“…the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle…a great multitude…And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” – 2nd Chronicles 20:1-3 (KJV)
Have you ever received devastating news? If so, how did you react? .
Centuries ago, in 2nd Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, received news that an alliance of nations was coming to battle against Judah. The Scripture tells us that he feared. Fear (yare, from the noun yirah in Hebrew), as used in this passage, is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. As humans, like Jehoshaphat, we too may have experienced this unpleasant emotion at some time. Notwithstanding this, we must ensure that fear does not paralyse us but rather serves as a conduit for greater faith in our lives.
Upon careful examination of the Scripture in focus, we noticed that although the King feared, he did not dwell in the fear, but instead set himself to seek the Lord. According to research, “Fear is supposed to be temporary. A surge of adrenaline, a racing heart, a burst of focus, then it fades once the danger passes. But for millions of people, that fade never happens. The threat ends, and the fear stays, quietly reorganising how they think, feel, and move through the world.”
Yes, fear is the natural emotional response to dreadful news, but when we have a relationship with God, our faith – complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ – begins to operate, helping us to overcome fear.
King Jehoshaphat moved from fear towards faith; he proclaimed a fast for the entire nation. He understood that the nation was in a crisis; therefore, all the citizens needed to be in one accord, both physically and spiritually. They unified in prayer, and the Lord gave clear direction on how Judah would be victorious over its enemies.
As agents of change living in the 21st century, we can draw useful insights from the account in 2nd Chronicles 20 for our lives, especially in times of difficulty and uncertainty. Therefore, whenever fear creeps in and attempts to cripple us, we will not surrender to it. Instead, we will earnestly seek after God and trust Him to move us from feeling defeated to living victoriously. Our faith in God and knowledge of what He can do for us will cause the grey and gloomy clouds of fear to disappear over time and the banner of victory to be raised high in our lives. Amen!
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:7; James 1:6
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 122; Hebrews 10:1-18; Ezekiel 19; Ezekiel 20:1-44