Rest on All Sides!

My youngest resting at the beach in Honduras, 2008

“So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides.” (2 Chron. 20:30)

In a turbulent season of the Glassco family, I began praying 2 Chron. 20: 30 for Phillip: asking the Lord to give him rest on all sides - just as He’d done for King Jehoshaphat!  I must confess my selfish motive behind that request: if my sweet husband had rest on all sides, then so would his wife!

The tale of King Jehoshaphat

(2 Chron. 20:1-30 – Alabama translation)

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Way back yonder, a long time ago, there was a king of Judah named Jehoshaphat. One day he got some terrible news that not one, not two, but three fearsome armies were a comin’ against him. Well, that King Jehoshaphat, he commenced to shakin’ in his boots - “scareder” than a long-tailed cat in a rocking chair factory - so he turned his attention to seek the Lord.

Oh, how he prayed, and he called all the menfolk, women, and young’uns throughout the whole land to pray, too. He howled like a coyot’ bayin’ at the moon and cried, “O God, aren’t You the God of heaven? Didn’t You drive out our enemies before? O God, won’t You help us again? For we are plum powerless against this swarm of varmints a comin’ to get us, and we don’t know what to do. But Lord, we’re a keepin’ our eyes on You!”

Well, in those days, God talked to His kids through prophets. So the Lord told one of those prophets named Jahaziel, “You go tell ol’ Jehoshaphat not to be a fearin’, ‘cause the battle isn’t his; it’s Mine. Tell him to go on out there tomorrow and just watch Me whip those rebel rousers.”

 The very next day, Jehoshaphat was a trustin’ the Lord somethin’ fierce, so he sent the music folks out in front of his fightin’ men. And whilst that choir was a singin’ praises to God, the Lord stirred things up between those three legions, and they started a fightin’ each other. After the dust settled, not one of those rascals was left standin’. So Jehoshaphat just marched his people right onto the battleground, as pretty as you please, and gathered up all the spoils. The Good Book says that God then gave that kingdom peace and the king rest on all sides.

            May the Lord, the Almighty Eternal God, fight your battles today and give YOU rest on all sides. In your rest, may you in-turn refresh the weary, in Jesus’ name!