Jehoshaphat got quite a lot right: he taught the people to follow the LORD again and appointed judges in the different regions, again an echo of a time past. “Do the things you did at first” says Jesus in Revelation.

 And once again trouble looms, Jehoshaphat is learning that God is there to fight his battles.  “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 20.12. This has to be the answer, this has to be Jehoshaphat’s reaction. And this has to be our mindset today as we walk with Jesus.

God’s reply to Jehoshaphat is very clear and very specific.  Like Moses in front of the Red Sea with the Egyptians at the back of him, Jehoshaphat is reminded, just like in the battle in chapter 18 that this is God’s victory and the response to that can only be praise.  So the army isn’t the first group out of the city gates, the singers are.  Singing the truth that the battle is already won.

May God give you rest on every side.  Every side - God of the big and God of the little.  Every side - we don’t know how many sides but on EVERY side.  This is what happens when we cry out, this is what happens when, in the face of disaster, loss and death we can sing, “O give thanks to the LORD for his love endures forever” - through thick and thin, forever! And as we declare this, as we look up to Him and not to the enemies on every side, God deals with it in His perfect way. And the result is rest.

What does 21st Century rest look like?  In the time of the Chronicles, everyone worked and fought very hard to survive, you walked everywhere as an everyday person, you grew and ground your own food, you cared for your animals but there weren’t that many places of green pasture and still water. Life was full of many small hard tasks, but as God’s people the command and the ultimate aim was to find rest - 7th Day Garden of Eden rest!

Lots of what I do is brain focused activity and physical rest is hard when all the activity is in our heads.  I love the fact that the Bible recognises that as we are urged to meditate (do some brain gym!) on His words and ways. Thoughts can crowd in just like the armies around Jerusalem.

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LORD we ask you to ‘set ambushes’ on all that crowds our minds today; help us to deliberately go out with praise knowing Your love endures forever and that You are with us.