READING THE BOOK OF Second Chronicles CHAPTER Twenty.
Our focused verse in 2 Chronicles Chapter 20 is:
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” . (2 Chronicles 20:20 NIV).
The Fruits of placing our trust in God.
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Historical Commentary.– Towards the end of the reign of Jehoshaphat, the kingdom of Judah was invaded by an army whose advance made the inhabitants of the land to tremble. Jehoshaphat was well prepared to face almost any enemy, but in this crisis he did not place his trust on human hands. The strength of the people was not base on a disciplined army or walled cities, but on the living faith in the God of Israel. Early in the morning they arose and went into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went into battle, Jehoshaphat said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be save; believe in His prophets, so shall ye prosper. ” It was a unique way to go to fight the enemy’s army to praise the Lord with singing and praising the God of Israel. Such was their battle cry…. by praising God, they increased in hope, courage and faith. Wouldn’t this also strengthen the hands of the brave soldiers who defend the truth today? (PR 146-149).
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Trust in God and prosper.- To trust God provides confidence. If He tells us leave, we leave, and if He says to be still, we must wait. Our faith in God must lie in the absolute confidence that He knows everything, owns everything, and His words are always fullfilled.
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Trust in God’s prophets and be successful.– Prophets are people who do not need to posses extraordinary qualities to be chosen by God as His messengers. But when God chooses a spokesperson to convey His Word, we must accept their messages promptly and obey. In this way our SUCCESS will be guaranteed in all areas of life.
Prayer
Father of blessings. We ask that you increase our faith to trust and believe in you. That we may feel the need to know the message have for us through your prophets, that they may tell us your will through the Bible and the prophetic gift. In the name of Jesus, amen.
By Dr. Franz Rios, Translated and adapted by Pablo J. Rios.
