2 CHRONICLES 20: 12

The plan was to ensure that Israel never rises again, so they decisively ganged up on them to obliterate the very memory of them from off the planet. I think sometimes we forget that this is the ultimate plan of the enemy – to completely wipe us out altogether. We are not dealing with an enemy who desires only to incapacitate us partially, but to completely decapitate and totally eradicate us. Who we are and what we are disturbs him to no end. His aim is to cast us out of our divinely given possession and disinherit us in every sense of the Word.

This passage offers us an excellent plan of response, especially when outranked, outmatched, and outnumbered by the enemy. After a brief panic attack and bewilderment, Jehoshaphat, we are told, “. . . set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chronicles 20:3). It seemed futile and inconsequential to the natural mind, but somehow the King seemed to come to the realization that this was not just a physical, natural attack but spiritual. It was more than flesh and blood. It was not just the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the children of Seir who came against the chosen people, but the enemy powers of darkness, the spirit-beings of the nether world, who instigated and masterminded this whole attack.

They came with swords, shields, and spears; Jehoshaphat prayerfully responded. He mobilized united prayer. He proclaimed a fast. The king, the men, the women, the children, all came together to seek the face of the Lord. The more the enemy attacks us, the more we pray. May we understand that every Satanic attack is a provocation to pray. Somehow the enemy doesn’t know that he is being used to make us more spiritual and prayerful! In times of dire stress and distress, we will not disintegrate but set ourselves to pray even more.

Jehoshaphat, the King, teaches the church just what to do in overwhelming and intensely stressful situations. First, he acknowledges his desperation and his helplessness. He unashamedly declared and confessed that they had no might against the great company that came against them. Then he sincerely acknowledged, “. . . Neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee” (verse 12). Honestly, church, now is no time to pretend! Sometimes, we like to pretend, especially as leaders, that we know what to do and we have everything in control. However, let us be truthful and honest; every now and again, life throws us a curveball, unexpected challenges arise, knocking the very wind out of us.

It is rather noteworthy that even though Jehoshaphat acknowledges that he does not know what to do, what he does is most instructive and enlightening to us as we too navigate the many intricacies of life. It is a classic lesson in what to do when you don’t know what to do: 1) He prays and calls a prayer meeting; 2) He proclaims a fast; 3) He prays for deliverance; 4) He confesses their vulnerability and helplessness; 5) He avows complete reliance upon God; 6) He looks up, waiting on God; 7) He listens to the message from the Almighty. For a man who didn’t know what to do, he sure did the right thing! May Jehoshaphat’s response in this crisis serve as a prototype for many of us facing seemingly impossible situations. May God help us always to do the right thing!