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."