2 Chronicles 20:3 "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. "
We've examined the negative facets of this force called fear. The Bible says “Jehoshaphat feared”, but the narrative does not stop there. Although Jehoshaphat was apprehensive about the forces advancing against him and had no creative solutions to solve the dilemma, Jehoshaphat knew what to do when he didn’t know what to do. His first step was to replace fear with faith.
A key principle frequently reiterated in God’s Word is that any void in your spiritual life must be filled. When the Apostle Paul admonishes us to “put off” certain negative behaviors, he immediately instructs us to “put on” other positive qualities. Jesus taught that when the evil spirits depart the spiritual house must be occupied by the Holy Spirit. So when fear departs the void must be replaced by faith.
Jehoshaphat demonstrated faith in God by calling together all the people of Judah to seek the Lord:2 Chronicles 20:3-5,13 "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court...Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord."
What a tremendous declaration of faith! The King, the leaders, and very family stood expectantly before the Lord. By their actions they declared, “We are positioning ourselves in faith and remaining here until we find out what to do!”
The Amplified Version says Jehoshaphat "set himself (determinedly, as his vital need).” Literally it means he “set his face to seek the Lord (yearning for Him with all his desire)."
We are admonished to seek God continually in 1 Chronicles 16:11 and to set our hearts to seek Him in 1 Chronicles 22:19 . Seeking God results in rejoicing according to 1 Chronicles 16:10. It also brings forgiveness and healing:
2 Chronicles 7:14 "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Hosea declared in Hosea 10:12:
"Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."
1-God’s hand is upon those who seek Him-Ezra 8:21.
2-He makes them understand “all things”-Proverbs 28:5. 3-We are promised that if we seek we will find-Matthew 7:7.
4-God rewards those who seek Him-Hebrews 11:6.
Deuteronomy 4:29 "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."
The Psalmist David made seeking God his first priority in Psalms 27:4:
"One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple."
Verse 8 "When You said,“Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Psalm 63:1 "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water."
Jehoshaphat did not just seek God’s hand to move in his behalf, rather he sought God.
Many of us seek the work of God instead of God Himself. We seek Him to change our circumstances, defeat our enemies, or increase finances. Jehoshaphat sought God and as he and all Israel stood before the Lord, he made a powerful declaration of faith:
2 Chronicles 20:6 “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?”
He was at his wit's end, but Jehoshaphat boldly declared his faith in the face of these adversities. Can you?
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