"And we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." (2 Chronicles 20:12)

There are times when we are outmatched. We face problems we cannot solve, burdens we cannot carry, and situations we cannot control. We simply do not know what to do.

Consider how King Jehoshaphat put his eyes on the Lord in such a moment. 

One thing is clear from 2 Chronicles 20: it is much more than a vague belief in God. It is not merely a feeling of trust. Jehoshaphat's confidence in God is worked out in action. He seeks the Lord. He gathers God's people. He fasts. He prays. He listens to God's Word. He worships. He sings. In other words, he puts his eyes on the Lord by drawing near to the Lord through the means God has given.

When Jehoshaphat hears that a great army is marching against Judah, he is afraid. Yet notice where his fear leads him.

"Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD" (v. 3).

Fear leads him to set his face toward God. He does not first call his military commanders. He does not begin by planning a strategy. He seeks the Lord.Then he calls for a fast throughout Judah. The people gather from every city "to seek the LORD" (vv. 3–4). Fasting was a way of expressing dependence upon God. The people were acknowledging that their greatest need was not food, strength, or wisdom. Their greatest need was the Lord Himself.

Jehoshaphat then leads the people in prayer. He recounts God's power. He remembers God's promises. He tells God exactly what is happening. He does not hide the danger or pretend to be strong. Instead, he confesses, "We are powerless," and "We do not know what to do."

The Lord answers through Jahaziel, assuring the people that the battle belongs to Him. In response, Jehoshaphat and all Judah bow down and worship (vv. 14–18). They receive God's Word and humble themselves before Him.

Then comes the remarkable scene. As Judah marches toward the battlefield, Jehoshaphat appoints singers to go before the army. Before the battle is won, before the victory is seen, they sing:

"Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever" (v. 21).

Notice their confidence is not in their army.
Their confidence is in their God.

As I read this chapter, I cannot help but think about what we do every Sunday.

When we gather for worship, we are following Christ as the people followed Jehoshaphat.

We are putting our eyes on the Lord. We gather to seek Him. We pray because we need His help. We hear His Word because we need His wisdom. We sing because we need to remember His greatness, His promises, and His steadfast love.

This is important because "keeping our eyes on the Lord" is often spoken of as though it were something vague or mystical. But in Scripture, it is practical. We put our eyes on the Lord by drawing near to Him in the ways He has appointed. We seek Him in prayer. We hear Him speak through His Word. We worship Him with His people. We sing His praise.

The world constantly pulls our attention elsewhere. Our eyes drift toward our fears, our frustrations, our finances, our health, our politics, and our plans. Yet every Lord's Day, God gathers His people and reorients our hearts. He reminds us where our help comes from.

Many Sundays we arrive carrying burdens we cannot fix. We may not know what to do about our family, our work, our future, or some painful trial. Gathering every Sunday is a way we say, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."

That is one way we keep our eyes on the Lord. And that is one reason why gathering with God's people each Sunday is such a precious gift.