of how we put things in the Lord's hand and then wait. Yesterday, we saw that we are to spend that "waiting period" in worship unto the Lord. Today, we hear Jehoshaphat saying to the people, "Believe in the LORD your God." Is it possible to have a pure sense of worship and praise unto God, but then still feel a sense of anxiety in a situation? I think of the father who brought his son to Jesus. He confessed to Jesus, "Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief."  There is the greatest sense of peace when we truly have left it all in the hands of the Lord. But that can be the hardest thing for most of us to do. We often say, "I have just put it in God's hands."  I must confess that oftentimes, I put it in God's hands, but then go to work trying to "help" Him figure out the best way.  "Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief."

Jehoshaphat reminded the people of a most wonderful fact. "Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established."  When our trust is completely in the Lord's wisdom and power, there is an assurance that settles over us. There is that "peace that passeth all understanding" that keeps our hearts and minds. But in order to arrive at that point, there must be a complete turning from ourselves, whether it be our weakness or our imagined strength, and rely completely upon the Lord. For me, it's like walking on a swinging bridge. At first, my steps are small and very determined. I am afraid of heights so it is very hard to let go of that fear and trust the bridge to hold me. The farther I go on that bridge, the more relaxed I become until I am totally confident that I can make it to the other side.  

May I say to each of us this morning: In the hands of Jesus Christ, we can make it to the other side. If necessary, take the small determined steps. Continue to pray and ask for grace to fully believe. I close with the great words of Jehoshaphat:  "Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." 

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