This Is How I Fight My BattlesSample

Great Jehoshaphat

Full disclosure: I'm not a Bible scholar. I didn't go to seminary, and I don't have a theology degree. I'm actually quite ordinary. I'm just a wife, mom, and nurse practitioner who is committed to waking up every morning and seeking the Lord because I need Him. Without Him, nothing makes sense. I don't do this perfectly, but thankfully God doesn't require perfection.

I say this because you should know that the revelation that came to me about this passage of Scripture wasn't because I was perusing the Old Testament for some scholarly pursuit about King Jehoshaphat. I was just diligently doing my Bible-in-a-Year reading plan and 2 Chronicles 20 happened to be the selection for that day. And on a random Tuesday morning, the Holy Spirit smacked me in the face with it and changed my life.

You know, He really does speak to us through His Word! He even speaks to ordinary people like me, so I know He will speak to you, too.

Now, I'm going to be vulnerable and share the real reason why this passage of Scripture first stood out to me in my insufficiently caffeinated early morning stupor. Admittedly, at first it was not because I found 2 Chronicles 20 to be terribly stimulating, but because of Anne of Green Gables.

When I was a little girl, I was infatuated with Anne of Green Gables - a beloved Canadian children's literary classic by Lucy Maud Montgomery about a red-headed orphan who grew up on Prince Edward Island. Anne got herself into lots of trouble but through her spunk and spirit, she triumphed in any situation. Anne tried her best to be a good girl and she didn't swear, so when Anne needed to express herself with emphasis, she exclaimed, "Great Jehoshaphat!"

That is how the Holy Spirit called my attention to this powerful passage of scripture about King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20 that morning. Isn’t that wonderful? He knows each one of us so well and so intimately, that He can draw on distant childhood memory or any other random detail of your life to make you sit up and pay attention!

So, what made King Jehoshaphat so great (to the point that his name was featured as an early 1900's expletive)? He was a king of Judah, and the Bible tells us that the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his forefather David. Remember David? The shepherd boy who killed Goliath and became king of Israel? The one whom God called “a man after his own heart”? That David! The Bible says Jehoshaphat followed in David's footsteps because he sought after and yearned with all his desire for the Lord. What a legacy to learn from!

As you read 2 Chronicles 20 today, look out for the spiritual weapons that Jehoshaphat learned from David. We're going to learn how to put these powerful weapons to work in our own lives.

Let's Pray:

Lord, thank you that as I draw near to You today, You promise to draw near to me. You know me so well. Open my ears and heart to Your Word so I can hear what You have for me today. Help me to diligently seek You and desire You above all else. Amen.

Take Action:

Identify a time when you felt God speak to you in a personal way. Meditate on this today, remembering His closeness and presence. Allow this memory to buttress your faith during times when God may feel distant.