Get Jumpin'

Dear Friends,

The other day I was watching a TV show, and one of the characters exclaimed, “Jumpin Jehoshaphat”. It caught my attention because, let's be honest, it's not a phrase we hear very often these days. It got me thinking about the actual Jehoshaphat, so today I spent some time reading about his life as told in the Bible. For those of you not familiar with his story, Jehoshaphat was a king of Judah, and his story is told in 1st & 2nd Kings, and 1st & 2nd Chronicles.

The part of his life that really stood out to me today is found in 2 Chronicles 20. In this chapter Jehoshaphat faced a huge dilemma. He was at war, and was greatly outnumbered by his enemies, who were on their way to destroy him. There was no way that he could fight the oncoming army with the troops he had, and so he was pretty sure he would be destroyed. The situation seemed completely hopeless.

So what did Jehoshaphat do? Listen to 2 Chronicles 20:12, which tells us that: “He set himself to seek the Lord, and prayed, ‘O God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help’.”

Then in verses 15-17, we read that God responded by telling Jehoshaphat: “Do not be afraid, and do not be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you.”

So Jehoshaphat and his army went out to meet their enemies, but they put their worship team out front. The Bible tells us that when they began to sing and praise the Lord, the enemy started fighting amongst themselves and destroyed each other. Jehoshaphat and his army were saved.

This story has really resonated with me today, as God has reminded me that, since I am His child, the battles I face in life are not mine, but His. And Jehoshaphat’s example of how he responded to his overwhelming situation has encouraged me to do the same - to focus on praising and worshiping God, and then letting Him fight the battles, because they truly do belong to Him.

Maybe you're facing challenging and overwhelming situations in your life right now. Maybe you're facing things that feel  impossible, and you can't see a way out. If so, join me today in remembering the truth we learn from Jehoshaphat’s story: God can see a way out when we can’t. So let’s call on Him, worship Him, and see what He will do for His children.

Amen?

Daniel