¤ ¤
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Our nation has changed.
The hand shake is banned. Our
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borders have closed. Schools are
pupil free. Sport is gone and
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churches are closed. Australia,
New Zealand and our world have
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changed, not just in the short
term, but probably forever and
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it's not over. There's still
more to come. The coronavirus
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pandemic has escalated around
the world at an alarming rate.
00:00:51.85\00:00:56.58
Health care systems are reaching
their breaking point as hospital
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beds fill up and ventilators
become as precious as gold.
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No one wants to make the
heartbreaking decision between
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who to save and who to let die.
But it's not just the pandemic
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that is giving world leaders
causes for concern. As non
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essential services are forced
to shut down and people urged
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to stay at home, unemployment
lines are beginning to lengthen.
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Thousands of people find
themselves unemployed and
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uncertain about the future. As
governments scramble to inject
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billions of dollars into their
failing economies, the world is
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collectively holding its breath.
Instinctively we all know that
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it's no longer a question of if
the global economy will go into
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recession, but a question of
when and how hard we'll all be
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hit. In the midst of the turmoil
it's so easy to give way to
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despair. If this were an
isolated crisis, something that
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maybe one or even two countries
were facing or even a single
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continent or region it might
not hit us so hard. But for the
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first time in a very long
time this is a crisis that has
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touched every single part of the
world. Perhaps even more heavily
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than the World Wars of the last
century. As we are surrounded
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by sickness, suffering and death
all eyes seem to be turning in
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one direction, upwards. Now as
never before people around the
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world are asking questions
they might not have asked at any
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other time in their lives. Where
is God in all of this? Does he
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even care? Why is he allowing
this to happen? And perhaps
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most important of all:
Can I look to him for hope and
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certainty for the future? Join
us this week as we look at ways
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to find hope in a crisis. And
what the Bible says in answer
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to some of our questions.
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¤ ¤
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In the midst of a crisis like
the one we are facing now, the
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most heartbreaking and revealing
aspects are the stories we hear
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about everyday people battling
the virus. Especially touching
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are the stories we hear from
health care professionals as
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they face this disease on the
front lines. A recent newspaper
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article told the story of an
Italian doctor working on the
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front lines of this medical
emergency to save lives. Her
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story is both harrowing and
heartbreaking offering us a rare
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window into the heavy toll this
pandemic is exacting on all of
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us. Dr. Francesca Cortellaro
is a doctor who works in Milan,
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Italy at the San Carlo Borromeo
Hospital. Speaking to the
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Italian newspaper il Giornale
Dr. Cortellaro described some of
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the most poignant scenes
she had witnessed on the job.
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Dr. Cortellaro described the
final scenes of dying patients
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as they lay in their makeshift
hospital beds begging her to
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say goodbye to their children
and grandchildren knowing that
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they would never see them again.
She described how to the very
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end the patients are lucid
sensing that they are near death
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Like people who are drowning
but are painfully aware of it.
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Instead of dipping in and
out of consciousness Cortellaro
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describes how they are alert and
speaking to the end. She goes
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on to share a story of how she
helped a dying grandmother say
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goodbye to her grandchild. The
elderly woman begged her to call
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her granddaughter and the doctor
was only too happy to comply
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with the dying wish. Cortellaro
pulled out her phone and made a
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video call to the lady's
granddaughter. After a short
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careful goodbye she hung up
the phone and not long after her
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patient quietly passed away.
It's a startling picture of the
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grim reality we now face. This
pandemic has brought us to our
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knees. Despite medical
advancement and facilities that
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are far superior to anything
that existed a hundred years ago
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this pandemic is every inch as
debilitating and devastating as
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the Spanish flu epidemic
that ravaged the world at the
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beginning of the 20th century.
As the virus spreads across the
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globe governments are using
desperate measures to control
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the movements of their citizens.
Cities and countries around the
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globe have been placed in
lockdown with thousands of
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people forced to stay indoors.
Businesses are shutting down
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stores, laying off employees
and some are even slipping into
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bankruptcy. All in the face of
a single virus. Think about it.
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No one could have predicted that
we would be faced with this kind
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of a global crisis just six
months ago and yet here we are.
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As the death toll mounts world
leaders are facing a sickening
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choice. How many lives is the
economy worth? It's a gruesome
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but necessary question that
global leaders and economists
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are now asking. As governments
tighten restrictions on movement
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and try desperately to flatten
the curve unemployment soars
00:07:27.64\00:07:32.88
and threatens us all with an
economic disaster that is far
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worse than even the great
depression. As the cost of human
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life is weighed against the cost
of an economic recession experts
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are ready to remind us that an
economic calamity can take lives
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too. Unemployment can lead to
depression and despair. This in
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turn can lead to an increase
in opioid addiction, crime,
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domestic violence and suicide.
In fact, already some countries
00:08:06.15\00:08:10.75
are reporting an increase in
domestic violence in the wake of
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the nationwide lockdowns. We
are living in uncertain times.
00:08:15.76\00:08:21.40
A moment in history when we are
overwhelmed by uncertainty over
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our lives and our livelihood.
A moment in history when it
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seems as though both those
things are mutually exclusive,
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where we cannot have both and
yet we need both. It's no wonder
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then that without a compass
or a road map to navigate this
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strange new scenario with hopes
of producing a vaccine almost a
00:08:45.85\00:08:51.53
year away and a virus spiraling
dangerously out of control, we
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feel overwhelmed almost as
though we have reached the end
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of our rope. But it is just
at such moments that God is able
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to give us hope and comfort.
It's in those moments when the
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circumstances we face have
knocked us to our knees, have
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caused us to despair that
God calls us to look up and look
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for Him so we can know He is
there. Come with me to the book
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of II Chronicles chapter 20 as
we take a look at the story of
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King Jehoshaphat and how this
story of crisis and victory can
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give us an insight into some
of the answers we're all looking
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for today. Jehoshaphat was
the fourth king in the southern
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kingdom of Judah and ruled for
about 25 years from around 872
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to 848 B.C. Jehoshaphat was
faithful to God and encouraged
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his people to know and worship
God. Our story begins with
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Jehoshaphat at the pinnacle of
his power. Everything seemed to
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be going his way and
his kingdom was prospering.
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He'd made strong political
alliances and he'd been
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victorious on the battlefield
and he was doing well for
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himself and his people
financially, but all this
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changed in the blink of an eye.
He woke up one day to bad news,
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very bad news. A messenger
arrived carrying the news that a
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massive army had congregated
against him. Like the grains of
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sand on the seashore the
military might of multiple
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nations joined forces in a
single concerted effort against
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him. It was a moment of
absolute chaos, a moment filled
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with uncertainty as the looming
pall of death and destruction
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hovered over the entire kingdom.
Jehoshaphat's first response was
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to go on his knees
before God asking for his help.
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He understood the overwhelming
impossibility of the situation.
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There was no way his army could
match the strength they were up
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against. Defeat was a certainty
if they chose to go it alone.
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So instead he made a different
choice. He chose to look to God,
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to lean on him. Swallowing back
his fear Jehoshaphat first went
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before God alone and pled
with him for wisdom to meet the
00:11:45.23\00:11:50.61
emergency he and his entire
nation were facing. The task
00:11:50.64\00:11:56.14
was too great for them to
handle alone. Then gathering his
00:11:56.18\00:12:01.62
subjects around him Jehoshaphat
led them in prayer. But it
00:12:01.65\00:12:07.02
wasn't just any prayer. It was
a prayer steeped in the promises
00:12:07.06\00:12:11.36
of God. Jehoshaphat reminded
himself and his people of how
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God had led them in the past and
how he had promised to always
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lead them if they looked to him
for help. He ended the prayer
00:12:23.57\00:12:27.34
with a simple heartfelt plea:
00:12:27.38\00:12:30.71
At that moment all the subjects
of his kingdom were gathered
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around him and watching
him. Huddled together in little
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groups, men, women and children
parents worried for the safety
00:12:52.93\00:12:58.17
of their children, for their
future. Almost as soon as the
00:12:58.21\00:13:03.11
prayer had ended God spoke to
his people and gave them words
00:13:03.14\00:13:08.05
of reassurance and comfort.
Speaking through a prophet God
00:13:08.08\00:13:12.95
said this:
00:13:12.99\00:13:14.49
God then gave Jehoshaphat
and the people a set of specific
00:13:45.42\00:13:50.03
instructions. They were told to
wake up early the next morning
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and go down against the great
army that had formed against
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them. So early the next morning
Jehoshaphat assembled his army
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and led them out to the
wilderness of Tekoa. While they
00:14:03.10\00:14:07.28
were on their way Jehoshaphat
encouraged the people and then
00:14:07.31\00:14:12.41
after some consultation put
together a choir to lead the
00:14:12.45\00:14:17.42
army. That's right, a choir
of priests and Levites. In other
00:14:17.45\00:14:22.32
words, pastors, church leaders
and workers to go before the
00:14:22.36\00:14:26.93
army leading them into one of
the deadliest battles they had
00:14:26.96\00:14:31.30
ever faced. And that wasn't
the most interesting part of the
00:14:31.33\00:14:36.30
story. Instead of battle hymns
the choir was to sing songs of
00:14:36.34\00:14:41.51
praise and thanksgiving. Picture
it for a moment if you will, an
00:14:41.54\00:14:46.55
entire army of warriors marching
to battle led by a group of
00:14:46.58\00:14:51.55
unarmed ministers singing
praise and worship songs.
00:14:51.59\00:14:55.86
But God was on their side
and when they began to sing the
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Bible tells us that God ambushed
their enemies. That's right. God
00:15:01.16\00:15:06.43
himself ambushed their
enemies and defeated them
00:15:06.47\00:15:10.77
so that when the advance recon-
naissance group of Judah came
00:15:10.81\00:15:15.01
to the rendezvous point God
had told them about, they were
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shocked by what they saw.
Stretching out before them as
00:15:19.85\00:15:24.52
far as their eyes could
see was an impromptu graveyard
00:15:24.55\00:15:28.66
littered with
00:15:28.69\00:15:30.13
the bodies of their fallen
enemies. An army stretching out
00:15:30.16\00:15:35.16
as far as their eyes could see,
all fallen, all defeated, and
00:15:35.23\00:15:41.00
none of Jehoshaphat's army had
even lifted a finger. It was a
00:15:41.04\00:15:46.41
moment of pure unmitigated
triumph, the kind that fills you
00:15:46.47\00:15:51.51
with elation and joy. They had
conquered their enemies and they
00:15:51.55\00:15:56.18
hadn't even broken a sweat or
chipped a nail in the process.
00:15:56.22\00:16:01.39
All because they had chosen to
look to God in their moment of
00:16:01.42\00:16:06.96
trial. The story of Jehoshaphat
and the army of Judah has so
00:16:07.00\00:16:12.27
many truths tucked into it,
but there are three key points I
00:16:12.30\00:16:17.54
want to look at as we
contemplate the overwhelming
00:16:17.57\00:16:20.61
challenge before us today.
Firstly, Jehoshaphat took his
00:16:20.64\00:16:26.75
troubles to God. He understood
the overwhelming reality of the
00:16:26.85\00:16:31.42
enemy he faced. He knew that
he was incapable of facing that
00:16:31.45\00:16:36.66
enemy alone and he turned his
heart and his eyes willingly to
00:16:36.69\00:16:42.36
God for help. As human beings
it isn't easy for us to accept
00:16:42.40\00:16:47.80
defeat or weakness. It isn't
easy for us to admit when we're
00:16:47.87\00:16:53.11
up against something that we
can't possibly take on and beat.
00:16:53.14\00:16:58.41
Everything in us cries out to
face the giant and conquer it in
00:16:58.45\00:17:03.69
our own strength. But
what happens when the giant is
00:17:03.72\00:17:08.96
clearly too big for us to take
down on our own. What happens
00:17:08.99\00:17:14.00
when the mountain is too steep
to climb or the obstacle too
00:17:14.06\00:17:18.77
large to step around? What
happens when we are brought to
00:17:18.80\00:17:24.37
our knees and we have nowhere
to turn. We should take heart
00:17:24.41\00:17:29.91
knowing that we can turn to God
even in the darkest moments when
00:17:29.94\00:17:35.28
it seems like hope is lost. It's
important to know that there is
00:17:35.32\00:17:40.46
hope. There is a silver lining
etching the dark clouds flung
00:17:40.49\00:17:46.70
across the horizon. We can
always turn to God. Secondly,
00:17:46.73\00:17:52.50
Jehoshaphat looked to God's
word for guidance. In a time of
00:17:52.53\00:17:57.47
crisis it's easy to make
snap judgments when emotions are
00:17:57.51\00:18:02.18
running high and it seems like
everything is spinning out of
00:18:02.21\00:18:06.82
control and our default position
is to make a knee jerk response.
00:18:06.85\00:18:12.92
But Jehoshaphat took a
deep breath and turned to God in
00:18:12.95\00:18:17.86
prayer and then he waited for
God to respond and when God did
00:18:17.89\00:18:22.83
respond as he always does,
Jehoshaphat chose to follow
00:18:22.86\00:18:28.14
God's instructions even though
they seemed somewhat bizarre and
00:18:28.17\00:18:33.48
unusual. Today faced with a
massive and unprecedented crisis
00:18:33.51\00:18:38.61
our most reliable source of
guidance is the word of God.
00:18:38.65\00:18:43.18
Over and over again the Bible
gives us examples of how men
00:18:43.22\00:18:48.09
and women in times past faced
major crises. Embedded in each
00:18:48.12\00:18:53.26
of these stories are tips
for overcoming and dealing with
00:18:53.29\00:18:57.67
overwhelming situations. When
you're struggling to cope, look
00:18:57.70\00:19:02.77
to Jesus and open his word to us
in the Bible. There you'll find
00:19:02.80\00:19:07.48
the hope and comfort that you
need to make it through whatever
00:19:07.51\00:19:12.01
trial you face. There you'll
find instruction and guidance to
00:19:12.08\00:19:16.58
weather the storm. Thirdly,
Jehoshaphat went forward in
00:19:16.62\00:19:22.26
faith trusting God's promises.
It would have been scary to go
00:19:22.29\00:19:26.96
forward leaning only on God's
word to face an army far bigger
00:19:27.00\00:19:31.87
than his own but Jehoshaphat was
willing to do it. The best part
00:19:31.90\00:19:37.11
about Jehoshaphat's story is
that his faith paid off. Looking
00:19:37.14\00:19:42.04
to God for comfort and guidance
Jehoshaphat found hope and
00:19:42.11\00:19:48.45
victory in this difficult time.
His experience can be ours.
00:19:48.48\00:19:53.39
Sometimes we can find hope in
the unlikeliest place and in the
00:19:53.46\00:19:58.09
most unconventional ways. We
may not have the tools and the
00:19:58.13\00:20:03.00
wherewithal to slay the
giants we face, but God does and
00:20:03.03\00:20:07.87
if we look to him we can be sure
that he will lead us through
00:20:07.90\00:20:13.01
whatever lies ahead. The story
of Jehoshaphat is a reminder
00:20:13.04\00:20:17.81
that even when the odds are
stacked against us God can give
00:20:17.85\00:20:22.58
us hope and
victory in unexpected ways.
00:20:22.62\00:20:26.32
Ecclesiastes chapter 9
and verse 11 tells us this:
00:20:26.35\00:20:32.03
In other words, as human beings
we are limited in what we can
00:20:54.12\00:20:58.59
accomplish regardless of
the resources we have at hand.
00:20:58.62\00:21:03.49
Ultimately we will come up
against an opponent that we
00:21:03.53\00:21:07.66
can't control or defeat and when
we do, as resilient as the human
00:21:07.70\00:21:13.30
spirit is it cannot bounce
back without help, help that is
00:21:13.34\00:21:18.54
Divine and supernatural,
help that only comes from God.
00:21:18.57\00:21:23.81
In Psalm 121 verses 1
and 2 David says this:
00:21:23.85\00:21:30.25
God never sleeps. He's always
wide awake. His eyes trained on
00:21:46.53\00:21:53.27
the events that transpire around
us and he's always willing to
00:21:53.31\00:21:58.35
reach out to those that turn to
him. The story of Jehoshaphat is
00:21:58.38\00:22:04.29
a reminder that even when the
odds are stacked against us God
00:22:04.32\00:22:08.79
can give us hope and victory
in unexpected ways. As the
00:22:08.82\00:22:13.46
situation around us escalates,
this is something that we need
00:22:13.50\00:22:17.47
to keep in mind and hold
onto. You may feel like you're
00:22:17.50\00:22:22.77
standing on a lonely island,
isolated and far removed from
00:22:22.80\00:22:27.28
everyone around you. You may
be a health care worker risking
00:22:27.31\00:22:32.05
your life on the front lines
of this crisis, exhausted and
00:22:32.08\00:22:36.75
struggling to cope with the
overwhelming demands that are
00:22:36.79\00:22:41.29
placed on you. Or you may have
a business or work in one of the
00:22:41.32\00:22:46.13
many industries that have been
forced to shut down and you are
00:22:46.16\00:22:50.37
now facing unemployment and an
uncertain future asking yourself
00:22:50.40\00:22:55.90
how you're going to pay your
bills and put food on the table.
00:22:55.94\00:23:00.98
Or you may be an elderly citizen
or part of a group that is most
00:23:01.01\00:23:05.51
vulnerable to Covid-19 and
as you watch the escalating
00:23:05.55\00:23:10.05
statistics you may be fearful of
what they mean to you. You may
00:23:10.09\00:23:16.02
wonder how you're going to
survive this crisis. Or you may
00:23:16.06\00:23:20.50
be a parent struggling to hold
down your job while still caring
00:23:20.53\00:23:24.80
for your children who are home
from school wondering how you're
00:23:24.83\00:23:29.37
going to keep them safe while
still making sure they don't
00:23:29.40\00:23:33.98
lose an entire year of their
education. As the debates over
00:23:34.01\00:23:38.51
flattening the curve versus
eradicating the virus, over
00:23:38.55\00:23:43.25
lockdowns and economic downturn
rage around the world, you may
00:23:43.28\00:23:48.56
be wondering how that will
impact your daily life, what
00:23:48.59\00:23:52.93
that will mean for you and your
family. At a time like this we
00:23:52.96\00:23:59.20
need hope, because it's only
hope that can keep us going,
00:23:59.23\00:24:04.87
only hope can get us through the
dark and difficult months ahead.
00:24:04.91\00:24:08.88
Well friends I've good news for
you today because Jesus offers
00:24:08.91\00:24:15.32
you hope. The enemy around you
may be large and overwhelming.
00:24:15.35\00:24:20.76
The odds may be impossible. The
resources and weapons you have
00:24:20.79\00:24:25.29
on hand may be meager and
pathetic, but none of that is
00:24:25.33\00:24:29.90
important because the same God
who gave Jehoshaphat a decisive
00:24:29.93\00:24:36.50
victory is holding out his hands
to you today. In Matthew chapter
00:24:36.54\00:24:41.71
11 and verse 28, he said this:
00:24:41.74\00:24:44.51
Jesus can give you rest for your
weary soul. When you wake up in
00:25:03.90\00:25:08.20
the morning pick up your Bible
and read it. Find promises in
00:25:08.24\00:25:12.97
the Bible that can buoy you
up and give you hope. Do that
00:25:13.01\00:25:17.31
before you read the headlines
and I guarantee you that the
00:25:17.35\00:25:22.45
headlines won't seem as bleak.
When you're feeling overwhelmed
00:25:22.48\00:25:26.39
by it all take a moment to pray.
Cry out to God and lay what's on
00:25:26.42\00:25:32.69
your heart before him and I
guarantee you his peace will
00:25:32.73\00:25:39.07
still you heart and his grace
will strengthen you for the
00:25:39.10\00:25:42.30
battle ahead. In moments when
you feel you can't take another
00:25:42.34\00:25:47.44
step forward, know this:
God will carry you through the
00:25:47.48\00:25:52.48
trial. So look to God, open
a Bible and look to him. He's
00:25:52.51\00:25:58.62
waiting to take hold of your
hand and lead you safely through
00:25:58.65\00:26:02.79
whatever lies ahead. If you'd
like to reach out to God and ask
00:26:02.82\00:26:08.13
him to lead and guide you, then
I'd like to recommend the free
00:26:08.16\00:26:12.77
gift we have for all our
Incredible Journey viewers
00:26:12.80\00:26:16.91
today. It's the Bible reading
guide The Secret of Answered
00:26:16.94\00:26:23.55
Prayer. This guide is our gift
to you and is absolutely free.
00:26:23.58\00:26:27.75
I guarantee there are no costs
or obligations whatsoever. So
00:26:27.78\00:26:33.52
why not take this wonderful
opportunity to find out more
00:26:33.56\00:26:37.76
about the hope that only God
can give us. Phone or text us at
00:26:37.79\00:26:45.00
0436333555 in Australia or
0204222042 in New Zealand or
00:26:45.03\00:26:54.18
visit our website TiJ.tv to
request today's free offer and
00:26:54.21\00:26:59.85
we'll send it to totally free of
charge and with no obligation.
00:26:59.88\00:27:03.85
Write to us at:
00:27:03.89\00:27:17.80
Don't delay. Call or text us now
00:27:17.83\00:27:21.84
If you've enjoyed our journey
to ancient Israel and our
00:27:21.87\00:27:28.01
reflections on how to find hope
in a crisis, then be sure to
00:27:28.04\00:27:32.65
join us again next week when
we will share another of life's
00:27:32.68\00:27:36.95
journeys together. Until then
let's pray to the God who is
00:27:36.99\00:27:41.66
still in control of our planet
and ask him to bless and protect
00:27:41.69\00:27:46.16
us and our families.
00:27:46.19\00:27:47.63
Dear Heavenly Father, these are
difficult and challenging times.
00:27:47.66\00:27:53.94
Thank you for your promise
to care for us and protect us.
00:27:53.97\00:27:58.57
Like Jehoshaphat our eyes are
upon you. We need you to lead
00:27:58.61\00:28:04.81
us to victory in the battle
that's raging around us. So
00:28:04.85\00:28:10.05
please bless and
protect us and our families.
00:28:10.09\00:28:13.72
In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
00:28:13.76\00:28:17.69
¤ ¤
00:28:17.73\00:28:28.30