October 27th Class

Hi Girls!  

Well, it was another full and rich morning for many reasons.

Because this particular weeks study was considered an overview, we spent our time walking through transliterations of words found in Chapter 4:4-7.  As we shared our insights if was the transliteration of "guard" PHROUREO that stood out the most profoundly to me. 

This word conveys the meaning of a military guard protecting 'either to prevent hostile invasion, or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from flight.'  What is so profound is that, when taken into context, this is the description of God's peace.  His Peace is the guard protecting us and preventing us from hostile invasion from without.  His Peace guarding us from jumping ship when there is a threat of a hostile invasion!

Notice how and when this guard, this peace takes active sentry.

"Be anxious for nothing,

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving 

let your requests be made known to God."

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, 

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Our hearts and minds guarded by Peace, the Prince of Peace.  Guarded from enemy attack on the outside, guarded from ourselves within.  It's a profound discussion.  An even more profound reality!

As we walked through the scripture references of Day Four, we discussed each one and the the word TRUST was mentioned over and over again as the depth of these truths settled with us.

Day Five was focused primarily on Jehoshaphat.  We saw that he set his face to seek the Lord, proclaimed a fast throughout Judah, prayed and praised God, cried out to Him, knowing that God would hear and deliver them.  Jehoshaphat acknowledged his own powerlessness and also his own lack of wisdom, knowing that the battle belonged to the Lord alone.  He instructed the people to put their trust in the Lord and to put their trust in the Prophets.  For us today that instruction would be to put our trust in the Lord and in His WORD.  

The end result was victory, spoil and peace.

But there was something that had preceded Jehoshaphat setting his face to seek the Lord.  Did you catch it?  It is found in 2 Chronicles 20:3... "Jehoshaphat was AFRAID..."

He was afraid.  I wouldn't be stepping too far out of line by likening that to being anxious.  Jehoshaphat is our skin on example of living out the instruction given in Philippians 4:6.  There is nothing like a full on crisis to show us exactly what we are full of ourselves.  This is the moment that we meet the real Jehoshaphat.  Excuse the phraseology here, but the truth is, we meet the real Jehoshaphat in the 'but' of Philippians 4:6.  In the first part of 2 Chronicles 20:3 he was just like any other man (or woman for that matter) in the situation he found himself in... he was afraid.

Yet, (I apologize yet again) it was his BUT that set him apart.  We meet the real man, the man of faith in spite of his circumstances doing exactly what we are instructed to do... 

"Be anxious (afraid) for nothing,

BUT

in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving 

let your requests be made known to God."

The BUT is our point of turning girls.  Will we ever again be afraid?  Yes!  Will be ever again experience being anxious?  Of course!  But the BUT is our turning point.  The BUT is our higher ground.  Listen to what happens on the other side of the BUT....

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, 

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

As we read through 2 Chronicles 20 we can see that what began this season in Jehoshaphat's life was fear, but fear did not end it.  It began with fear BUT ended with peace!  It ended with victory, spoil and peace!

Girls, let's determine to take God at His Word.  Let's find out the joy and peace and victory that is on the other side of our precious BUTS!!! 

Bless you today! 

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