By Jay Younts T


here are times when everything goes wrong all at once. The kids are out of control. There are problems with the car, with the house. You


are tired to the bone. You try to pray but it is like God is on a coffee break. Life gets like this sometimes. Jehoshaphat had such a moment. However, in-


stead of wondering where God was he turned to the praise of his God. Praise often is the last thing thought about when life becomes crazy. We associ- ate praise with good times but not so much with the chaotic times. However, praise is always the appro- priate attitude of our hearts, regardless of whether times are good, crazy, or awful. God is still God, he is unchanging, immutable. God is always worthy of your praise. You see, it is not God who is on coffee break, you are. King Jehoshaphat knew that a vast army was coming to attack Judah. The invading army was


strong and unjust. He knew that he had no ability to defeat them, they were simply too strong and too many. Instead of caving into despair, the king cried out to God: “Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do,


but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12) It is always wise to acknowledge that you don’t know what to do. In the text, we see that God responded to the king’s humble cry for help. God spoke to Jahaziel, a Levite, who said this to the king and all those gathered before him: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” When we think God is on coffee break, when we wonder where he is, it because we think that the problem is our problem, that we have to solve it in our own strength. The praise of God is where we must begin when life is crazy and out of control. Jehoshaphat listened to the Levite. He bowed down before the Lord in worship, and all the people did the same. Then they began


to praise the Lord. I don’t know how God will resolve the particular problems you face when life is overwhelming. But I do know that the answer must


begin with humility and praise. Jehoshaphat realized that he must look to God when he had no answers. God answered in a way he could not have imagined. Humility and praise are practical! Without these two qualities, you will think the battle is your battle. But the battle is not yours. It is God’s.?


Jay Younts is an author and the Shepherd Press blogger. He is a ruling elder serving at Redeemer ARP Church in Moore, SC, and current moderator of Second Presbytery. He has written Everyday Talk, Everyday Talk About Sex & Marriage, Finding the Right Track, the In Touch With Paul stewardship series, and What About War. He has studied and taught about biblical childrearing for over 35 years. He and his late wife Ruth have five adult children.


September 11, 2019 The General Synod has set aside Wednesday, September 11 for each ARP


Church to pray specifically against oppression. We would ask that all congre- gations pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who are persecuted because of their faith in Christ. According to World Relief, “Over 70 million people around the world have


been forced to leave their home [because of religious, political, economic or physical oppression]. Each day, that number grows by over 44,000. That’s one man, woman, or child forced from their home every 2 seconds.” After his re- lease from Turkish prison, Andrew Brunson said, “I didn’t realize just how many people were praying for me until recently. My fear while in prison was that I would be forgotten.” (From the ARP Magazine, July/August 2019.) Let us not forget the millions of persecuted souls around the world and lift them up in earnest prayer. World Relief has a prayer card (worldrelief.org/pray) that may be used by


you and your family to pray specifically for the displaced and refugees in the Middle East. The guidelines in this prayer card can be used to pray for people outside of the Middle East such as South America and Africa as well. Please encourage your congregation to take time to pray remembering the


words of Jesus, “In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have over- come the world.” (John 16:33)?


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Devotion


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