"OUR EYES ARE ON YOU!"

Written and preached by David P. Nolte

2 CHRONICLES 20:5-12

1. ACKNOWLEDGE GOD'S GREATNESS: VV6-9:
1. See what Jehoshaphat recognized, and acknowledged, about the living God:
1. He said, "Are You not God in the heavens?" God is not an earth-bound idol made of stone or wood.
2. He said, "And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations?" God is not some local deity confined only to Israel or some small portion of turf.
3. He said, "Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You." All hell itself arrayed against God is doomed to fall!
4. He said, "Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?" God is the one Who is ready, willing and able to keep His promises as He did to Abraham.
2. In the midst of our difficulties, we ought to come before our God, as did Jehoshaphat, acknowledging His greatness: hear these expressions, make them your own:
1. Psalms 21:13 "Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your might."
2. Psalms 45:3-4 "Gird Your sword upon Your side, O Mighty One; clothe Yourself with splendor and majesty. In Your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let Your right hand display awesome deeds."
3. Psalms 66:3-4 "How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cringe before You. All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing praise to Your name."
4. Psalms 68:28 "Summon Your power, O God ; show us Your strength, O God, as You have done before."
3. Solomon reminds us all, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:6.
4. We can begin to put our difficulties in proportion when we put God in perspective. Problems fade and lessen and diminish when God increases and is exalted and is acknowledged in all His power and greatness. Deliverance begins when we acknowledge God!

The general knew that his wife would die if he did not act quickly. He hoped to rescue and deliver her from death, so he ran forward and threw himself at the feet of the emperor acknowledging his sovereignty and power. "Oh, sire," he cried, "not she, but me. Let me give my life for hers. Put me to death, but spare my wife." He had confidence that he could speak boldly, and he hoped his petition would fall on hearing ears. So Jehoshaphat trusted God's willingness to hear and to help. We see in verse 9: "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." When in difficulty, turn your eyes to God., acknowledge His greatness and:

2. ASK FOR WHAT YOU NEED: VV10-12:
1. Jehoshaphat made these requests:
1. Verse 11 "See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession You gave us as an inheritance." Look upon and notice what these ingrates and pagans are doing to us after we were kind to them.
2. Verse 12 "O our God, will You not judge them?" He is turning them over to God for His hand to deal with them. Good pattern for us, too. When we are used, abused and mistreated, turn it over to God Who says, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay!"
2. Note the biblical teaching to ask things from God:
1. Matthew 6:11-13 "Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
2. Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." But the context indicates that if we ask for bread, God won't give us a stone. That means that He will never give us bad things; sometimes we ask for bad things without knowing better and He won't give us those things.
3. Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
4. James 1:5-7 (NLT) "If you need wisdom - if you want to know what God wants you to do - ask Him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that you really expect Him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord."
5. 1 John 5:14-15 (NLT) "And we can be confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for."
3. To ask demonstrates:
1. Trust that God cares, and is able to help.
2. Humility that we are not able to do it alone.
3. Dependence on His power, grace, providence and wisdom.
4. Obedience to His command to ask, seek and knock and to make our requests known.
4. Many lament their lack, and the answer may be this simple: James 4:2-3 "You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures."

The general humbled himself before Cyrus and then made his request. As Cyrus looked upon him, he was so touched by his deep devotion and his love for his wife that his heart was softened. He remembered, too, how faithful this servant had been, and he gave the command that the wife should go free. She was fully pardoned. As her husband led her out of the room. He said to her, "Did you notice the kind look in the eyes of the emperor as he pronounced the word of pardon?" She said, "I did not see the face of the emperor. The only face that I could see was that of the man who was willing to die for me." That's the right attitude toward, God, too. When in difficulty, do as Jehoshaphat did. Acknowledge God's greatness, ask for what you need and

3. AVERT YOUR EYES FROM EVERYTHING ON EARTH AND LOOK TO GOD: V12:
1. To paraphrase Jehoshaphat, "We're so dumfounded and overwhelmed, we can't see an answer; we are so weak we can't deliver ourselves; we're so defeated we just don't know what to do. So, therefore, we'll do the best thing to do under any circumstances: we will look to You!"
2. Note what God says to us in that regard:
1. Amos 5:4 "Seek Me that you may live."
2. Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
3. So, let us join the Psalmist saying, "When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said, 'Your face, O Lord, I shall seek'" Psalms 27:8.
4. What is the chief focus of your life? Upon what have you fixed your gaze, and to what have you turned your eyes?
1. Is it the material things of earth? They will fail you.
2. Is it on yourself, your own capabilities, your own will, your own strength? They will be too little.
3. Is it what brings you creature comfort and sensuous pleasure? They will disappoint you.
4. Is it fame or popularity or acceptance in some group? They will forsake you.
5. Is it freedom and your own personal rights? They will enslave you.
6. Or is it Jesus Christ? He alone will save you.

As Cyrus was merciful when entreated, so God is merciful when we turn our eyes upon Him and cry out. When you look to Jesus, you will find the Wonderful, Merciful Savior. You will find the One Who truly understands how hard your struggle is; how hard you try and yet how deep your failure is; how black your sin is. When you look to Jesus, you will find the only One Who has the ability, and desire, and grace to help you in your hardest hour. Turn from all that binds and hinders you, turn to Him Who frees and delivers you. Forgiveness and life is yours through Jesus - because of grace. Amazing grace. Amazing because it flows from the Holy God to unholy man. Amazing because it is limitless. Amazing because it didn't wait for our overtures, it comes on the initiative of God Himself. Amazing because it is sufficient for all our sins - and today it is sufficient for your sins. So, come to Jesus and experience that amazing grace today as we sing.