Turning Problems into Opportunities

Dr. Myles Munroe said "prayer is getting God to intervene in man's affairs."

“Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.”…Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help. 2 Chronicles 20:2-3 NLT

Jehoshaphat’s story is about a man who faced a major crisis and desperately needed God’s intervention. We may not have to deal with a vast army heading to our home to attack us but our crisis is just as dire to us. I have learned that a crisis always presents itself as an opportunity. The opportunities are numerous but I want to look at how Jehoshaphat’s response provides a model for us by showing us a specific opportunity to involve others when trouble comes. First we see that a crisis is an opportunity for us to engage God first, not after we have tried everything else, it’s an opportunity for us to enlist help from community and share our burdens only with those who will also engage God on our behalf, it is an opportunity for us to expose our need for support and to seek the LORD with others. And lastly, it is an opportunity for us to establish our faith family and trust in God’s ability, His promises and His plan for our lives.

Let's not draw away from one another in the time of crisis but instead run towards community. It is the plan of God. We are the family of God!