Our Eyes Are Upon You

For the last couple of months, in between my study time for ladies' Bible study group, I have been marinating in 2 Chronicles 20.  It is the story of King Jehoshaphat and the great multitude that comes against him in battle.  This force is more than he can handle.  Jehoshaphat has just been strengthening Judah, building the defences, and teaching the people from God's Word.  He is a good king.

So Jehoshaphat doesn't just try to handle everything on his own.  He doesn't call up the reserves.  No - he leads his people in a national fast, culminating in a gathering before the house of the Lord.  And there Jehoshapat prays.  He adores God.  He praises God's strength.  He reminds God of His past works, and His future promises.  He calls God to notice that they have gathered at God's house to ask for God's help.  And then he throws himself at God's mercy, and leaves it all in God's hands, withwith these amazing words:

"O our God, wilt thou not jduge them?  For we have no mights against this great company that cometh against us; netiher know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee." (2 Chron. 20:12)

As we are navigating the amazing, odd, crazy, and unbelievable events relating to COVID-19, and all the restrictions, orders, decisions, recommendations, etc. that seem to be changing day by day, I can't help but see the parallels in my world and Jehoshaphat's.

My Bible study lesson today challenged me to personalize the passage.  To rewrite Jehoshaphat's prayer in verses 6-12, inserting my fears, situations, trials, difficulties.  To remind God (and myself) of His deeds in the past and His word for the future.  To come to the place where God dwells and cast myself at His feet, turning my eyes upon Him.  This seemed like an extensive assignment so like a busy mom I procrastinated it for two days.  But I finally picked up my pen and notebook and let God speak to my heart.

Verse 6:  "Lord God, do you rule over the world?  Are You in control of coronavirus, the economy, our church's situation?  I see that You have all power and that nothing is strong enough to come against You or catch You by surprise.  Can You continue to provide for my family and our church?"

Verse 7: "In the past You have provided for my family things both small (like tin foil - ask me about that later) and great (housing in NYC, and past due bills, etc.).   You have promised that they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing (Ps. 34:10).  You have said that You will build Your church (Matt. 16:18)."

Verses 8-9: "Your Word tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 6:19) and that Christ is in me, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).  You have promised that where two or three are gathered together, You are in our midst (Matt. 18:20).  James 5:16 tells us to confess our faults to one another and pray for one another for healing, and that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much.  Rom. 8:28 tells us that You are working all things together for good, and Jer. 29:11 reminds me that You have a plan.  Your strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-11), and when I call unto You, You will answer with great and mighty things (Jer. 33:3) which I cannot imagine (1 Cor. 2:9)."

Verses 10-11: "So now, when the world is in fear and the future is so uncertain.  When life as we know it has been turned upside down and we sometimes don't know who to believe.  When I wonder where our church will meet or how we will grow in a situation like this--

Verse 12: "O God - will you not help?  For we have no might against this situation, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee."

An article on Bible.org says it this way,

"The story of Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:1-30) shows us how to have confidence in a crisis -- not confidence in ourselves (the American way), but confidence in God.  ...Jehoshaphat was shaken one morning when his intelligence soures came running in with the horrifying news... Jehoshaphat's life and his entire kingsdom were on the brink of extinction!  Talk about a reason to panic!"

None of us would have chosen to have our March and April go the way that they have.  None of us likes the unknown future that lies before us, unfolding one day at a time.  None of us can be certain that we will or will not get sick with coronavirus.  But through it all we can turn our eyes to God.