Read 2 Chronicles 20: 1-30 We don’t know what to do but our eyes are on You

I am at a crossroads and a tumultuous time in my life.  In obedience to the Lord, I left my ministry position of 22 years; I sold my house; I have done my best to obey the Lord by detaching from everything I can think of.  I don’t even have a vehicle anymore, because it belonged to the ministry.  As time goes on I am beginning to get nervous; my house is sold and I haven’t found anything I can afford to buy.  Fears and doubt creep in quickly and I am tempted to second guess myself.  Lately the verse has been running through my mind, “we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You”. (2 Chron. 20:12)

I decided to look up the passage and re-read the context; maybe the Lord has something to say to me through it.

King Jehosaphat received word that his enemies were advancing, preparing to attack.  My enemies are also surrounding me: fear, doubt, guilt, maybe even anger.  What did Jehosaphat do?  He ran to the Lord.  NLT says he was terrified and went to the Lord for guidance.  Rather than running to a fearful place, or his own solutions, he resolved to bring it to God.  He called upon all the people to fast, and to come together to seek the Lord.

I notice a few things about Jehosaphat’s prayer.  He recalls the great things the Lord has done, and all the ways the Lord has been involved in leading Judah to the place they are now.  He acknowledges some of God’s everlasting qualities, His rule and His power and His protection.  Then as he lays out his situation before the Lord, it is with all of God’s greatness in mind.  He asks God to do what He has promised and confesses their own powerlessness.  In simple faith he states, “we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You”.

Pause for a minute.  Can you recall what God has done to bring you to this place? Take a few moments and acknowledge His working in your own life.  Recite to Him the promises He has made to you and reconfirm your faith in His unfailing love and faithfulness.  Tell Him that your enemies are surrounding you, waiting to take you down.  Confess if you have been listening to the voices that cause you to doubt His goodness.  Tell Him you don’t know what to do but you are looking to Him for His leading.

I think it’s noteworthy that after the prayer, all the men, women and children of Judah just stood there before the Lord (v13).  I need to learn to do this.  I always want to rush ahead and do something.  I know I can’t; it’s got to be the Lord doing it.  I’ve waited too long and there’s too much on the line for me to run ahead of Him now.  The word of the Lord that came to the people of Judah is also for me (and you): “Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the battle is not yours, but God’s”(v15).  That’s a good reminder.  God got me into this through my obedience to Him.  Why do I think I need to get myself out of it?

And yet it’s not that they have to do nothing, just standing around idly and waiting.  Not in this instance anyway.  Again, God was speaking to me through the text: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you” (v17).  God has been telling me repeatedly to wait, in an expectant and prepared kind of way.  I know that there are times when I may have to fight, but this is not one of them.  I have to be ‘in position’ and ‘stand firm’.   I have to get ready to face my enemies.  I have to name them and bring them into the light.  And like the people of Judah, I have to bow down in worship.

Pause again to ask yourself, ‘What am I afraid of?’  Can I name my enemies?’ (not people probably, but those enemies of your soul?)

The next day, Jehosaphat gathered everyone together and reminded them what the Lord had said.  I find I need to do this almost every day, as soon as I feel the doubts and fears amassing against me again. “Listen to me! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His [promises] and you will be successful” (v20) It’s so fascinating what they did next:  the organized themselves not only to march out, but to praise! Not repeating their frightened prayers over and over, but praising Him for the splendor of His Holiness. In fact, the singers went out in front of the army! (there’s faith, wow!)  And Scriptures says that “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against [their enemies] and they were defeated” (v22).  At the very moment they began to sing and praise, the Lord acted. When they arrived, it was all done and all they had to do was take the plunder.

Are you able to praise the Lord for who He is, even before you’ve seen the answers to your prayers? God deserves our praise and our worship.  Someone once told me that if you’re praising the Lord you can’t be complaining at the same time.  That’s a good point.  I remember once going through an especially difficult time in my life, and I asked the Holy Spirit to give me a song every time I started to worry.  He did, and it turned into a beautiful and fruitful time in my life.  I was joyful!  It was a great testimony to who God is.  Try it; He won’t disappoint you.  “He who began a good work in you will carry in on to completion” (Phil 1:6)