WORDS TO LIVE BY

Read 2 Chronicles 20

I love this story about Jehoshaphat. A great army is coming down to destroy Judah. So, what does Jehoshaphat do? He turns to God. He calls all of Judah to prayer, and God answers. He gives these words to Jahaziel who prophesied to the group.

Look what God said. 1) Do not fear; 2) do not be dismayed; 3) do not fight, and 4) watch God fight. Wow! Those are really good words to live by. We need to turn our battles over to God. He will handle our enemies. What happened to Judah? Nothing. The army which had come to destroy Judah turned on itself and destroyed itself. Our enemies will, in the end, do the same.

TEACHING MOMENT

Your children will face enemies. They may not be a huge army with swords and arrows, but they will feel just as deadly to them. Read them this story. If they, like Jehoshaphat, will turn to the Lord and allow Him to fight for them, their enemies will be defeated. How? I don’t know, but He promised He would defeat them.

As a parent, we can show our kids how to rest in God when we face enemies. Once again, they are watching to see how we respond to life situations. Lead them in praying for their enemies. What? Pray for them? Yep, that’s what Jesus would do. Remember, Jesus died for them too.

I bet you can name one or two “enemies” you could pray for today. Why not add them to your prayer list with your children? In fact, make sure your children know that these people are not your friends, but they still need prayer, and you have been commanded to pray for them. That will send a clear message to your children.

O Father, you know those who would want to destroy me. I ask You to lead them to salvation. I ask You to bring peace to their hearts. I ask You to give me Your love for them.