2 Chronicles 19-20

(September 10, 2014)

                There are two main issues that came to mind reading these chapters.  The first is the obvious question, should we help the ungodly?  I think that the clear answer here is no.  Tolerance has been so corrupted that some people believe that if we are not actively helping people to sin in the manner of their choosing, we are not being properly charitable.  That is, of course, clearly wrong.  We are called upon to love all God’s children, but we are under no obligation to help those who are actively working against the Lord.  The Lord can fight His own battles, but we are to be on His side to the greatest extent that He allows us to be.

                The second thought is on reliance upon the Lord.  Jehoshaphat demonstrates this lesson here, both in his calling for a fast and his trust in the counsel of the Lord in arraying his forces for battle.  This is a wonderful lesson and shows a profound faith.  And yet he, like so many others, lost this trust and reliance on the Lord near the end of his reign – he sought the strength of the arm of flesh, rather than trusting in the Lord.

                This is an important lesson for me to remember.  Right now in my life, I have been compelled to be humbled by the circumstances that I am in.  During this past year or so, the lessons that the Lord has taught me and the miracles that I have seen (and the tender mercies I have received from Him) are overwhelming and wonderful.  But I know that, as time moves on, this situation that I find myself in will resolve, and when it resolves (however it resolves) I will eventually find myself in a comfortable and happy position building something of significance.

                When that day comes, will I likewise remember my reliance on the Lord?  Will I remember how He delivered me from my bondage – both that I brought upon myself through my sins and that imposed upon me?  Or will I forget, as did Jehoshaphat, the lessons I learned in my extremities and lose touch with my constant need for the Lord?  When I stabilize, I must stay true to the Lord.  I feel as though I will, however, as the lessons that I am learning are being instilled down to the very core of who I am.