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1 - READ THE WORD
Opposite of complaint
"They rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, 'Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God and you will be established; believe his prophets.' "
2 Chronicles 20:20
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2 - Reflect
God was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the good example of his father. Highlight the word because. If someone is blessed it is for something; all action has consequences. The LORD was with Jehoshaphat and He gives us the reason: he followed his father's example, he did not worship Baal, he sought God, he obeyed his Word, and he refused to follow the evil practices of other nations. So his kingdom was established on Judea, for years they enjoyed peace since the fear of God came upon the neighboring kingdoms. However, in chapter twenty we find that the Moabites and Ammonites declared war on Judea. Why did it go from being a protected nation to being attacked? Even Jehoshaphat was surprised! The news terrified him and he begged God to show him what happened, and he called for a fast.
What do you do when everything goes wrong? Let us raise our hands and give thanks to God in the middle of the desert, why? When we do, we recognize the years of blessing, protection and health that we lived, and that everything is simply by the grace of God, an undeserved gift. We also show Him that we love Him in good times and bad, and that our praise is unconditional. Paul taught the Philippians that he learned to be satisfied, that is, grateful in any situation. Job also did it in his desert: he fell on his knees and said that God had given to him and taken away what he had, praise be His name!
What do you do when everything goes wrong? Let us raise our hands and give thanks to God in the middle of the desert, why? When we do, we recognize the years of blessing, protection and health that we lived, and that everything is simply by the grace of God, an undeserved gift. We also show Him that we love Him in good times and bad, and that our praise is unconditional. Paul taught the Philippians that he learned to be satisfied, that is, grateful in any situation. Job also did it in his desert: he fell on his knees and said that God had given to him and taken away what he had, praise be His name!
