What Am I To Do? Series

INTRODUCTION

If you are like me, you probably have asked yourself the question, “WHAT AM I TO DO?” many times over the span of your lifetime. You know those times when that question comes to your mind. Times when you find yourself in a situation where you are over your head, you don’t know which way to turn; or where to go.

And I can tell you that in 2020, that question “what am I to do” keeps popping up for me. It is a recurring question in my life as Pastor of Bala Chitto Baptist Church. For example, what am I to do to get all our church folks back together again? I miss not having all our church family today on Sunday morning- some in the church building; some in their cars listening over the radio, or others waiting for the sermon to get posted to Facebook. It would be great to be back together again but honestly what am I to do to get us there.

Another example would be, what am I do to keep unity in the church when we all have such varying viewpoints about the pandemic itself, whether we should wear mask or not wear mask; whether we should follow the government’s mandates or not. What am I do to as pastor to keep church members from clashing over differing opinions?

Honestly, this situation is over my head. Seminary never taught me in all my years there what to do when we would face a pandemic. The Baptist Association in Jackson has not given us much guidance because they are trying to figure out what they need to do. And I cannot get much help from my fellow pastors because they are in the same boat that I am in trying to keep their flock together.

And so, when you don’t know what to do, the best place to turn is to the Word of God. Therefore, I went looking in my Bible for a time when a person, or a group of people or even a nation didn’t know what to do, they were over their head in the situation that confronted them; to see what they did to achieve a favorable outcome. I don’t mind copying something someone else in the Bible did and applying it to my life because if it worked for them and brought them a favorable outcome; it may do the same thing in my life.

And so, I found what I was looking for in 2 Chronicles 20, the first 15 verses. So, if you have your Bibles turn to 2 Chronicles 20:1-15. Please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

SCRIPTURE

2 Chronicles 20:1-15 (NKJV)

1 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.

2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi).

3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

6 and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?

7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?

8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,

9 'If disaster comes upon us--sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine--we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.'

10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them--

11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."