Living By Grace Update

September 16, 2001

O our God … we have no power … nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You  2 Chronicles 20:12

Someone came to king Jehoshophat with the news that the Moabites, Ammonites, and others had invaded the land and were making their way to him to do battle.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD  2 Chronicles 20:4-5.

Jehoshaphat stood before the gathered assembly and prayed. He reminded God that He was sovereign. He reminded God that He had given Israel the land they inhabited. He informed God of the present situation. He reminded God that He had refused to permit them (the Israelites) to invade these lands when they journeyed from Egypt to Israel. And then Jehoshaphat closed his prayer with:

… here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You  2 Chronicles 20:11-12.

The Lord responded by giving prophet Jahaziel the following words:

Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15b.

Because of such a spirit of trust, God told them what to do. They did it, and the result was one of the greatest victories in the history of the nation of Israel.

We continually stand in need of your prayers and support.

David Kuykendall