Give Thanks

 

“Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.” -2 Chronicles 20:21 

Earlier this morning I was reminded of this passage by a podcast I follow. It felt like an  appropriate way to head into my long Thanksgiving weekend, for I have heard this verse before on many Thanksgivings in the past.  However,  as I dove into 2 Chronicles a little bit later, I realized I never actually  knew the story behind this particular verse until today. 

2 Chronicles 20 tells the story of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, and how he defeated the Moabites and Ammonites after they waged war against him. When he was notified of the upcoming battle, Jehoshaphat was terrified, for he knew that losing could mean the end of Judah and all those who lived there. But Jehoshaphat’s faith did not waver. Instead, he called upon the people of Judah to fast and pray. In verse 9, he stood before his people in the courtyard and cried out to God, 

“If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgement, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before the temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.”

Then, in verse 10, Jehoshaphat finishes by saying, 

“For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 

We do not know what to do , but our eyes are on you. 

As soon as I read those words, they resonated with me on so many levels. This year has been so hard. Never have we ever experienced anything similar in our lifetimes. Our futures, the futures of our loved ones, of our country, and even of the world feels so uncertain. Even this holiday season feels dramatically different for many. We are all hurting. We are all starving for normalcy and community. We are all terrified of something. 

Like Jehoshaphat, I have spent many nights this year praying desperately to God telling him simply I don’t know what to do.  I don’t know what to do when planning for the future. I don’t know what to do when planning my wedding that may or may not happen as I envision it. I don’t know what to do in regards to how often I see my loved ones and how often I keep my distance to protect them. I just don’t know. But even though I don’t know what to do, I must keep my eyes on the One who does. 

In verse 15, the Holy Spirit came upon a man in the crowd after Jehoshaphat spoke, named Jahaziel, and addressed Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah: 

“This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s...You will not have to fight this battle. Take your positions, stand firm, and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

The next morning, Jehoshaphat and his people left for battle. But instead of praying for protection and victory, he appointed men to sing praise to the Lord and give thanks as they walked onto the battlefield. They sang: 

“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” 

As they gave thanks and sang praises, the Lord sent ambushes against the Ammonites and Moabites, defeating them all and giving Judah the victory. 

There is great power in choosing to give thanks despite our circumstances. Even though we may feel like God isn’t listening to us as we pray desperately day after day, He is working in ways we cannot even see.  He still has a plan, He is still God, and He is still good. 

“‘For surely I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”’ -Jeremiah 29:11 

Happy Thanksgiving.