2Chronicles 20:3,6,9 - [King] Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout...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? ...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."
What an appropriate sermon for Father's Day. As many celebrated their own earthly Father's Day, we all were able to celebrate and rejoice in our Heavenly Father! It is all about His strength and provision, especially when we seek Him in a time of need...at a time when we may have been waiting for answered prayer.
The sermon Pastor Rory Grooters preached was geared around King Jehoshaphat, a godly king who once in his life really slipped up. There was a "hiccup" in his life. But God...forgave him and he was still held dear in God's eyes.
Although the message was mainly for men Sunday morning, it could pertain to anyone who has hoped for something and have not seen it happen yet; for those promises God has planted in lives for which His timing is not yet fulfilled; for those who wish to step out...and out of God's will...to attempt to bring this thing about...knowing in the back of their minds God calls us to wait upon the Lord (Isaiah 40:31) because His timing is perfect (Acts 1:7).
The songs we sang were precious! Tis' so sweet to trust in Jesus...just to take Him at His Word..." Yes! Trust in Him. Pastor's reminder to pretty much let go and let God were evidenced in the scriptures in 2Chronicles 20. A mighty enemy was out to destroy Jehoshapat and Judah. But instead of going out to seek man's counsel, King Jehoshaphat chose to enter into a place of seclusion and seek God, much like Jesus did every day of His life.
Oh, how this is to be our example. Seek God. Cry out to him and say, 2Chronicles 20:12: O our God..[I] have no power against this [thing for which I am burdened]; nor do [I] know what to do, but [my] eyes are upon You. To this the Lord would say (verses 15 and 17): ... "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this [thing for which you are burdened], for the battle is not yours, but God's...You will not need to fight in this battle....for the LORD is with you." That was when Jehoshaphat bowed his head to the ground. He humbled himself before the Lord acknowledging his weakness and the Lord's strength.
But there's more! Hallelujah!! Jehoshaphat was told to go out and fight against this great enemy. Like he, who went out before his army, we are to go out in like manner and sing the praises of our strong and mighty God, remembering that His mercy endures forever (2Chronicles 20:21). If we do this, with our hearts trusting a God who looks after His children, He will come through in ways we cannot imagine.
Earthly fathers aren't quite able to do for us just what our Heavenly Father, who knows every detail of our lives and who takes care of those who are called His children. He is faithful and just (1John 1:9), not just to forgive us of our sins, but to do this very thing.
We will always have bouts of discouragement, fear or other human frailties throughout our lives. We might even wonder if we have failed Him in some way to not receive the blessing(s) of this fulfilled dream of ours, but God... Sometimes it's we who take back what we have given Him once before in prayer instead of laying it at the altar and leaving it before His feet...as a sacrifice of sorts. A sacrifice of love and trust in a God who wants to be our all in all.
Praise God for whom all blessings flow...if we believe what He tells us, shouldn't we stand secure in our praises? Jehoshapat did and his battle was won, not because he was strong and mighty but because he yielded to God and His power and strength. Oh, how it is so not about us!
There were four pyramids of duct tape lined up behind Pastor for the dads. Why? Because duct tape is truly a guy thing! They know the strength and many uses of it. It holds things together. Sometimes men feel they need to be in control, that they are able to do on their own. They might feel as though they need to be the duct tape in life, that they need to hold things together. Women can do the same, although maybe not with duct tape! Jehoshaphat and Jesus, however, are both good examples of yieldedness. They looked to God, not themselves.
Jesus can be the duct tape in our lives. With Him as our Center He can hold us together so much more stronger than any ol' duct tape! He will stick to you like a brother (Proverbs 18:24) and give you strength (Psalm 18:1—2). As was stated in a scripture Pastor read...God's faithfulness is His character/nature: If we are faithless, He remains, for He cannot deny Himself (2Timothy 2:13).
Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid...; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
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