Week Nine - Day Four: Give Thanks
Chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles recounts a military campaign during the reign of King Jehoshaphat. Judah was facing overwhelming odds as three surrounding nations had declared war on them and had sent their armies to advance against Judahite positions and against Jerusalem. (This incident was after the Israelite civil war. During this war, Israel had divided between northern tribes, called “Israel” and southern tribes, called “Judah.” As a consequence, the nation was no longer a regional power. Therefore, such an advance by three armies would be a significant threat to their welfare.)
We need to hear how Jehoshaphat and the people approached this battle. The bolding is mine.
(20) Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.”(22) As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
(24) When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah to this day.
Before You Start Your Day
- What principle might this passage suggest as a model for handling our difficulties?
- As you think about your day, give thanks to God in advance for what He will do.
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Kind of like my divorce court case. At the very last minute, my husband signed an agreement. So the court battle I was expecting, and knew the Lord would see me through, did not even happen.
It's so cool when God does that!