Hope Unswervingly

  Read 2 Chronicles 20:5-12 When the people had gathered to seek God together, King Jehoshaphat prayed aloud on behalf of their nation. His words are recorded in these verses. Notice how he starts by recalling God’s great and miraculous interventions for Israel as they came into the Promised Land. He acknowledges that they have been up against some impossible situations before and God has seen them through it. Because of their history together, Jehoshaphat and his people were again seeking help from the God they knew they could count on. There is a very human element to this prayer—a desperate plea for the Lord to act. You know, when we came out of Egypt, you (God) told us to leave these people alone and not drive them out. Now they are coming after us! We need you to help us protect the land that you gave us ! He is at once praising God for His power and reminding Him of His promise to the Israelite people. Once Jehoshaphat has laid everything out before God, he gets down to...

Read 2 Chronicles 20:5-12 When our son was a toddler, I was home with him almost full time. We spent our days together – days filled with reading books, doing chores, making food, disciplining, being creative, playing outside, and taking naps. He was an independent introvert, so he did not need me at his side all the time. I had a habit, though, of always letting him know if I was going to leave the room. “Be right back,” I’d say, as I went around the corner to empty the laundry basket, or whatever else needed to be done. I wasn’t sure it ever made a difference to him until one day, when he was old enough to begin stringing words together. He got up from what he was playing with, looked at me directly, and said, “Be right back” (using the same inflection and gesture I always did!) as he went into his room to retrieve another toy to add to his farm on the living room carpet. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized the impact of that small phrase. Although he never reacted ...