This post is a part of my series of once weekly devotionals called Faith for Thought. Bookmark the homepage for Faith for Thought here to return to it for the weekly update on Thursday!
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2 Chronicles 20:5-13
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.
2 Chronicles 20:5-13, NIV
Devotion
I hate making decisions.
I blame my parents (only half-jokingly). Growing up, when we were deciding where to stay on vacation, my dad would print off a spreadsheet of hotels, listing pros and cons of each, amenities, and attractions, and each of us in the family would vote on our favorite place. We’d literally spend hours and hours researching.
Or when we’d have to decide where to go out to eat? We’d all debate it and go back and forth and when we’d finally settle on a place, we’d all be so starving to the point that we weren’t even hungry anymore.
Even now, don’t ask me what we should have for dinner or what movie we should watch.
But of course those are trivial decisions — the ones that, in the grand scheme of things, really don’t matter all that much.
The reality is that we have to make decisions about much more serious matters. Should I take this new job? Should we stay in this house or move?
Worse yet is when we have to make decisions that we never imagined we’d have to make. How do I best support a loved one who is dying? What treatment should I pursue?
I’d imagine that is how Jehoshaphat felt facing a vast army he never thought he’d have to face.
When I was in college, making what felt like the biggest decisions of my life about career choices and internships and what to study, I taped a sticky note with Jehoshaphat’s prayer on my computer: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)
I still love that verse. What I love even more now, though, is the next image: “All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 20:13)
When we have to make hard decisions, not only do we fix our eyes on the Lord in prayer and Bible study. But we also stand in silence before the Lord, ready to listen.
Take Action
Read the full story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:1-35. When you have difficult decisions to make, imagine yourself standing with the men of Judah before the Lord.
Also make a note of how they decided what to do in this chapter. Could the Lord be speaking through someone else to give you wise advice?
