In II Chronicles, the twentieth chapter, is the record of a magnificent victory which the people of Judah won over a confederation of their enemies—the armies of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, realizing that his army was not equipped to withstand the forces of the enemy that surrounded his domain, gathered his people together—men, women, and children—and humbly prayed to God for guidance and protection.

"We have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee," he prayed. "Then," the Bible states, "upon Jahaziel... came the Spirit of the Lord...and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's....Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you."

Whereupon the king called upon the people, "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." Instead of going about frantically to increase the size of his army or to fortify his defenses, Jehoshaphat "appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness."

And an incredible thing happened. The Moabites, the Ammonites, and the people of Mount Seir fell to fighting among themselves, and they destroyed themselves! Thus the people of judah were freed from the threat of invasion and of possible extermination. And ''with psalteries and harps and trumpets" they trooped to "the house of the Lord" to give thanks to Him for the great victory.

"Stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord." It is helpful to apply this age-old command to ourselves. The first lesson we learn from it, perhaps, is not to panic when trouble faces us, not to do the foolish things or think the foolish, fearful thoughts that a state of panic induces, but confidently and steadfastly to maintain our trust in God, omnipotent good; thus we defy the boasts and threats of evil regarding place and power.

Had Jehoshaphat panicked, he might have lost not only the battle but his kingdom as well. Instead of panicking, he prayed confidently and joyfully to God.

What a wonderful bulwark of protection prayer is! Always at hand, always available, always potent to meet our every need. According to Christian Science, prayer is the recognition of God's law in operation, of God's law—inevitably and infallibly good—being done on earth as it is in heaven. Nothing can resist or reverse God's law: nothing can withstand its mighty power.

Prayer is gratitude. After the battle, Jehoshaphat and his people went into the house of the Lord and with instruments of praise and song thanked God for their deliverance. How immeasurably grateful they must have been for the victory and how wholeheartedly they expressed their gratitude! But even before the victory, they had thanked God. What a test of their faith that was! How grateful we too can be for God's ever-present, inexhaustible, limitless love and power, here and now, always available!

"Stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you." Standing still does not mean to be apathetic concerning a problem or to ignore it. The people of Judah did something about the problem that faced them: they believed in God, they conquered their fears, they expressed their gratitude—not perfunctorily nor stintedly, but gratefully, with all their hearts.

It is not always easy to "stand…still," to trust God so much that we can know that the battle is not ours but His. It is not always easy to refuse to assume burdens of responsibility, to stop running about both mentally and physically in an endeavor to help God. This does not mean that we have nothing to do. We have a great deal to do.

On the first page of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered and founded Christian Science, says, "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God,—a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love."

This is a big assignment, but it is a joyfully possible one. It was the sum and substance of Christ Jesus' healing works: absolute faith in God, spiritual understanding, and unselfed love. And his ministry is ours to emulate. Can we do so? we ask. Yes, we can. Paul said (Phil. 4:13), "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

God's message to Jehoshaphat was fourfold: "Be not afraid.... Set yourselves, stand…still, and see the salvation of the Lord."

"Be not afraid." Over and over again in the Bible we are assured that we need not be afraid, that God is with us, that He will not fail us or forsake us, for He is our Shepherd, our deliverer. Christian Science treatment is the acceptance and utilization of these facts. No matter how great the problem is, no matter how big and aggressive the enemy appears to be, no matter how impossible the victory seems, God is ever present to guard and govern us.

"Be not afraid" is the first step in the solution of every problem. Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health (p. 410), "Christian scientific practice begins with Christ's keynote of harmony, 'Be not afraid!'" And frequently she quotes the Apostle John (I John 4:18), "Perfect love casteth out fear."

"Set yourselves." This could well mean: set your heart on God's power and love, set your trust in His government of affairs.

"Stand...still." Steadfastly and confidently maintain that trust. Stand not on your own ability or your own conception of right, but on God's law of perfect right.

"See the salvation of the Lord." Open your eyes and your thought to spiritual reality, to God's law of life and being.

Probably the most insidious of evil's claims is that, like the enemy in Jehoshaphat's time, it is a great, powerful army. But God is the only power; He is omnipotent. Therefore evil has no power. Evil has no Principle, no Mind, no power at all except what we believe it to have.

If we, like the people of old, are unafraid, if we set ourselves, center our thoughts and actions on God's infinite love and power—if we "stand...still" in confident expectation of the victory of good—we too shall "see the salvation of the Lord" with us. Then not only we but all mankind will be blessed.