Lord, I Don’t Know What To Do
Daily Old Testament Reading: 2 Chronicles 20-22
Daily Focus Passage: 2 Chronicle 20
In 2 Chronicles 20, we hear Jehoshaphat's prayer as he faces insurmountable odds. He gained knowledge that a vast army was coming toward him, and he knew he faced difficult odds because he was outnumbered in the coming war. Jehoshaphat knew his limitations, and this recognition drove him to lead the people to seek the Lord in his words and actions. We often face moments in life that appear insurmountable. Yet, the Lord continues to listen to the cry of his children and is ready to work on their behalf. As we engage Jehoshaphat’s prayer to the Lord, may we gain essential truths for a living when we don’t know what to do.
SEEK THE LORD
Jehoshaphat called the people who gathered to seek the Lord. The command to seek the Lord meant that the people needed to spend time asking the Lord for his guidance and for the revelation of his plan for the way forward. This calling to seek includes the expectation of God responding to his people that genuinely seek him. Jehoshaphat charged the people to seek the Lord because the Lord alone is the victor and one who offers hope. Today, we must continue to seek the Lord even when we do not know what to do. These moments must propel us forward to seek him more diligently. This seeking occurs when we recognize that his ways and plans are far greater than ours.
SPEAK TO THE LORD’S GREATNESS AND FAITHFULNESS
Jehoshaphat demonstrated the seeking of the Lord through the activity of prayer. Jehoshaphat called the people to seek the Lord and participate in his calling. He opened his time seeking the Lord with the acknowledgment of the greatness and faithfulness of the Lord. He praised the Lord for these. Acknowledging these characteristics also reveals his understanding of God's greatness and humanity's lowliness. Today, when we come before the Lord, we must remember his greatness and faithfulness. We must hold firm that he hears us because he is faithful to his own and works in great ways because of his great strength.
SURRENDER TO THE LORD IN COMPLETE TRUST
Jehoshaphat did not know the next steps in his life. Yet, he knew that the Lord worked and went before him. Thus, he surrendered to the leading of the Lord in complete trust. He did not question the Lord’s guidance while seeking him, but instead, he readily approached with a heart of sacrifice and wholehearted devotion. When approaching the Lord to pursue the following steps, we must come with a heart of surrender and complete trust. We must readily lay down our approach to the future and commit entirely to the Lord’s leading.
We will face moments when we do not know the way forward. Times will come when we face insurmountable odds and enter a moment of uncertainty. You are not alone. In these moments, we must learn to seek the Lord because of our faith in his greatness, power, and faithfulness. We must come to the Lord, surrender ourselves entirely to him in trust, and take the steps needed to follow his ways and plans. This approach to living reveals faith in the Lord when we do not know what to do.
