Have you ever been terrified by some unexpected news? Been in shock because things were not going at all the way that you expected them to go? Felt helpless in the face of an “enemy” – a habit, an addiction, guilt, a strong temptation, or a haunting memory? What do you do? Where do you turn for help? Is there anyone who has not experienced these kinds of difficult and challenging moments or days? It’s often at times like this that we can learn some of life’s most important lessons. It’s often the way that God can get our attention so that we can turn to Him, realizing that He is the One who will meet us in our time of need and give us the victory that seems so distant.
Do you recognize the name Jehoshaphat? He was a king in Judah who “was eager to follow his father’s example and to obey the commands of his father’s God” but one day he got the terrifying message that there was a vast army coming his direction. He could have gathered his military leaders together to make a plan, but instead he went to the people and asked them to fast and to seek the Lord’s help. Then standing in the courtyard of the Temple of the Lord, he prayed. However, it wasn’t the great king to whom God gave His answer. It was to one of the men that the Spirit of the LORD spoke. God used one of the ordinary men, named Jahaziel, to convey the truth of His presence, His promises and His assurance that He would bring victory to His people. Why did God choose to use someone beside the king to be his spokesman? What did this do for the king and the families that day?
Is there any chance that you need to hear the same message that the Spirit of the Lord gave to Jahaziel that day so long ago? “Stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.” II Chronicles 20:17
