Have you ever felt overwhelmed by problems so huge, you no longer know what to do? Set your eyes upon the Lord and seek His face! During King Jehoshaphat's reign in Judah, a great multitude of army came against Him. Below is an account of what happened (please refer to 2 Chronicles 20 for a full reference):
"After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,[a] came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,[b] from beyond the sea...3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah...5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly... 6 and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you....13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel... 15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's...17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”
22 And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another."
--1 Chronicles 20:1-23 (ESV)
In the midst of battle, the people of God chose to worship Him and praise Him! Can you imagine a war that was led by worshipers?
As you face hardship, remember how the Lord has delivered and saved those who trust Him. Continue to trust Him and seek His face!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Steadfast Love
"Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds." --Psalm 36:5.
In the ESV version of the Bible, the phrase "steadfast love" appears 191 times. In other versions you might encounter the phrases "lovingkindness," "unfailing love," or "mercy."
The Hebrew word found in this verse is "chesed" meaning
- zeal toward someone
- mercy toward those in misfortune
- to act kindly toward
- the grace and favor of God toward men
- constant or abiding mercy or favor
In English the word "steadfast" means
- firmly fixed in direction, place, or position
- firm in purpose, resolution, faith, or attachment
- unwavering adherence
- firmly established
The etymological origin of the English word "steadfast" came from the Sanskrit word "pastyam" meaning "dwelling place." It later evolved to "fæst" in Old English meaning "firmly fixed, steadfast, secure, enclosed."
In other words, God's love is zealous, unmerited, and firmly fixed. Nothing we do can alter or change it. I love the analogy of God's love being like a secure "dwelling place" that shields us from the elements.
When I think of a secure dwelling place, my friend's log house comes to mind. It was made from massive 10x10 inch hewn logs that ran 15-20 feet long. A deep 10 foot porch wrapped around three sides of the house supported by great wooden columns.
I can remember sitting on the bed in my friend's room during a raging storm. The wind howled around the corners of the house, the lightning washed the sky white, and the thunder shook the earth, but inside those strong walls I felt perfectly safe and secure.
God's love is like that. But unlike most "dwelling places," God's love won't weaken or decay with time and weather. It withstands the ages of eternity and the battering elements of our constant sin without altering or changing. If nothing else, the knowledge of God's steadfast love toward us is sufficient reason to take joy today.
--Catherine Wilson
In the ESV version of the Bible, the phrase "steadfast love" appears 191 times. In other versions you might encounter the phrases "lovingkindness," "unfailing love," or "mercy."
The Hebrew word found in this verse is "chesed" meaning
- zeal toward someone
- mercy toward those in misfortune
- to act kindly toward
- the grace and favor of God toward men
- constant or abiding mercy or favor
In English the word "steadfast" means
- firmly fixed in direction, place, or position
- firm in purpose, resolution, faith, or attachment
- unwavering adherence
- firmly established
The etymological origin of the English word "steadfast" came from the Sanskrit word "pastyam" meaning "dwelling place." It later evolved to "fæst" in Old English meaning "firmly fixed, steadfast, secure, enclosed."
In other words, God's love is zealous, unmerited, and firmly fixed. Nothing we do can alter or change it. I love the analogy of God's love being like a secure "dwelling place" that shields us from the elements.
When I think of a secure dwelling place, my friend's log house comes to mind. It was made from massive 10x10 inch hewn logs that ran 15-20 feet long. A deep 10 foot porch wrapped around three sides of the house supported by great wooden columns.
I can remember sitting on the bed in my friend's room during a raging storm. The wind howled around the corners of the house, the lightning washed the sky white, and the thunder shook the earth, but inside those strong walls I felt perfectly safe and secure.
God's love is like that. But unlike most "dwelling places," God's love won't weaken or decay with time and weather. It withstands the ages of eternity and the battering elements of our constant sin without altering or changing. If nothing else, the knowledge of God's steadfast love toward us is sufficient reason to take joy today.
--Catherine Wilson
Friday, October 12, 2012
Grace Allergies
Scotty Smith in Everyday Prayers, writes "A Prayer about Grace Allergies," "...would have given you living water." John 4:10
".....why we choose broken cisterns, dumb idols, and self help over your love is sheer madness. Grace is for sinners not pretenders, posers, and performers. You mean to heal us not harm us; embrace us, not embarass us; succor us with compassion, not shame us with contempt.
So, Jesus, once again I bring real thirst to you today. I bring my allergic reactions to the gospel. I bring that part of me that would rather help others discover your grace than partake of it myself."
".....why we choose broken cisterns, dumb idols, and self help over your love is sheer madness. Grace is for sinners not pretenders, posers, and performers. You mean to heal us not harm us; embrace us, not embarass us; succor us with compassion, not shame us with contempt.
So, Jesus, once again I bring real thirst to you today. I bring my allergic reactions to the gospel. I bring that part of me that would rather help others discover your grace than partake of it myself."
Panic or Pray
Today as I was waiting for my friend to be done with her medical check up, I was reading 2 Chronicles and this verse was very encouraging.
Help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. 2 Chronicles 14:11
No doubt, there will be time when we will face giants in our life. And that will be the time we either panic, or we pray. I thank God that He allows me to find peace through prayers. And not only I found peace, I also know that He will listen to me and get me through the giants of my life.
God is faithful today. And I hope He does great things in your life too!
Joey
Prayer Manager
Prayer Center @ Dorm 13
Help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. 2 Chronicles 14:11
No doubt, there will be time when we will face giants in our life. And that will be the time we either panic, or we pray. I thank God that He allows me to find peace through prayers. And not only I found peace, I also know that He will listen to me and get me through the giants of my life.
God is faithful today. And I hope He does great things in your life too!
Joey
Prayer Manager
Prayer Center @ Dorm 13
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
The Dog of Desire
When Dr. Eric Mason spoke in convocation back in early September, he used a metaphor in his sermon that struck and convicted me: namely, that our physical desires are big Rottweilers on long chains.
Though we have ownership of our desires, they can quickly get out of our control, dragging us in directions we don't want to go. Not only can they drag us in the wrong direction, they can also turn on us, inflicting wounds that leave deep scars.
When we give our desires to God, he trains them and conforms them to His will. After our desires return from "divine obedience school," they are no longer impetuous Rottweilers, but rather seeing-eye dogs. They gently guide us in the way we should go, protecting us from harm that we cannot see.
All we need to do is entrust our unruly desires to the Divine Trainer, let Him conform those desires to His will, and blindly follow the "seeing-eye dog" of God's will in total faith and trust, knowing that His way is infinitely better than our own.
--Catherine Wilson
Though we have ownership of our desires, they can quickly get out of our control, dragging us in directions we don't want to go. Not only can they drag us in the wrong direction, they can also turn on us, inflicting wounds that leave deep scars.
When we give our desires to God, he trains them and conforms them to His will. After our desires return from "divine obedience school," they are no longer impetuous Rottweilers, but rather seeing-eye dogs. They gently guide us in the way we should go, protecting us from harm that we cannot see.
All we need to do is entrust our unruly desires to the Divine Trainer, let Him conform those desires to His will, and blindly follow the "seeing-eye dog" of God's will in total faith and trust, knowing that His way is infinitely better than our own.
--Catherine Wilson
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