Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:28 — 19.9MB)
This grasshopper disease came on the children of Israel when they were afraid to possess the land God had given them. They said “we look like grasshoppers” and they figured they couldn’t win the fight, so they wanted to quit and go back to Egypt. The disciples gave up on feeding the crowd of 5000 because they didn’t have enough money or food. They caught the grasshopper disease, too. And you know what, you and I catch it from time to time, don’t we?
But there’s another servant of God who did the right thing when faced with his own crisis. We looked last week at 2 Chronicles 20 and the story of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, who is facing a vast army and doomed for defeat. Instead of giving up, he called the people together and inquired of the Lord. I want to read now the prayer he prayed at that moment. It’s found in 2 Chronicles 20:5-12.
“Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard and said:
“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
“But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
Jehoshaphat’s response to his impossible situation is a sure cure for the grasshopper disease. I want to point out seven R’s that I hope you’ll remember, because this is the cure for you when you’re coming down with the grasshopper disease.
The first R – Recite who God is.
Notice that the first thing Jehoshaphat does is to recite the characteristics and nature of God:
“Are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.” (2 Chronicles 20:6).
Jehoshaphat’s first move was to remind himself and his people of God and his power. And it has to be our first move, too. We must go back to the basics. We must have an in-depth knowledge of the nature of God. That means we must get to know God. Are you able to recite the nature and character of God? Is it firmly established in your heart and mind? When there are no answers, we must begin by reciting who God is.
The second R – Remember God’s great works.
After reciting who God is, Jehoshaphat remembers what God had done:
“Did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?” (2 Chronicles 20:7).
Isn’t it amazing how your memory goes on you when you’re in a crisis or when you’re frightened? It takes an act of your will to remember what you should remember. But it’s really important at these times that you purposely remember God’s past miracles in your life, his faithfulness to you in days gone by, his deeds of old, as Jehoshaphat did. That’s an important step two in curing the grasshopper disease.
The third R – Recall God’s promises.
Notice that next Jehoshaphat recalls God’s promises to the children of Israel. He says:
“If calamity comes upon us…we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.” (2 Chronicles 20:9).
The Bible has promises there just for you, did you know that? Have you learned to turn to God’s Word and ask for a promise when you face an impossible situation? It is one sure way to get out of the grips of the grasshopper disease. A promise from God will bring hope and keep you going when you see no way out.
I remember when I first started this ministry on one station in the Chicago area years ago. That’s all I ever figured it would be, and I was thrilled that God had given me that opportunity. Then shortly after, opportunities began to open up, and it dawned on me that this ministry could grow and become much larger than I’d ever imagined. And I was frightened; I knew how inadequate I was for such an assignment. I knew how inexperienced I was. And I really wanted to back out. But I couldn’t deny that God had opened the doors in a miraculous way.
So, I sat down with my Bible and prayed, “Lord, if this is a ministry you have for me, then please, give me a promise to hang on to as I embark upon it, because I know there will be days and times when I will want to quit.” Well, my reading that day included Isaiah 50, and right there in that wonderful chapter is God’s promise for me. Let me share it with you:
“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. . . Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:4,7).
Those words are now framed in my office, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone back to that promise when I’ve been discouraged, when I’ve been tired, when I’ve been weary of the responsibility. And that promise has sustained me and strengthened me to face the road ahead time and time again.
Do you need a promise from God right now? Go to his Word, ask for it; God will give one to you, too.
The fourth R – Restate the problem to God.
Now, after Jehoshaphat has recited who God is, remembered what he has done, and recalled his promises, then—and not until then—Jehoshaphat restates his problem. And he does so with openness and candor. He prays:
“But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.” (2 Chronicles 20:10-12a).
Jehoshaphat is realistic about the problem. God has never asked us to stick our heads in the sand and pretend our problems don’t exist. But instead of griping and complaining, we should just present that problem to God with all the honesty of our heart and tell him exactly how we feel about it. That’s what Jehoshaphat did. He ventilated his anger and the unfairness of the whole situation. But he did it in the right way to the right person.
The sequence is extremely important. You restate the problem after you have recited who God is, remembered what he has done and recalled his promises to you. Then you’re ready to focus on the problem because you’re then God-centered instead of self-centered.
The fifth R – Release the problem to God.
As soon as he lays out the problem to the Lord, Jehoshaphat releases the problem to God.
“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12b).
He admits his total inability to solve the problem. He doesn’t pretend to have any answers. But he simply says, “Lord, here it is. It’s your problem, not mine.”
That’s what Jesus meant when he invited us to exchange our heavy burden for his light burden. Just dump them at his feet in recognition of our own inability to do anything about them. That is releasing the problem to God’s care. It is evidence that we trust him.
The sixth R – Rejoice in God’s salvation.
This last step is really exciting. After his prayer, a prophet rose up and said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:15b, 17b).
That word of encouragement did not come until Jehoshaphat had released the problem to God. When you and I keep holding on, complaining and worrying and trying to fix things ourselves, we hold back God’s plan of deliverance. He’s waiting to see your act of faith, which must come before the deliverance.
The next day, as they sat out to face this impossible enemy, Jehoshaphat encouraged them again that they would be victorious because the Lord was fighting their battle for them. And he appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 20:21b).
You see, they went into the battle rejoicing that it was won. They were praising God for the victory even before it was accomplished. And when they reached the battlefield, all they found were dead bodies lying on the ground; the enemies became confused and killed each other. Jehoshaphat’s army didn’t even have to fight. They had to show up; they had to obey God; they had to face the enemy; they had to claim the victory in advance. But once they got there, the fight was over.
Oh, what great principles we find in this wonderful example of faith. It is a sure cure for the grasshopper disease. What is your impossibility today? Do you really want to let God take control? If so, follow Jehoshaphat’s plan and begin by
- Reciting out loud who God is.
- Remembering what he has done for you.
- Recalling his promises to you.
- Restating the problem, spelling it out.
- Releasing it to God’s solution.
- Rejoicing that he has already heard and answered.
The seventh R – Rest.
Now, there’s one more R that is the result of following this formula. We find it in that same chapter, verse 30:
“And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.”
Are you in need of some rest today? Are you tired of trying to fight your own battles? Are you weary of losing them? Maybe it’s time you followed Jehoshaphat’s example and release the problem to God, and let him fight the battle for you. You do have to show up; you do have to obey; you do have to march to the battlefield. But you don’t have to fight. It’s God’s fight, not yours. But first you must let go and give him control.
I want you to know that I practice these seven R’s frequently, and when I do, I always find it to be the cure for my grasshopper disease. It’s a great stress buster; it’s a great way to reduce your blood pressure. But mostly, it’s a great way to show God that you trust Him.
For a reminder card of these Seven R’s please click here.