2 Chronicles 17-20

May 14

2 Chronicles 17-20

The Moabites and Ammonites put together a huge army that was coming toward Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat realized he was in a tight spot. He was alarmed, but did not panic. Instead he called for a fast for all of Judah. “The people came together to seek help from the Lord.” (4) Jehoshaphat prayed and part of his prayer was; “we do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” God answered their prayer through one of the Levites in the crowd. God told them; "He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s." (2 Chronicles 20:15, NIV)

There are several lessons here for us. First when trouble is coming our way or has already hit, instead of panicking, fast and pray. Sometimes we don’t know what to pray for, but we can still pray. We can seek God. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV)  Fasting opens the lines of communication with God. It reminds us of our dependence on God for our daily provision. Fasting helps us remember that to hunger for God is more important than our hunger for food. If we seek Him first, the other things will fall in line.

The second lesson we can learn is that even when we have no idea what to do, we can look to God. He knows what is best for us and will reveal it to us if we fix our eyes on Him. "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26, NIV) The key to our prayer is seeking God’s direction, not giving God our directions.

The third lesson is that we do not have to fight all our battles by ourselves. Sometimes God wants us to get out of His way. “For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Jehoshaphat and his men did not have to fight the battle, they just carried off the plunder. God wants to take care of us in the midst of our struggles. He is waiting for us to turn it all over to Him. To fast and pray, to surrender to his direction, and to get out of the way so He can do His work.