“Jehosophat!” my friend Sam Mann shouted at me as I stumbled, bleary-eyed, at 8:59 a.m, into the conference dining hall to grab a pastry and diet coke before the first meeting of the day.  Having neither the slightest nimbleness of mind before noon on any given day, nor a storehouse of Biblical knowledge from childhood bible drills, I just stared at him.

“Jehosophat!” he shouted at me again.  I stared at him.  I may have summoned the energy to blink.  Sam’s energy never wanes.  I bet even his dreams are high octane.  He had probably gotten up at 3:30 a.m., done his morning prayers, walked the conference grounds, written a sermon, dashed off a few letters, called his family, staff and parishioners, and organized a protest march – all before I could drag my head off the pillow.  He was so excited he didn’t notice I had no idea what he was talking about.

“I’ve been thinking and praying about you all night and all morning.”  What??

I was in a bad place — I knew I couldn’t stay married but couldn’t face divorce.  I was lost and confused — I felt strongly pulled toward ordination — not called, not led, but pulled, heels dug in, like a donkey.  Yet I knew I would never be a local church minister, so I felt strongly pushed out.  I had shed buckets of tears the night before, to this man I barely knew.   And then he prayed for me night and day.   That woke me up.

Words kept flying out of his mouth; I tried to keep up.  “I prayed for you, and this is the answer that came to me:  Jehosophat!”

Jehosophat?  Whozzat?

Then he screeched to a halt.   Wouldn’t tell me anymore.   Wouldn’t say another word.

So I had to do some research.  It took me awhile just to figure out how to spell it.  It turns out that Jehosophat was a King of Judah against whom all the neighboring countries took up arms.  He gathered his people and prayed to God, saying “we don’t know what to do; our eyes are on you.”  The Spirit of the Lord spoke through a messenger, saying, “The battle is not yours, but God’s.  You don’t have to fight, but you do have to show up.

The next day they gave thanks to the Lord for victory before the battle ever began – a lesson in itself.

They then went into the midst of battle without raising a sword, and sang.  Their enemies turned against each other and did each other in.  After that, “Jehosophat’s kingdom was at peace, for God had given him rest at every side.”   (2 Chronicles 17)

I like to read this metaphorically, because I don’t like all the blood-and-guts, scorched-earth side of the Old Testament God.  But it’s a good story.  It tells us how to fight our own demons.  It tells us how to fight principalities and powers.  It tells us not to fight evil with evil.

So when your back is up against the wall, remember this:  the battle is not yours, but God’s.  Your job is to give thanks for a battle already won, show up, and sing.

-Rev. Angie Wright