The automatic car wash hums its familiar tune as the colored foam falls on my windshield. It is my second trip through and I’m contemplating a third. Something about sitting in the slowly moving vehicle, surrounded by water and colored soap, soothes me. Like an escape, for those brief few moments, nothing can bother me.
Admittedly, I am struggling. Early morning pep talks in front of my mirror are less and less impactful because I no longer trust the person glaring back at me. This season of my life is one of the toughest I’ve faced yet. If I had a time machine, I’d go back to tell myself to create a different dream and move to Bermuda as soon as possible.
Life can be overwhelming
It is the season of gratitude – a day to express what we have and what we are thankful for. A day when families and friends come together to share a meal: turkey, ham, dressing, casseroles, and pumpkin pies.
Often, our lives can be overwhelming and cumbersome, entangled with issues we do not know how to navigate. Problems weigh us down with no solution in sight. Finding thankfulness; speaking gratitude can often be overshadowed by our problems. The Bible is one of the best ways to find answers when we do not know what to do. In 2 Chronicles 20, there is a king named Jehoshaphat. A massive army is coming to destroy Judah and King Jehoshaphat doesn’t know what to do.
The story in the Bible
Jehoshaphat is scared because he knows he does not have the capabilities to fight this army. He pleads to the Lord: “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, NIV).
Sometimes life’s problems are more than we can bear. Sometimes we find ourselves at a fork in the road, with no clear path visible. Whether it is the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, or complications in a relationship, God is not surprised or taken off guard.
God answers Jehoshaphat: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17).
The interesting part of this story is that God doesn’t tell Jehoshaphat to fight as He did David against Goliath. He doesn’t tell Jehoshaphat to run or take cover. He simply says, “Take your positions – stand firm – see the deliverance of the Lord.”
Impossible is possible
Impossible situations are possible when God is by our side. King Jehoshaphat does not have to fight the army – God does.
At different times in our lives, we will face the feeling of desperation. We will want to quit. But, God will never let us go it alone. As I walk through this season of my life, I will stand firm, resting on the promises of God; believing in His deliverance; and waiting for His restoration.
