What Do We Do When We Face The Impossible?
Sometimes in life we face things that are incredibly challenging. As a matter of fact, they are nothing less than impossible. We might try and try, but no matter what we do, there is nothing that we can do about the situation. Perhaps this is you today. What can we do in these situations? There is but one answer; there is but one way. Let’s look at one of the many examples of what the Word of God tells us on how to handle these situations.
Image courtesy of: Geraint Rowland Photography
Scripture:
“Our God will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” – 2 Chronicles 20:12
Observation/Application:
Jehoshaphat king of Judah was faced with an incredibly challenging situation. An army comprised of 3 countries was poised to attack Judah, There was no way that he could win this battle, and he knew it. What did he do? There was but one answer; He turned to God. And he assembled everyone else in Judah to gather and do the same, together. “All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.” – (2 Chr. 20:13).
Then Jehoshaphat heard from the Lord, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” – (2 Chr. 20:15). We must realize that there is nothing that is impossible for our God. And it is during these seemingly impossible times that we can lean on God. It is often during these times that our faith is built because that is all that we can do.
During these times we turn to the Lord, and we pray, worship him, praise him, and thank him, speaking words of truth, and of faith. We see that, “Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord.” – (2 Chr. 20:18) They prayed earnestly. They worship earnestly. And Jehoshaphat encouraged them in their faith.
In the midst of this struggle, in the middle of this challenge, “Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise him for the splendor of his holiness.” – (2 Chr. 20:21). It’s probably the last thing we might think to do in the flesh. But for a person of faith, Jehoshaphat knew exactly what to do. He knew the battle was the Lord’s.
And the when they arrived at the location where they originally feared that they would be destroyed, they saw nothing but dead bodies. The army that they originally feared had been slaughtered by another group. So Jehoshaphat’s army didn’t even need to lift a finger, or sling one arrow. Amazing!
What is really important for the body of Christ today is to understand the importance of speaking faith and encouragement. There are people who are called by God to do this. We read how Jehoshaphat was encouraging everyone, saying “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld”. – (2 Chr. 20:20)
We also see this when we study the time and events surrounding Moses who continually encouraged and spoke words of faith. So many times Moses declared and encouraged the Israelite’s to not fear, because “God is with us.”
Speaking words of faith and encouragement are faith leadership in action. We see this over and over throughout the Bible. The Bible tells us very clearly that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” – (James 5:16)
Let us not fear. Let us pray earnestly. Let us praise and worship him earnestly, from the deepest part of our hearts. And let us have faith, trusting in the Lord, and keeping our eyes on Jesus. Sounds like a plan for today, and every day!
I call you blessed.
#Faith-Leadership-In-Action
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for this great Word today. Let it encourage us and lift us in our time of need. Build up our faith Lord. Help our unbelief, that we might walk boldly knowing that the battle is yours, that you are our God, and we are your children, knowing with full assurance that You will always be with us. You are our deliverer. You are our healer. You are our restorer. You created the heaven and the earth and everything in it. With you all things are possible. Help our unbelief. Remove the scales of unbelief from our eyes, that your Holy spirit is alive in us and that we do not stand in the way of your power and authority. Help us to get up and get out and find a good local church and a body of believers who have real faith – not just a group who are like the pharisees who know the word in their minds but their hearts are from you, and who argue and fuss and fight with other believers and do nothing more than tear the body of Christ apart. We know that a house divided cannot stand. Let us quit tearing each other down just because we lack faith. Surround us with church leaders and people of faith who speak life, faith, and encouragement into our lives. Surround us with people who walk in your love, strength, peace, and goodness. We give you all the honor and glory and praise, in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
Today’s full reading: 2 Kings 6,7; 2 Chronicles 20; 1 Timothy 3
Scripture References From Today’s Reflection:
- “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” – Psalm 147:5
- “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26
- “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you’.” – Matthew 17:20
- “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” – James 5:16
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