January 23: 2 Chronicles 20:1-12

The Response (verses 3-4)

Often, circumstances that apply to a group, community or nation invite leaders to issue a call to prayer and believers to bind together in prayer over the situation. Consider the effect that people bound together in prayer can have. Have you observed the power of corporate prayer?

Now, let’s be clear about Jehoshaphat: he was not perfect before the LORD.

• He allied himself by marriage to Ahab, king of Israel (whose wife was Jezebel), one of the evilest kings of Israel. This he did by giving his son, Jehoram, to the daughter of Ahab.
• Jehoshaphat agreed to fight with king Ahab and Israel against Aram, even though Micaiah, the true prophet of God, warned them of the disastrous consequences of doing so. In this battle king Ahab was killed and Jehoshaphat almost lost his life.
• He also made an alliance with king Ahaziah, wicked son of Ahab, to make ships to go to Tarshish and expand trade. God destroyed those ships. These experiences must have taught him valuable lessons:
  

“The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.” (Proverbs 10:8, ESV)

“The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he throws the wicked down to ruin.” (Proverbs 21:12, ESV)

Why do I mention these failures? Because I want to emphasize that we do not have to have a perfect track record in order to seek the help of the LORD. Jehoshaphat, like his ancestor before him, king David, committed some glaring sins and made some unwise decisions. But, like king David, he sought the LORD. He did not let those failures keep him from turning to God for help.

In his fear he knew where to turn and he knew that he needed his people to turn to God for help as well. He proclaimed a fast (a serious measure emphasizing the enormity of the situation). The people responded to this call. I believe that they did this, not just because the king proclaimed it, but because they too saw the need to seek the LORD.

APPLICATION

As a child, I witnessed true revival where the lives of people I knew and observed were changed dramatically by the gospel of Jesus Christ. I witnessed a pastor who tirelessly shared the gospel and gave his life to God’s service. I saw people saved from addictions, marriages restored, and the lives of individuals took a whole new direction. I saw revival services extended beyond the one week they had been planned. I saw and felt the Spirit’s work. I believe that those experiences were not unique to a particular place or period of time. I believe that we can see God move in powerful and miraculous ways today. The solution is always the same.

Will you diligently, sincerely, continuously seek the LORD?

“Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (1Chronicles 16:10-11, ESV)

“The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” (Psalm 14:2, ESV)

““Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7, ESV)

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6, ESV)