In Crisis Counsels this week, we continue to draw inspiration from the Biblical story that is found in II Chronicles 20, which describes a time in the mid-ninth century B.C. when the land of Judah was subjected to a massive invasion that threatened the lives of all the people. The enemy appeared overwhelming, and the nation was on the brink of collapse. In the midst of this crisis, the king, Jehoshaphat, turned to God in prayer. As we noted in the three previous Crisis Counsels, Jehoshaphat fixed his vision upon God, recalling that God is ever at work with saving power, and he put his trust in God.

Following Jehoshaphat’s prayer, the book of II Chronicles reports, “Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.” (II Chronicles 20:13)

What is notable in this verse is that “all Judah stood before the Lord.” It was not just Jehoshaphat who prayed! All the people of every age were gathered together, looking to God. Today, of course, we cannot gather physically. But we certainly can gather spiritually, and we do so using contemporary tools. Yesterday in our two worship services, the sanctuary pews were empty, and there was no one sitting in a chair in the gym for the contemporary service. But our congregation joined together online! We have had nearly 400 people connect with our live-streamed services since Sunday morning. We are looking together to God in faith.

We plan to continue with our live-streamed services, created each Sunday by a very small team. We also will continue with online Sunday School, this daily Crisis Counsels, and our many other forms of connecting through Facebook, emails, Zoom meetings, and Instagram. Even as we maintain considerable “social distance,” we can follow the pattern of the ancient people of Judah – to stand together before the Lord, looking to God, trusting in God’s saving help.

Daily Prayer: Bind us together, O Lord, with Your Holy Spirit, as we lift our hearts to You in faith. Click To Tweet

About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.