Fear

Fear

He said, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat! Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid. Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

2 Chronicles 20:15

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was about to face a combined army of the Moabites and the Ammonites, two ancient enemies of Israel. When Jehoshaphat received news from some of his men that enemy troops were advancing, he was alarmed.

When we sense an army of trouble coming upon us—whether it’s financial difficulties, health problems, or a crisis in our family—what is our reaction? Panic, fear, anger? These are normal human reactions, but we run into trouble if we get stuck there. Any of those reactions, left unchecked, will only add to the confusion and intensity of the problems confronting us.

Notice some excellent choices Jehoshaphat made in this situation (see 2 Chronicles 20:1-30):

• He resolved to ask the Lord for guidance.
• He encouraged the people to fast and pray.
• In front of the people, he rehearsed who God is and what he had done in the past. Then he asked for God’s help, admitting that the people did not know what to do, but that their eyes were upon God.

Through a prophet, God told the people not to be discouraged or afraid, pointing out that the battle was not theirs—it was his. They then gave thanks and praise to God even before they saw who was going to win the battle.

The amazing conclusion is that the enemies were thrown into confusion, killing each other, and Jehoshaphat and his people were saved! When faced with trouble or crisis, may we, like Jehoshaphat, remember to pray and praise, waiting to see what God will do.

Father,

Thank you for examples of people who, though fearful and imperfect like we are, made some wise decisions to trust you. Thanks for lessons from the past that remind us that you are faithful. Amen.