2 Chronicles 20:12 Our God, will you not judge them? 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.
James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
The first Scripture Id like to touch upon today is the verse from second Chronicles. This quote is from a man named Jehosaphat, who was one of the kings of Judah. These words were spoken to an assembly of citizens who were faced with a vast army of Moabites and Ammonites who had come to wage war against them. In that moment of fear of being overwhelmed by their enemies, Jehosaphat calls on God to judge them. Then he acknowledges how Judah feels powerless in the face of the army that opposes them. Yet while questioning what they should do in this situation, he concludes by encouraging his people to turn their eyes toward God.
In the second Scripture passage, James (the brother of Jesus) implores members of the early church who were under threat of persecution, to consider it pure joy when facing trials. He goes on to consider these trials to be a testing of our faith; a test that results in perseverance. The passage then continues with James stating his belief that the building of perseverance within an individual will result in a mature faith.
So as I consider these two Scriptures today, I suspect there are many of you out there who feel at this moment like you are being attacked by a vast army. Only the enemies are from within your own nation, and you dont know what to do.
And far from experiencing the attacks upon everything you hold dear as pure joy, you are filled with what you believe to be righteous anger. If you are one of those folks, I want you to know I totally understand where you are coming from. In addition, I want to encourage you to persevere. Not in the sense of just getting by, but in the sense of active resistance. Continue to stand up against injustice. Continue to raise your voice against principalities who foster hate and division. Continue to point out hypocrisy that opposes the teachings of Jesus.
And in doing so, may you endeavor to persevere!
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