An unexpected lesson came my way during 6th grade Bible class today. God has a way of sending messages to me when I need to be reminded of His power and wisdom. We read about King Jehoshaphat when he became aware that the Ammonites and Moabites were on their way to attack Jerusalem. The king’s first response was to call the people together and pray for wisdom and God’s guidance. Wow! I love this. My first response should be to pray for wisdom when an enemy army is approaching me, but I admitted to the 6thgraders that my first response is usually a moment of panic. The people were rewarded for their wise action of seeking wisdom from God by receiving a message that they didn’t need to fight because the battle would be fought by God. The people believed God and trusted the message. The city choir lead the charge with songs of praise for the victory and by the time they got to the Ammonite and Moabite armies, their enemies were all dead (a bit gruesome but a miracle). The story goes on to say that the Valley of Fear became the Valley of Blessing that day.
There are multiple lessons in this story that stood out to me. First, always seek wisdom before you march into battle. Second, listen for an answer. Third, follow through with the instructions. Fourth, celebrate the blessings. Fifth, rest in the knowledge God is on your side. And sixth, God can change your fears into blessings.
When the surrounding kingdoms heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them. So Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side. 2 Chronicles 20:29, 30 NLT