Yesterday I was reminded of our daughter Mary when she was a little girl and it was near Christmas and we had used the last gas I had  in the vehicle to see three people and made it home and ran out of gas at the house-  we were about out and Mary prayed –“Thank YOU LORD for CHOOSING this Trial for us”..

 

TROUBLES—always produce a RESPONSE  from us. James informs us of the Godly response we must choose, in order  to express…love to Him  -James 1:2-4, 12

 This morning I awoke  with the verse “we don’t know what to do BUT our eyes are on You.” Jehosaphat was under attack and seeing that the and the people would be destroyed, gathered the people to turn to the Lord and fast according to 2 Chronicles 20. Upon remembering this truth and principle for my life and also yours , I went and  read about Jehoshaphat and wrote a few observations- hope they will encourage you

Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20

 Jehoshaphat in this time of severe difficulty was “afraid,”..  in“distress” and “powerless” but in v 12 said  “WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT OUR EYES ARE ON – YOU”….{ Read the chapter and see in his prayer whom the LORD is revealed Himself as in His character…}

 Observations from 2 Chronicles 20:1-12 – 

TROUBLES/ TRIALS….

  •  God sovereignley permits them and always with a PURPOSE….

  • TROUBLES can  be caused to turn us to “seek the LORD”- Jehoshaphat did.

 

  • TROUBLES can unite others for good- others turned to the LORD to seek “help.”

 

  • TROUBLES CAN  be used to  focus our faith and deepen our dependency upon the LORD- !WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT our eyes are on YOU”- v 12

 

  • TROUBLES can be used of God to  bring us into a deeper knowledge of Himself …

 

They would know in their powerlessness- He was able to deliver.

GOING BACK TO THE PAST FOR STRENGTH FOR THE PRESENT !

In Jehoshaphat’s prayer- he keeps going back to the past– what God had done- AS FUEL FOR his faith in the fight he was presently in- In the Old Testament, the people would gather rocks and pile them up as a remembrance of some great thing God had done there, as a way of remembrance and if a child asked a father what they meant when they passed and saw them, the father would recall- go back in his mind and think and then tell the child what GOD HAD DONE! These “markers’ so to speak were known as “STONES OF REMEMBRANCE.”

In all of our lives we have seen God do things, deliverance’s, provisions of His kindness, love, faithfulness, and there are times when we encounter present difficulties we need to go back and recall-“stones of remembrance,” as fuel for our faith and to focus on the character of God…and draw strength, hope from Him!

 

WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO – TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO SEEK THE LORD- 2 CHRONICLES 20:12

 REST IN THE FACT HE SOVEREIGNLY PERMITS AND CONTROLS AND HE HAS PURPOSE – YOU WILL KNOW HIM BETTER…. AND BETTER AND BETTER… MAY THIS BE ALL OF OUR RESPONSES TO- TROUBLES