Week 4: Jehoshaphat's Anxiety

Jehoshaphat was anxious, and for good reason: A vast army was marching toward Jerusalem to attack him. As the king of Judah living in the heart of the Promised Land, this was more than mere personal rivalry. God had given the Israelites a home of their own by fulfilling his promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). Now, that covenant seemed threatened. God’s promises were under siege, and it remained to be seen how the Lord would come through for his people. In the midst of his distress, Jehoshaphat confessed his own sense of powerlessness to the Lord: “…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” (v.12b).

When anxiety seizes us, Jehoshaphat’s prayer becomes our own. We, too, face attacks from an unseen army, numerous and strong. Outmanned and outgunned by the sheer volume of thoughts and feelings, adrenaline and cortisol, overwhelming our system, we can’t always marshall the willpower to shake anxiety’s grip or pray it away. We, too, fight to keep our eyes fixed upon the Lord.

As complicated as Jehoshaphat’s feelings were, God’s response to his anxious king was simple: “…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’” (v.15). God fought for his people, and he continues to fight for you. At the Cross, Jesus won the victory over sin and death, and all of the lesser anxieties we face, crushing the head of Satan underfoot. Jesus is for you. He carries your anxieties, and the one who experienced such anguish that “his sweat became like drops of blood” (Luke 22:42) refuses to let anxiety have the final word.

Reflection Questions

1. What challenges you about Jehoshaphat’s story? What encourages you?

2. What are people’s biggest sources of anxiety today? What are yours?

3. Does the presence of anxiety indicate a lack of faith? Why or why not?

4. What is one way verse 17 applies to your daily life this week?