Turning
Our Attention to Seek the Lord
August 2003
What do you do when you are afraid?
What is your natural tendency? When
fearful or bewildering situations
arise, we often revert to some natural
habit that soothes us. A businessman
might become introspective and unconsciously
isolate himself from his family. A
wife in turmoil may immediately call
a friend to share her thoughts. The
sound of thunder during a rainstorm
might motivate spouses to huddle together
in bed. A child might hear the thunder
and run to the shelter of her parents'
bed. Our natural reaction to fear
gives us a sense of normalcy, security
and peace in the midst of turmoil.
We unconsciously revert to these behaviors
and -- without a second thought --
we have eaten that whole carton of
ice cream! We're usually not even
aware that we're doing it, but taking
note of these patterns is imperative.
When Jehoshaphat was king over Judah
he found himself in a precarious position
that caused him great anxiety. He
was surrounded on all sides by an
army that wanted desperately to destroy
the entire nation. As militarily strong
as Judah had been in the past, Jehoshaphat
was aware of his inability to fight
this war alone; unless Judah received
some supernatural help, they would
be in trouble. It amazes me that when
Jehoshaphat heard the news of the
impending danger he did not become
secluded away from the masses, he
did not pick up the phone to call
a friend, nor did he find refuge by
snuggling up to his spouse for comfort.
II Chronicles 20:3 says, "Jehoshaphat
was afraid and turned his attention
to seek the Lord.." This was
his natural tendency during a time
a great fear.
Here is the greatest man in the nation,
the king, with everything at his disposal
in times of trouble. Yet the first
and only thing that captured his attention
was the Lord. Communication with God
was so incorporated into the fabric
of his life that it was immediately
on his mind when he became afraid.
Such a habit wasn't a spur-of-the-moment
kind of thing, it was the product
of years of complete reliance on God.
He sought the Lord because he knew
that was the only place where his
situation could be rectified. What
a lesson we can learn from this man
who chose Jesus over all else! His
default position was on his knees
calling out to the Master for help.
Jehoshaphat was so serious about his
desire to see the Lord supernaturally
come through for the people of Judah
that he even went a step further and
"proclaimed a fast throughout
all Judah." Fear is one emotion
that will draw us to a point of desperation.
We have to be so desperate for the
Lord to work in our lives that not
only do we turn our attention toward
Him but we do whatever is necessary
to make sure that His attention is
also turned toward us! To fast is
to give up the needs of the flesh
for a greater need of the spirit.
It shows the Lord that you are so
serious about what you are asking
Him to do that you are willing to
give up something you really want
in order to ensure God's hand in your
situation.
Traditionally, Christians give up
food, but you can also give up television,
movies, certain books or even chocolate
for a season. The point is to give
up something that you long for to
show the Lord how serious you are.
The Lord declares that when you proclaim
a fast, your ". . .light will
break out like the dawn, and your
recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before
you; the glory of the Lord will be
your rear guard. Then you will call,
and the Lord will answer; you will
cry and He will say, 'Here I am.'"(Isaiah
58:8-9) The Lord takes it seriously
when His children fast. If you want
to see God for real, turn your attention
to Him and then give up something
to show the Lord that He is indeed
more important. When God's people
are afraid, it should move us toward
Him.
Jehoshaphat's reaction shows that
he was serious about seeing God work.
This is what fear should do to God's
people. It should cause us to turn
our attention toward Him and seek
Him with all of our heart, soul and
mind. Our default position in times
of need should be one of kneeling,
seriously seeking the Father.
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