February 29, 2004

The Test Of Your Trust
Bling! Bling! Series, Part 5
Guest Speaker: Dr. Ronn Elmore

2 Chronicles 20:1-12
¹ It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. ² Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi). ³ And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, ⁶ and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? ⁷ Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? ⁸ And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, ⁹ "If disaster comes upon us--sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine--we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save. ¹⁰ And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them-- ¹¹ here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. ¹² O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."


This is a story of God's people's trust being tested.
King Jehoshaphat feared for his kingdom as they were going to be attacked.

Their lives were going well, and their priorities were straightened out in terms of worshiping God. We would think that we would be rewarded for that. But this is when God tests - in the midst of incredible blessing.

What the Teacher teaches, He tests

2 things Jehoshaphat did:

1. He feared
2. He and the people set themselves to seek after the Lord

3 things they did to overcome with victory:

1. They fixed their attention on the problem solver and not the problem.
 - The thing we focus on becomes bigger!

2. Their job is not to fight the fight, but to face the fight.
- It's God's battle to fight - our job is to remain faithful to him during the struggle, and stay yoked together with other believers
- Don't isolate yourself during struggling times!

3. They focused on God during a fight they had to face & praised God, as if they were in a time of blessing

It was a matter of PRIORITIES, PROXIMITY AND PERSPECTIVE

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