#3 What To Do When You Dont Know What To Do

August 01, 2023

Stacey Cagwin

It happened after this that the people of Moab, with the people of Ammon, and others with them, besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the seas, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is EnGedi). (2 Chronicles 20:1-2) There are always “some” with a bad report. The Biblical record is filled with their gloomy proclamations: -Moses received a bad report concerning the dangerous depths of the Red Sea, which blocked Israel’s exodus from Egypt. -Messengers came to Nehemiah describing Jerusalem in ruins with its fortified walls collapsed in devastation. Naomi, a woman whose story is recorded in the book of Ruth, received a series of bad reports: Her husband and both sons died. King David looked out over the plains and saw a messenger running with news from the battlefield. It was a devastating report that his son, Absalom, was dead. A righteous man named Job seemed to have a propensity for the bad news. He received word that his children were killed and his servants and herds captured by the enemy. Lucky man--he also had a wife who seemed to delight in emphasizing these negative reports (as if Job needed someone to tell him how bad things were). Her advice was to “curse God and die.” -As Jarius hurried towards home, bringing Jesus to his ailing daughter’s side, his servant met him with the tragic news that the child was already dead. There are always "some" with a bad report. In fact, there are usually “more” than “some” because we live in a negatively oriented world. If you don’t believe it, observe what happens when you share an innovative idea. The common response is for others to immediately point out why your plan won’t work. This negative mindset is tremendously evident on the evening television news, where practically every report concerns crime, political wrangling, or societal crisis. Even the weather report is negative. Why not say “80% chance of sunshine” instead of “20% chance of rain”?