How to keep moving forward when things go wrong
II Chronicles 20:1-13
As women-we will often encounter problems-things that blindside us-situations God allows in our lives to grow us up, to teach us, to strengthen us and to make us wiser. And sometimes, things come at us when we are-best we know-right with the Lord, trying to do his will for our lives, etc. And the rug gets pulled out from under us and what usually happens it is causes confusion and uncertainty because we never expected this “thing” would ever take place. And we don’t see how it could happen because we’re trying to be so good-so right with God. I want to tell you about a story in the Bible of how someone went on though the odds were against him. King Jehoshaphat was a really good king, a faithful king and most importantly an obedient servant of the Lord’s. Yet, on this day, he found himself in trouble. Vs. 1-2 says he received a report that informed him that a great multitude was coming against him to attack and do battle. Ever experience a time when, like Jehoshaphat, you were just living your life; trying to be a good, a faithful servant of the Lord’s, best you know you’re right with God-right with people around you-you’re just trying to be good…and then WHAM! It hits you like a tsunami! You receive news of a problem-a situation arises- so out of the blue- you can hardly believe it! Trouble and huge negative circumstances overwhelming every area of your life. Everything seemed to be going along just swimmingly and then the dam burst. And verse three says Jehoshaphat was afraid. So not only does he receive this awful news-but now he is being run by his emotions. When everything is headed in the direction we never expected it to or never dreamed it would-when everything is just so wrong-we become disillusioned. Often the tendency is to be tempted to give up, have a pity party and basically just become consumed with the issue at hand. We can hear things and think things that cause us to become skeptical, cynical and suspicious. Our thoughts can run away with us-presenting all kinds of additional worries and fears. In vs. 12 as he prays, Jehoshaphat’s reveals his vulnerability as he confesses,”…neither know we what to do…” In other words, “How do I proceed? What should I do next? Jehoshaphat was in a desperate situation-he did not know the best steps to take-how or what to do next.
Now before we go on I want you to know Jehoshaphat was a good man, but he was a sinner just like you and me. In the first few verses of the previous chapter, chapter 19, a preacher comes to see Jehoshaphat and says, “you have brought wrath on yourself from the Lord because you covenanted with the wicked to do something in the name of the Lord.” Ohhhh…could this be what the trouble is all about?
As God’s children, we better be very careful not to compromise all. Making alliances with the unsaved who are not living for the Lord, who hold very different views about God than you, compromising your standards, your testimony-even in your own households! Jehoshaphat entered into a deal with the ungodly King Ahab in an effort to accomplish something. In order to do that he had to please Ahab, to lower himself, to compromise. Now God knows what we are-he doesn’t excuse us but will deal with us as a loving father corrects his own children. And although God had allowed this great trial into the life of Jehoshaphat-he will also be merciful to him and answer his prayers about it. God knew Jehoshaphat was a good man and observed that he did many righteous things, he was a man that feared God, he removed all the idols from the land, and he immediately turned to the Lord when this problem came about. After the preacher spoke to him and chastised him for being buddy-buddy with Ahab, Jehoshaphat made many changes to prove he was sincere in turning from his sin and be even more pleasing to God. Now here’s the point in all of this: Jehoshaphat has a great need brought on by a great problem. He knows humanly speaking there’s no way out-he can’t do a thing. So he does the perfect thing: He positioned his life in such a way so God would hear and answer his prayer. Jehoshaphat began to pray before God and the people 6 And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?” Basically his prayer stated-God is it not true that you rule overall? In other words, the events of our lives never have the final word-God does. He appeals to God’s character-his sovereignty. What he is doing is proclaiming what he knows to be true about God and about life, even though it does not line up with his feelings right now. He feels overwhelmed. He feels afraid. But he knows what he must do and he does it.
First of all in his prayer he reviews what he knows from the Scriptures; times when God delivered his people, when he interceded on his children’s behalf. He states what he knows to be true about God. It is like he is telling the Lord “I’ve see you’ve handled these kinds of issues before-I know I’m not the first one to come to you with these needs.” Even before he brings his great need to God, he refers to the Scripture. This is why it’s so important to be in the Word of God, to know your Bible. You have to realize the Lord is not perplexed as what to do in this situation. You may be because of your limited imagination-but God’s resources are limitless! He can do anything-especially the impossible! And it takes us all the way to verse 10 before he starts to speak to the Lord about this impending disaster he finds himself facing. The verse begins, “And Now,” because now Jehoshaphat is going to address his specific problem. Typically, when we are in a fix we begin with what is going on in our lives-Now Now Now!”And when Jehoshaphat ends explaining their predicament he says, “but our eyes are upon thee.” Not on the problem and all of the possible ramifications and possibilities-they are looking to the Lord. This is a great lesson for us. No matter what may come our way-the first response is always-eyes on the Lord. We want to pour our hearts out to him-we want to know what he will say about this matter. And what a sweet picture this is as the Spirit of God leads the writer to describe the scene for us in verse 13: “And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children”. Can you picture it? In this time of great need-of great impending disaster-these men had their families in order. The husbands and wives standing side by side-humbling themselves before God, their babies in their arms, and all the children exercising good self-control and obedience gathered round. All eyes on the preacher. It was a very sober, spiritual time for the people who were following the leadership of their godly king.
The Bible tells us that as soon as all of this took place, the Spirit of the Lord fell on a man named, Jahaziel, and he began to deliver a message from the Lord-vs. 15. He tells the king and every single person standing there, there’s no need to fear-even though this is such an enormous problem-for the battle is the Lord’s.
So let’s review the steps of the good king:
The king is being confronted by a great problem-he doesn’t ignore it-hope it will go away-immediately-he prays
He reminds the Lord of the many times the Scriptures told of the great victories God had given his people-and might I add he can readily do that because he has hidden the Word of God in his heart. He wasn’t standing there, flipping through the Scriptures-searching for some kind of promise-no-he knew the Word of God in his heart-therefore he was able to compose himself, collect his thoughts and pray effectively. He shifts his focus from the conflict onto the Lord, confessing God is able-God is sovereign. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon a prophet who gives the king and the people a direct answer and a message of hope and comfort from the Lord. God always answers. Sometimes we have the immediate answer just as these people did, sometimes the answer is wait, sometimes, no-but god will always do the best thing for us. Jehoshaphat did all he knew to do and then he just waited which is a good lesson for us: When things of this nature occur in your life-when you sincerely do not know what to do-you’ve prayed and you still don’t know-you do nothing. You just wait. You trust God is in complete control-fully aware and will meet the need. If you look at the top heading in your Bible, the translators noted the subject matter of the chapters below. My heading reads, “Jehoshaphat’s prayer-Overthrow of the Enemies”
God blessed Jehoshaphat, he answered. And even before the problem was solved or changed or over-the Bible says they all praised the Lord and gave thanks. But, you say, the problem wasn’t resolved! Nothing was changed at that moment-but they all praised the Lord because they recognized he was in control and any outcome in this situation will be good. In the end, the Bible tells us the enemies of God’s people turned on themselves! They destroyed each other without Israel ever lifting a finger and God let the people of Israel have all the spoils! And greatest of all, the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the surrounding countries. So what can we take away from this story? How do we accomplish this in the middle of a crisis-in the ongoing long, wearying trials of life-and when things are so unbelievable-so shocking- not going as well as planned?
(Sometimes we have to ask ourselves the hard questions:
Have I done anything to cause this?
What is the Lord speaking to me about?
Is there a sin in my life I need to confess and forsake?)
If best you know everything is right, then:
Never allow the circumstances or your feelings to overrule or set aside what you know to be true about God. He is always faithful.He knows what is going on.
We must always remember that we will never face any life-situation for which God does not have an answer.
Focus on what you can do about this problem:you can pray-you can read and hold onto God’s Word, Seek godly counsel.
It might feel like it’s the end of the world-but it’s not. And while the trials usually lose their “sharp edges” eventually, you are being strengthened, you are growing.
Stick to the present Don’t go to the future and start imagining all the scenarios-
Consider the things God has already brought you through and praise the Lord. Cast not away your confidence because God defers his performances. That which does not come in your time, will be hastened in his time, which is always the more convenient season. God will work when he pleases, how he pleases, and by what means he pleases. He is not bound to keep our time, but he will perform his work, honor our faith, and reward them that diligently seek him.
-Matthew Henry
