We love choices. From the 1970s “Have It Your Way” Burger King jingle to the more than one hundred drink options in a Coca-Cola Freestyle drink machine, we like to express our preferences and make our selections.
Having designed this characteristic of human nature, God also gives us choices. Unlike one hundred drink flavors in a drink machine, however, He makes it simple. In life, we have only two choices, and these options go way back to a story in 2 Chronicles 20:0
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At the time, godly king Jehoshaphat sat on the throne of Judah. As is often the case with godly rulers, before long, enemies arrived to try to mess up his good thing. Judah was a shadow of her former self in those days, with an army no one in his right mind would boast about. When the big guys came knocking, King Jehoshaphat knew they were in trouble.
“A vast army is coming against you,” the warning stated. Jehoshaphat was “alarmed” (2 Chronicles 20:2-3
Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army from Edom* is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea.* They are already at Hazazon-tamar." (This was another name for En-gedi.) Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting.
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). He gathered the leaders from the surrounding cities, and together they sought the Lord.
“We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us,” he prayed. “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (verse 12).
Almost immediately, God responded to Jehoshaphat’s prayer through one of the prophets. “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. . . . The Lord will be with you” (verses 15, 17).
With these words, God gave Jehoshaphat two choices: believe the impossibility of the circumstances or believe God’s Word. We face the same decision every day.
Picture the rest of the story. “Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord” (verse 18). The next morning, per God’s instructions, they marched out to face the enemy with music on their lips and praise in their mouths. “Give thanks to the Lord,” they sang, “for his love endures forever” (verse 21).
Without lifting a spear or a sword, the Israelites won a great victory. The Lord fought for them. By praying, seeking God’s face, and believing His promises, they released the power available in heaven. God brought it to earth for a great victory.
The result? “The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel” (verse 29).
Uncommon Thought
When faced with challenging (and sometimes overwhelming) circumstances, we can either believe what we see with our eyes or trust the promises God has given us.
Unusual Faith
What enemy are you facing right now? What circumstance steals the sleep from your night and the peace from your days? You have two choices: believe the seeming impossibility of the circumstances or believe God’s promises. If you choose to believe God’s promises, pray to the Lord right now. Like King Jehoshaphat, lay your circumstances before Him, confess your fear and powerlessness, and wait for His direction and deliverance.
Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-22
After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites* declared war on Jehoshaphat. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army from Edom* is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea.* They are already at Hazazon-tamar." (This was another name for En-gedi.) Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD's help. Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the LORD. He prayed, "O LORD, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. They said, `Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war,* plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.' "And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. O our 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." As all the men of Judah stood before the LORD with their little ones, wives, and children, the Spirit of the LORD came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph. He said, "Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!" Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the LORD. Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout. Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, "Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed." After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:"Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!" At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.
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The cries that awaken a mother in the middle of the night are many and varied.
There’s the cry that says, I’m feeling a little lonely; it would be nice to see your face. Another cry says Something disturbed me. I don’t like it, and I think you ought to know about it. My diaper’s wet or my tummy’s hungry.
And then there’s the cry that could raise the dead. You know, the one that jerks you upright and on your feet even before your eyes are open.
A weekend with my granddaughter, Lauren, allowed me to experience all three of these cries. I was visiting for the weekend and offered to babysit so my daughter and son-in-law could have an evening out.
Following their usual bedtime ritual, I bathed Lauren, read her a bedtime story, and tucked her into bed. An hour or so later, I heard her whimper. Tiptoeing to her room, I peeked in to check on her. Apparently she had lost her pacifier and was rustling around in search of it. I watched her find it in the semi-darkness, slide it into her mouth, and drift off to sleep again.
Later that night, after I had gone to bed, I again heard a cry from her room. I tiptoed to the door to check on her. Although her cries were louder than before, she settled down in a few minutes with no intervention from me.
At 5 a.m., however, it was a different story. Shrill screams pierced the air, causing me to sit straight up in bed. My daughter, now home and asleep, responded instantly, but it took several minutes before Lauren’s cries subsided.
Wise parents learn to distinguish between the cries that warrant immediate attention, the ones that need monitoring, and those that are best ignored.
But regardless of the reason, mothers hear every cry. Their ears are attuned to the sound of their babies’ voices, and their hearts are knit together.
God the Father is the same way. David describes God’s responsiveness in2 Samuel 22:7
But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I cried to my God for help.He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.
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“In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.”
God also responds to our cries for help.Psalms 91:14
The LORD says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.
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“‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.’”
At times, however, in his infinite wisdom, God chooses not to respond to our requests immediately. Perhaps He knows we need to learn lessons or develop skills. Maybe He knows our faith muscles need strengthening or that waiting for His response will help develop our character. He knows that persevering in faith, even when we can’t see God at work, makes us stronger.
Uncommon Thought
If you’re crying out today, be comforted and encouraged by the knowledge that God hears every cry and always responds in a timely manner in the way that is best—because He loves you.
Unusual Faith
Has there been a time when God seemed deaf to your cries, but later you saw how He was working on your behalf? You can trust God for the present situation based on His faithfulness in the past. Cry out to Him, tell Him your needs, and watch to see how He responds.
I didn’t know my friend from high school was dying. We hadn’t seen each other in years, but when our paths crossed in the dental office, we time-warped right back to our teenage years. Lena had bought me my first Chick-fil-A sandwich. And my first Helen Reddy album. Twenty-five years later, I can still sing the lyrics to the title song “I Am Woman.” We’d attended church together, taken bus rides all over the city, and shared our dreams. I hoped to write the Great American Novel. She wanted to travel the country in a VW bus.
Although we lived in the same town, we drifted apart when Lena went to work and I went to college. Mutual friends would mention her occasionally, and the reports weren’t good.
“She’s partying a lot,” one friend said.
“I see her with a different guy every time,” another commented. “She’s changed. You wouldn’t recognize her.”
They were right. The woman I bumped into in the dental office bore little resemblance to my high school friend. She sported bright pink hair. Her normally chubby cheeks were sunken, stretched tightly against her prominent cheekbones. “You look great,” I lied, hugging her gently, afraid if I squeezed too hard she might break.
As we talked, our conversation turned to spiritual things.
“I’ve been wanting to study the Bible again,” Lena said, “but I don’t know where to start.”
“Why don’t we study together?” I said. She agreed, and we decided to meet every Tuesday night to study the book of 1 Peter.
On the first night of our study, she told me she was dying.
Her lifestyle had resulted in a fatal disease. “I felt okay at first,” she said, “but I’ve been getting sicker. Doctors have tried several different treatments, but nothing seems to help.”
When the conversation turned to spiritual things, as it often does when someone knows they’re dying, I asked the question weighing heavily on my heart.
“Lena, do you know for sure, if you were to die, that you’d go to heaven?”
“Yes,” she said softly, raising tear-filled eyes to meet mine. “When I was first diagnosed, I was angry at God. I knew He could have prevented me from getting sick. But then I realized that if I hadn’t gotten sick, I would have continued in my lifestyle, moving farther and farther away from Him. It sounds crazy, but my illness has actually been a blessing. It brought me back to God.”
Lamentations 3:33
For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.
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shows us God’s compassionate heart for His wayward children when Jeremiah writes, “For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.” This heart-wrenching statement reminds us that although God often allows the natural consequences of our sin to impact our lives, He doesn’t delight in it.
“Though he brings grief,”Lamentations 3:32
Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.
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says, “he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.”
Lena lived six more months after we reconnected. We laughed, cried, and studied God’s Word together. Her body weakened, but her spirit grew stronger. Her confidence in God’s greater purpose for her illness never wavered, nor did her trust in God’s tender heart toward her. She knew that although her body would one day die, her spirit would live forever. And an eternity with God is infinitely better than a lifetime without Him.
Uncommon Thought
God never celebrates when the results of our disobedience wreak havoc on our lives. Instead, He weeps with us.
Unusual Faith
Have you ever struggled with events or circumstances in your or someone else’s life that came about because of disobedience? Maybe this war is raging in your spirit right now. It’s time to stop fighting. Talk to God, right now. Confess and repent of any sin that is hindering your relationship with Him. Tell Him about your hurt, pain, fear, disappointment. Be honest. He knows anyway. Then take up the shield of faith. Say to Him, “No matter what happens, I will trust that you will use what you’ve allowed into my life for my good and your glory. Give me the faith and courage to walk the path you have set before me.”
ReadLamentations 3:24-40
I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD's demands. Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last. Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. If people crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land, if they deprive others of their rights in defiance of the Most High, if they twist justice in the courts— doesn't the Lord see all these things? Who can command things to happen without the Lord's permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the LORD.
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