This week has been a nightmare. We all have them...unfortunately. Those weeks where it appears that the world has turned on you. It is particularly discouraging when someone is spreading unjustified hatred and lies about you. Now let's ratchet up the pain by making that 'someone' a person that you love.
The details are unimportant. And ruminating about 'why' people behave as they do is inconsequential. It will not change anything. The hurt is real and while loved ones and friends try to help, it is deeply comforting to receive heavenly reminders that God 'sees' and that He has our back.
This is just what it felt like today when I opened my email to see a message from our campus minister, Dr. Wes Brashier, at the university where I work. The devotion he sent to the staff and faculty read as follows:
King Jehoshaphat’s prayer, recorded in the 20th Chapter of 2nd Chronicles, is among the greatest prayers in all of Scripture. When the
king had received word that three enemy nations were coming to attack
him, he immediately responded by calling the people
together. Not in order to prepare for a battle, but to pray to God
publicly:
"O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against
this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to
do, but our eyes are upon You.”
2 Chronicles 20:12
Instead of running away from the army coming against him,
Jehoshaphat chose to lead the people of Israel in a prayer that
confessed their total dependence on the Lord.
You may think you do not have an option when facing a difficult
challenge, but you do. You can choose to turn to God and bow before Him,
or you can turn and run away in fear.
The enemy has one goal for your life, and that is discouragement -
to influence people to give up and become ineffective for God. You are
called to follow Christ for a purpose. When challenges come, go to God
in prayer. Confess your inability and your
need for Him. Humility is a sign of great strength, not weakness.
Then trust God to do the impossible in your situation and give you victory.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You have a solution for the challenges I am facing
today. I trust you to do the impossible and bring the victory. Amen
I hope this message ministers to you today.
I do not believe in coincidences; but I do believe in a living, loving, omnipotent and omniscient God. How reassuring is that! God is living; He is alive and active today. He loves us unconditionally. He is omnipotent - all powerful, and omniscient - all seeing and all knowing. In other words, not only does He see all but He knows all. He has the answers. So, as King Jehoshaphat did, we should set our eyes upon Him.
A dear friend calls these chance moments serendipitous but that lovely word has a capricious sound that implies the 'universe' just happened to align coincidentally for a moment to create a marvelous little random miracle. God's thoughts and plans, while higher than ours and often incomprehensible, are never capricious or random. Rest and trust in this eternal truth today.
