April 29, 2026 - 2 Chronicles 19-20

A great multitude of King Jehoshaphat’s enemies came up against him.  “Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.  And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD” (20:3-4).  Furthermore, the king declared, “If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you . . . and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save” (20:9).  And, indeed, the Lord did save, and “ the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.  So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around” (20:29-30).  In his time of need, Jehoshaphat did what he should have done, and what we should do; he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord delivered him.  We read so many stories like this in the Bible, from history, and know such stories of provision and deliverance in our own lives that we should be encouraged always to rest in the Lord and his goodness.  This might be a good place to quote Martin Luther’s great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”  But how about these verses?

O little flock, fear not the foe

Who madly seeks your overthrow;

Dread not his rage and pow’r.

And though your courage sometimes faints,

His seeming triumph o’er God's saints

Lasts but a little hour.

As true as God's own Word is true,

Not earth nor hell's satanic crew

Against us shall prevail.

Their might? A joke, a mere facade!

God is with us and we with God—

Our vict’ry cannot fail.   -- Michael Altenburg, Jacobus Fabricius (1855)