UPFRONT January 4, 2010 Issue

ENLISTED IN PRAYER

STEVE GRAHAM, MANAGING EDITOR, SENTINEL, JOURNAL, AND HERALD

"You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, . . . . Do not be afraid; Do not be discouraged" (II Chron. 20:17, New International Version). Whether you're literally in a battle zone, or facing a more figurative type of personal struggle, don't those words bring tremendous comfort?

They were God's promise to the Judeans, who faced a fearsome battle. When they found that a vast army was about to attack their land, they fasted and prayed. Jehoshaphat, their king, asked God to help them. He acknowledged that God was supremely powerful. He thanked God for having delivered the people from slavery. He vowed that they would trust His deliverance from plague or famine. And God's promise that they would not be harmed—that they wouldn't even have to fight—was fulfilled! Incredibly, the attacking armies ended up destroying themselves, and Judah was at peace.

This comforting message of safety with God is very much what we hope to bring to people in today's war zones. And we hope you'll join in the effort. Whether or not you or someone you know is in the military, you can do so much by praying to God, with the same dedication that Jehoshaphat exemplified. As this week's issue explains, it's what servicemen and -women and their families are learning to do. Read on, and you will find ideas on how to help everyone trust, and continue to trust, in God's protecting power—not after they've left their posts but right while they're in them.

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