2 Chronicles 20.12
Have you ever found yourself trying to solve a problem when you had absolutely no options? You used up all your money, all your credit, and called in all your favors, only to find that it wasn’t enough. You used all your talent, all your tricks, and all your experience, but the problem was still there. Have you ever realized that you’re not smart enough, clever enough, or connected enough to deal with some of life’s problems?
All of us occasionally face the impossible and impassible. There are times when our health or our finances or our friends or our marriages or our jobs are such that our weaknesses, inadequacies, puniness, and foolishness are on full display for the whole world to see. There are times we can’t do anything and don’t know where to start. What then do we do?
In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was facing a formidable attack on the city of Jerusalem. By this point in his career, his army was depleted, and his wealth was gone. He had no resources. The enemy wanted to take advantage of this. We’re told in verses 3-4 that “Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.” He gathered the nation together to pray for God’s help, and ended his prayer by saying, “…we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (verse 12).
As I’ve gotten older, my daily prayers resemble this prayer. Often, I simply say, “God help me!” Like Jehoshaphat I’m afraid and don’t know what to do, but I know that God does.
God is sometimes glorified when we take the abilities and resources he’s given us and use them to his glory. But God is also glorified – perhaps even more glorified – when we haven’t got the resources and simply turn it over to him. He’s most glorified when we fully trust in his help.
So, when you’re surrounded and cut off; when you’re drowning in despair; when you’re fighting temptation and loneliness and isolation; when you’re numb and exhausted; when your friends lose their minds; when your heart is broken and you have no more tears to shed, that’s when you pray like Jehoshaphat did: “Lord, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on you!”
This story from the reign of Jehoshaphat ends in a good way. His enemies turned on each other and destroyed themselves. The army of Jehoshaphat didn’t have to do anything. God answered the king’s prayer by saying, “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s” (verse 15).
When you have no options, you always have the Lord. My prayer for you is that you turn it over to God, and that he answers you the way he did Jehoshaphat.