Deeper Still - Vital Necessity (Part 2)
We continue this week to learn from King Jehoshaphat about making Jesus our Vital Necessity. Jehoshaphat not only set himself to seek the Lord but he called all the people to fast and pray and seek God with Him. They were surrounded by enemies and there was no place to turn their focus but to God.
Have you noticed that God in His grace allows us to get into situations that cause us to turn to Him and Him alone? In 2 Chronicles 20:5-11, King Jehoshaphat teaches us prayer strategies when we find ourselves in pressed situations: He reminded God of all He had already done
He declared who God is
He reminded God of all He had promised
He declared his own trust in his mighty God
He reminded God they were His people
He told God all about the present situation
He asked God to judge their enemies
As we pray in the same way, our faith is strengthened. Our focus shifts from our circumstances to our great God who is over all of our circumstances. He is causing all things to work for good. (Rom. 8:28)
Next comes the powerful declaration of his total dependence on God:
“For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” v. 12
I hear desperation and determination in Jehoshaphat’s declaration. Within himself he was totally helpless but he was determined to lock eyes with his God and expect Him to answer. He expected God to be faithful to His promises.
Oh, that we the people of God would cry out in the same way. We are powerless; we have no might. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You. How often do we need to pray this simple but powerful prayer?
“Lord, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on you.”
We are prone to make our list and devise our own plan and ask God to bless it. God will let us devise and plan, work and strive, but only when we are pressed with no where to turn do we toss our paper list and frail plans and call out to God as vital necessity.
How would your life change if you directed your fear to seeking the Lord as vital necessity? What if you stopped devising your own plans to combat the enemy and just cried out, “I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on you.” What if you fixed your eyes on the Lord and waited expectantly?
We will linger with this story one more week. I think you will be amazed and encouraged by God’s answer and deliverance.
“But for now, Lord give me the desperation and determination to seek You and You alone. Give me patience to wait while you work on my behalf.”