Our Daily Bread: Called to ServeExemplo

That Thing You Do

So Judah defeated Israel on that occasion because they trusted in the Lord. —2 Chronicles 13:18

As the convoy prepared to roll out, a young marine rapped urgently on the window of his team leader’s vehicle. Irritated, the gunnery sergeant rolled down his window. “What?!”

“You gotta do that thing,” the marine said. “What thing?” asked the gunny. “You know, that thing you do,” replied the marine.

Then it dawned on the gunnery sergeant. He always prayed for the convoy’s safety, but this time he had neglected it. So he climbed out of the Humvee, stood at the front of the convoy, and prayed. Later, he shared that he didn’t feel close to God at the time, but he knew God was there and he understood the importance of prayer.

In ancient Judah, King Abijah understood the importance of turning to God in a crisis. First Kings 15:3 tells us, “He was not faithful to the Lord his God.” At that time the Hebrew people were divided, and Judah was fighting against Israel. Outnumbered two to one by Israel’s army, Abijah turned to the one true God.

Abijah’s checkered history had done damage to his country. But he knew where to turn in the crisis, and his army won soundly “because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their ancestors” (v. 18). 

Our past doesn’t need to destroy today. What matters is where we turn in the crisis. Our loving God welcomes whoever comes to Him in humble trust.

Tim Gustafson

God will never turn away whoever turns to Him in faith.