2 Chronicles 18
Scripture:
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him,
32 for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.
Observation:
Do you remember Mad Libs? I remember doing those and laughing because of the ridiculous stories they produced. If you are not familiar with Mad Libs, basically, they are a pre-written paragraph with word blanks throughout the story. Without reading the story, the reader is asked to fill in a noun, adjective, verb, animal, or some other descriptive type word. As the story is read, it would inevitably be very random and quite silly. What made it funny was the word used to fill in the blank came from the immediate reaction of your mind which usually did not fit the context of the story. The challenge we find in this passage today is identifying the immediate reaction of our mind when situations arise. Instead of words, however, we are focusing on actions or reactions. In verse 31 we see Jehoshaphat, when he was being pursued by the enemy, immediately “cried out, and the LORD helped him.” What is the immediate reaction of your heart when you encounter conflict, trials, or struggle? My prayer for you is that, in these moments, you will cry out to the Lord first.
Application:
- Personal Application: Get in the practice of seeking God first in any situation or circumstance that comes your way. This will help you when something urgent takes place and you will be able to seek and trust the Lord in that moment.
- Family Devotional: Read this passage to your family. Discuss with them the importance of “seeking FIRST the kingdom of heaven” in their life. Talk about a time when you immediately cried out to Jesus and He was there for you. Pray for them.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask God to help you fully trust in Him in every situation and circumstance in your life.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that your family will always seek God first no matter what, when, where, or why.
Three Year Reading Plan for Sunday, September 13 – Sunday, September 20:
- Sunday, September 13: 2 Chronicles 16
- Monday, September 14: 2 Chronicles 17
- Tuesday, September 15: 2 Chronicles 18
- Wednesday, September 16: 2 Chronicles 19
- Thursday, September 17: 2 Chronicles 20
- Friday, September 18: 2 Chronicles 21
- Saturday, September 19: 2 Chronicles 22
- Sunday, September 20: 2 Chronicles 23
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
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