In Times of Crisis Ask for This

2 Kings 3:9
So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.

2 Kings 3:10
“What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the LORD called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?”

2 Kings 3:11
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?”
An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah. ”

Joram king of Israel, Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and the king of Edomites came together to go fight the Moabites. As the three kings were marching to war against Edomites, they ran into a crisis, they had no water for themselves nor for their animals. What do you do in times of crisis?

Lack of water in a desert is a crisis that even three kings find impossible to solve. The animals that were used in war were thirsty and weak. The soldiers who fight battles were thirsty and disoriented. The entire situation disoriented the three kings. They had a crisis at hand. What do you do in times of crisis?

2 Kings 3:10
“What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the LORD called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?”

The king of Israel responded to the crisis by exclaiming that God called them, the three kings in order to defeat them using Moabites. This gentleman represents people who in the event of a crisis, dwell on the worst-case scenario and get discouraged.

In the event of a crisis some people come up with unsubstantiated conclusions and they make them real. Joram king of Israel without any evidence concluded with finality that this crisis was a God-given trap to destroy them. The reaction of the king of Israel made no contribution to solving the crisis, it only worsened the situation by sowing discouragement.

How do you respond to a crisis? Are you like Joram king of Israel? Do you immediately see a bad end to the situation? Do you draw unsubstantiated conclusions that make you feel bad and hopeless but contribute nothing to solving the problem?

If someone is sick why conclude that they are dying? Why the discouragement? Why not work towards healing? You misplace something and you immediately declare it stolen? Why are you so negative like Joram king of Israel? You can’t reach a spouse online or there is a small misunderstanding and you conclude that he or she is cheating on you? Why do you begin with the worst-case scenario? It never solves the problem it aggravates it instead!

2 Kings 3:11
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?”
An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah. ”

Jehoshaphat king of Judah responded differently to the same crisis that the three of them were in. Jehoshaphat asked for the prophet to come and clarify God’s will. That means the crisis is never the problem, how we react to a crisis says more about us than the crisis.

What does the crisis say about you? What has the heartbreak revealed about you? What has lack of money said about you? What has the diagnosis revealed about your trust in God? What has job loss made clear about your relationship with God? What has the coming serious exam and the tempting need to study on Sabbath tell about your faith in God?

The same crisis revealed that Joram doubted God’s goodness and Jehoshaphat trusted God’s guidance. How you react to a marital problem is not about the issue at hand but who you are? You see no way out because you are unforgiving and not because the issue can’t be resolved. Other couples in the same or worse situation have resolved their issues yet you haven’t. It is never about the size of the issue but the size of Christianity in you. What has the crisis revealed about you?

Jehoshaphat called for a clarification of God’s will and that resolved the problem. In the event of a crisis, ask for God’s will. Find God’s will in scripture. Find God’s will by seeking godly counsel from people appointed by God. Find God’s will by praying for a signal. Find God’s will by persistence in the right direction. In the event of a crisis ask for God’s will.

God’s will is forgiveness and reconciliation. God’s will is faithfulness. God’s will is giving others one more chance as God gives us one more chance. God’s will is healthful living and medication without seeking witchcraft. God’s will is in scripture teachings. In the event of a crisis ask for God’s will.

Dear God, I repent since the crisis has revealed my sinful nature is still alive. Help me from now on to properly react to a crisis according to your will. May your will be clear to me in the event of a crisis, in Jesus’s name, Amen!

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