Chosen by God!
“After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. ” (II Chronicles 20:1-4, 12 NLT)
What I love about this Scripture is we learn the correct way to deal with fear.
1. You feel the emotion, acknowledge it, but you don’t stay there.
2. You deal with the emotion by “resolving” to seek the Lord. This removes the power of the emotion.
3. You fast, if necessary. You seek God! This takes your attention away from the problem and puts it on the Problem Solver. Whether you choose to fast, or not, you must move your attention
. 4. PRAY – Speak to God about His greatness, which is a reminder that builds your faith. Admit you are powerless in the situation and remember that God is not! Keep your eyes on God! Ask for His help, listen to see what He says, then act on what God tells you.
It can be easy to neglect prayer and fight our spiritual battles in our own strength when we act without praying or thinking. Personally, I have tended to have “God piles” and “Leisa piles,” believing I was supposed to handle the small stuff and let God handle the big stuff. I’ve since learned that God wants to handle it all and He definitely does a better job than I do. To develop a heart that goes directly to God on all things, is a heart that lives in peace, even in the face of great storms. We can develop this lifestyle, of seeking Him and His direction first, when we seek Him first daily. It’s about spending quality time in His Presence and in His Word. It’s about intimacy with our Abba, Father.
Be Encouraged!
Leisa Wilkins Ministries
"Encouraging and Empowering you to become who God created you to be, God's Masterpiece, a Divine Original!"