“The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel…and he said, ‘Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”’”
2 Chronicles 20:14-15

Fear gripped everyone present as they stood together before the Lord. It was a time of national threat, and there the king stood in the house of the Lord to pray. We read that “all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD” (verse 13). In a time of crisis, families are always strengthened when they are found together in the presence of the Lord. Fathers, mothers, and children all gathered together for prayer and to hear what the Lord might say to them. The mothers and the children didn’t stay home; they were all there, and the Lord did have a message for them!

The message came from a man who had never appeared in the Bible before, nor do we hear of him afterward. He was just a face in the crowd, but on this special day, God chose to communicate a message of comfort and encouragement to Judah through this unknown bystander. Jahaziel’s message, barely 100 words long, came directly from God and was targeted toward each and every one present. His message was a calming influence in a tense situation. He was a voice of faith in a time of testing. He was a spokesman for God, declaring how God’s people should react when facing a seemingly hopeless situation. His message has encouraged God’s people down through the ages and has many lessons for us all.

Ancre du jour :
How good it is to gather together, young and old, to pray and listen to what the Lord desires to say to us. How good it is to be available to God and to be used as His vessel of encouragement to His people. Maybe He wants to use you today to encourage someone!