“Our Eyes Are Upon You”
If you are anything like me, there are times you just don't know what to do. Life can get very complicated. Consequently, learning to deal with problems in the right way can save us a lot of heartache. King Jehoshaphat, one of the godly kings in the line of David gives us an inspiring example of what to do in perplexing times. Here are his words: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (2 Chronicles 20: 7).
A vast army was approaching to attack the small country of Judah. Jehoshaphat called the nation to prayer and admitted they certainly didn’t know what to do but their eyes were upon God. They felt powerless but Jehoshaphat knew God wasn’t powerless.
What a lesson for us to remember. Our powerlessness is God’s opportunity to work. He is never at a loss. God is never caught by surprise. Jehoshaphat rightly affirmed “You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you” (2 Chronicles 20: 6).
Jehoshaphat hangs on to God’s promises. He believes this attacking army can’t defeat them because God has made them promises and his promises never fail. The king recalls God’s promise to give Abraham the land: “O our God, did you not---give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?” Jehoshaphat also recalls God’s promise to help in times of trouble. He calls to mind God’s instructions telling them what to do when facing calamity: “If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us” (2 Chronicles 20: 7-8).
Judah had been told to cry out to God in times of calamity and now they were doing it. Their eyes were on God. When we don’t have the answers or the solutions aren’t anywhere in sight, it’s time to stand in God’s presence and ask for help.
God answered his prayer and told Jehoshaphat not to be discouraged or afraid because He would fight their battle (2 Chronicles 20:15-17). The king and his people responded in praise and worship to God.
The next morning Jehoshaphat went to battle with his army singing "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." God defeated their enemies without King Jehoshaphat’s army ever lifting a finger.
Every one of us face these kinds of moments when the unexpected moves in on us. Fear grips our hearts. We feel the panic and our mind tells us to calculate and figure out a solution. We can give in to our fear or we can learn from the example of men and women like Jehoshaphat who trusted God for their deliverance.
Finally, King Jehoshaphat led his people in a day of thanksgiving for the wonderful things God had done for them. They called it “Valley of Beracah” because that’s where they expressed their gratitude to God. We should always conclude each victory from God with a “Valley of Beracah.”
by Boyd D. Brooks
Humor Corner
Car Accidents:
- "A pedestrian hit me and went under my car."
- "The other car collided with mine without giving warning of its intention."
- "I had been learning to drive with power steering. I turned the wheel to what I thought was enough and found myself in a different direction going the opposite way."
- "Coming home, I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don't have."
- "I thought my window was down; but found it was up when I put my hand through it."
- "No one was to blame for the accident, but it never would have happened if the other driver had been alert."
- "The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go, so I ran over him."
- "I saw the slow-moving, sad-faced old gentleman as he bounced off the hood of my car."
- "I had been driving for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident."
- "I was taking my canary to the hospital. It got loose in the car and flew out the window. The next thing I saw was his rear end, and there was a crash."
- "I was backing my car out of the driveway in the usual manner when it was struck by the other car in the same place where it had been struck several times before."
- "The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth."
- "The accident happened when the right door of a car came around the corner without giving a signal."
- "I was thrown from my car as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by some stray cows."
- "I had been shopping for plants all day and was on my way home. As I reached an intersection, a hedge sprung up, obscuring my vision."
- "I was on the way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident."
- "I was sure the old fellow would never make it to the other side of the road when I struck him."
- "I told the police that I was not injured, but on removing my hat, I found that I had a fractured skull."
- "I was unable to stop in time, and my car crashed into the other vehicle. The driver and passengers then left immediately for a vacation with injuries."
- "To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front, I struck the pedestrian."
- "The accident occurred when I was attempting to bring my car out of a skid by steering it into the other vehicle."
- "When I could not avoid a collision, I stepped on the gas and crashed into the other car."
- "I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way."
- "In my attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole."
- "My car was legally parked as it backed into the other vehicle."
- "As I approached the intersection, a stop sign suddenly appeared in a place where no stop sign had ever appeared before. I was unable to stop in time to avoid the accident."
- "The telephone pole was approaching fast. I was attempting to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end."
- "A truck backed though my windshield and into my wife's face."
- "I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment."
- "The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him."
- "An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my vehicle, and vanished."