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Note: This post was written as part of the Infertility Bible Study series. If you’d prefer to read it on the free downloadable ebook, click here.
A reading from 2 Chronicles 20:1-21:
After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:
“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
15 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. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever.”
[2 Chronicles 20:1-21, NIV]
One of the most unexpectedly difficult things about going through infertility is the decisions you have to make:
–Should we go see a specialist yet…or just wait?
–Is this medication worth trying?
–Should we get a second opinion?
–Is IUI the “right” thing to do?
–Is IVF too much like “playing God”?
–What is God’s will for my life?
How do you know what decisions to make when it comes to infertility? How are you supposed to know what to do? Really, how are you supposed to know what God wants you to do? I’ve struggled with those questions a lot. And I still can’t seem to find the answers anywhere.
After reading those verses above, you probably think you have this message all figured out — but just hold on a minute. Originally, when I started thinking about this devotion, my mind immediately went to the obvious too: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (verse 12)
And yes, I do love that verse — actually, it’s one of my favorites — and that was going to be the complete focus of this devotion.
But then I read that passage again. Don’t get me wrong, I still think that’s where you need to start: Eyes on God. I’ve prayed that verse and I’ve looked toward God.
But I still find myself not knowing what to do.
And then I realized what I had missed in those verses. Maybe this scripture is not only supposed to teach us to keep our eyes on God, but also to remind us exactly how Jehoshaphat figured out what to do in the end. I’d always overlooked it.
God never did tell Jehoshaphat what to do. Jehoshaphat’s eyes were on God, but God didn’t tell him what to do. God told someone else what Jehoshaphat needed to do. And Jehoshaphat listened to that guy.
Before you panic + argue that infertility decisions should be private decisions between you and God, just hear me out.
Yes, infertility is a deeply personal issue that you don’t always want to share, and let’s be real, a lot of stuff people tell you to do is just plain bad. And a lot of this bad advice comes from judgmental people who have no clue what you’re going through. I think that’s why sometimes hearing this bad advice tricks us into thinking that there’s no one with any good advice out there. So we stop telling people, or we get defensive, or we become unreceptive to any advice that is what we don’t want to hear. We think, “I’ll do what I want, thank you very much. You have no idea.” And the truth is, some people don’t.
But other people might. And other people might have wisdom you don’t. And so there’s no harm in asking someone you respect, a wise person who seeks God, what they think you should do. Yes, you will make decisions regarding your infertility for yourself in the end — I’m not advocating you willy-nilly accept some random advice. But maybe someone has a wise perspective you may not have considered before. Maybe just hearing someone else’s thoughts will make you feel more confident in your decisions. (Or maybe the opposite — you do have to be prepared for advice you may not want to hear too. You really think Jehoshaphat wanted to go out to face that army?) Chances are, though, a wise person will not give you a concrete “answer” anyway, but instead will help direct you. They may lead you with questions to try to better figure out God’s will for your life.
This week, think about someone who you admire for the way that they follow God with their life. When you are faced with hard infertility decisions that don’t have easy answers, don’t be afraid to seek advice. God wanted us to live in community for a reason.
Prayer: God, remind me of those people you have placed in my life to give me godly counsel and advice. Help me to make wise decisions during this struggle with infertility. Also help me to seek advice when necessary, and give me opportunities to share my story with others. Amen.
Scripture to memorize: Proverbs 12:15: “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”
Song for the way to work: Help Me Find It by Sidewalk Prophets
Suggested scripture readings for the week:
Exodus 18:13-26
1 Kings 12:1-15
Matthew 8:5-13
Romans 12:3-8
1 Samuel 3:1-21
Click to return to the Infertility Bible Study Series.
