Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard and said: “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend” (2 Chronicles 20:5-7)?

It was a cold and cloudy Tuesday morning. As I awoke I noticed my countenance was as grey as the skies outside my window. One by one, I began to recall the troubles and concerns I had sought to “put to bed” the night before. I slunk down the stairs, made a hot cup of coffee and, as I do each morning, sat on the couch with my prayer journal, Bible, devotional (and, of course, my iPad to read the most recent Connect Devotional). However, my typical thoughts of “What did the Lord want to speak to me today?” were silenced by my inward cries of “What am I going to do about this hard situation?”

As my mind became more alert (thank you, morning cup of Joe!), the atmosphere began to change as I remembered that I need not carry these burdens another moment. After all, our Lord invites us to come to Him with hearts that are heavy-laden.

That’s what we see Jehoshaphat do in our passage this week. He is overwhelmed by his circumstances and fully aware the situation is completely out of his hands. He calls everyone to fast - in an act of surrender and worship to the One True God - then, in an assembly of the people he is leading he offers a corporate prayer. 

“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you” (vs. 6).

Jehoshaphat remembers what the prophets have said about God and what he knows about His character, what the Lord has already done, and how He has shown Himself faithful, strong, and true.

In the midst of this imminent threat – a very real problem that must be solved – he takes his eyes off his problem and worships the One who is in control of all things. He acknowledges his weakness and praises God for His strength. The result? The atmosphere changed.

I did something similar that dreary morning not long ago. While my circumstances didn’t change immediately, the atmosphere did as I surrendered my struggle to the Lord and my attitude followed. I moved from a place of despair, to a place of hope. From thinking, “what am I going to do?” - to “Lord, would You move in this situation?”

Do you have the need to move from fear and worry to courage and hope in an area of your life? Take a moment now and recount how God has been faithful in the past and thank Him for how He will carry you through difficulty in the future.