Characteristics of God | Pastor Jeremy Isaacs | Week Five

Devotional

Day 1: When Fear Meets the Face of God

Jehoshaphat’s first response to overwhelming fear wasn’t denial or panic but turning his full attention to God. Fear often triggers isolation or frantic action, yet true peace begins by anchoring our gaze to the One who holds every battle. This posture shifts our focus from the size of the problem to the sufficiency of God. It’s not about mustering courage but leaning into divine presence. Surrendering our first reactions to prayer dismantles fear’s grip. Peace isn’t the absence of trouble but the presence of the Prince of Peace. [35:36]

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)

Reflection: What fear or crisis instinctively causes you to withdraw or fixate? How might turning your face toward God’s character before seeking solutions reshape your heart today?

Day 2: Remembering the God Who Fights for You

Jehoshaphat’s prayer began not with his enemies but with God’s faithfulness. Recalling past victories and unchanging power reorients our perspective in present battles. Peace grows when we rehearse God’s track record: His sovereignty over nations, power to deliver, and covenant love. This isn’t wishful thinking but declaring truth louder than our trembling. When we name God’s attributes before listing our anxieties, fear loses its footing. [41:58]

“You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.… If disaster comes upon us… we will cry out to you… and you will hear and save.” (2 Chronicles 20:6,9 ESV)

Reflection: What specific act of God’s faithfulness in your past can you declare today to anchor your heart in His present power?

Day 3: The Freedom of “I Don’t Know”

Jehoshaphat’s raw admission—“We don’t know what to do”—became the doorway to divine strategy. Surrender isn’t resignation but releasing our need to control outcomes. Peace flourishes when we trade self-reliance for childlike dependence. God isn’t intimidated by our confusion; He’s glorified through our trust. Letting go of the illusion of control positions us to receive unexpected solutions. [44:00]

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you clinging to your own plans or understanding? What would it look like to release that situation with open hands today?

Day 4: Worship as Warfare

Judah’s army marched into battle led not by soldiers but singers. Praise shifts the atmosphere from anxiety to expectancy, declaring God’s victory before it’s visible. Worship isn’t a response to breakthrough—it’s the weapon that creates it. When we magnify God’s nature above our circumstances, fear dissolves in the light of His supremacy. Peace becomes a battle cry. [51:58]

“He appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire… ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.’” (2 Chronicles 20:21, ESV)

Reflection: What situation needs you to “sing in advance” today? Choose one attribute of God to declare over that challenge right now.

Day 5: Peace That Silences Every Enemy

The same miracle that saved Judah terrified their enemies. God’s peace isn’t passive—it’s a proclamation of His authority that dismantles opposition. When we stand firm in His promises, our calm becomes a testimony. Others may see our storms, but they’ll marvel at the Savior who stills them. True peace doesn’t just comfort us—it reveals Christ’s power to a watching world. [54:53]

“Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed.… Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf.” (2 Chronicles 20:15,17, ESV)

Reflection: How might your steady trust in God’s character become a beacon of hope to someone else facing their own battle this week?

Sermon Summary

Second Chronicles 20 traces how God himself becomes peace for Judah when bad news breaks. Jehoshaphat receives the report of a great multitude and, though a veteran and a godly king, the text says he was afraid. Fear shows up first, but the turn that matters is next: Jehoshaphat sets his face to seek the Lord and calls a fast. Peace begins right there, not by pretending, but by running toward God instead of hiding.

The prayer that follows does not start with the problem. Jehoshaphat remembers God. He names God’s power, God’s rule over the nations, God’s faithfulness, and God’s past help. That God-first focus shrinks fear back to size. Then comes the line that feels like holy honesty: we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. That is surrender, not despair. It is the laying down of control so that trust can breathe.

Before anything changes on the ground, the Spirit moves on Jehaziel. God speaks peace into the middle of the threat: do not be afraid or dismayed, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Stand firm. Hold your position. See the salvation of the Lord. Peace arrives ahead of victory because God promises to fight. The world says peace comes when the outcome is secure. God says peace comes because he is here and he has already overcome.

Judah answers that promise with worship. Faces go to the ground, and voices go loud. Singers step in front of soldiers, declaring, Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever. Praise walks the people into the fight, and God sets an ambush. Judah does not lift a finger, yet the enemies are routed. The story that started with fear ends with rest on every side, and the surrounding kingdoms tremble because God’s power has been made known.

Along the way, the Word names the thieves of peace many carry today: anxiety that borrows trouble, worry that loops on problems, fear that magnifies obstacles, comparison that drains contentment, and control that exhausts the soul. Scripture answers each one with God’s presence, daily trust, soundness of mind, eyes fixed on Jesus, and surrendered steps. The same God who stood with Jehoshaphat stands with his people now. When hearts confess, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on you, the God who is peace guards hearts and minds with his own peace.

Key Takeaways

1. Peace begins by turning Godward Peace does not wait for calm circumstances; it starts when hearts move toward God in the moment fear hits. Jehoshaphat does not numb out, overplan, or isolate. He seeks the Lord first, letting God set the agenda before fear does. That first turn often decides the next ten steps. [37:47]
2. Remembered faith reshapes present fear When prayer begins with who God is, problems stop pretending to be ultimate. Naming God’s power, rule, faithfulness, and past help reframes the crisis and re-teaches the heart to expect mercy. The bigger God becomes in view, the smaller fear becomes in grip. [40:50]
3. Surrender says, Eyes on You We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you is not giving up, it is handing over. Control promises peace but delivers exhaustion; surrender yields peace because God carries what control cannot. Vision clears when the gaze fixes on God rather than on outcomes. [43:41]
4. Peace walks in before victory God speaks comfort while the threat remains and commands presence, not panic. Stand firm, hold position, see salvation is the cadence of trust that steadies the soul. Peace is not the prize after the fight; it is the provision that carries believers into the fight. [47:21]
5. Worship fights what worry feeds Praise goes first because worship declares reality: God is bigger than what is ahead. Song before sword is not theatrics; it is theology with a volume knob. When thanksgiving leads, God sets ambushes pride and planning never could. [51:36]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[24:44] - Baptism joy and next-gen hunger
[26:46] - Legacy project and faith for provision
[29:57] - God is peace
[30:46] - Bad news and the felt weight of fear
[31:51] - Setting the scene in 2 Chronicles 20
[32:49] - Jehoshaphat’s track record and reform
[35:00] - Fear is real, then what
[37:47] - Peace begins by turning to God
[40:50] - Prayer that remembers God first
[43:41] - We don’t know, eyes on you
[45:21] - Peace before victory and the Spirit’s word
[51:36] - Worship on the front lines
[54:53] - Rest on every side and God’s renown
[56:16] - Five thieves of peace today
[61:18] - Scriptures that guard the heart
[68:43] - Prayer for salvation and peace

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
2 Chronicles 20:1-30 (ESV)
Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)
2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

Observation Questions

What specific actions did Jehoshaphat take immediately after hearing about the advancing armies (2 Chronicles 20:3)?
How did the people of Judah respond to God’s promise of victory before the battle began (2 Chronicles 20:18-19, 21)?
What does Philippians 4:6-7 identify as the pathway to experiencing God’s peace?
In the sermon, what example was given about anxiety “borrowing trouble from tomorrow” ([56:34])?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jehoshaphat’s prayer began by focusing on God’s character and past faithfulness (2 Chronicles 20:6-9) rather than the immediate crisis?
What does the phrase “the battle is not yours but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15) reveal about the relationship between human responsibility and divine intervention?
How does worshiping before seeing victory (2 Chronicles 20:21-22) challenge common assumptions about when praise is appropriate?
The sermon mentioned that “control promises peace but delivers exhaustion” ([59:40]). Why might surrendering control to God lead to greater peace than trying to manage outcomes ourselves?

Application Questions

What current situation in your life feels like “a great multitude” advancing against you? How could you intentionally “set your face to seek the Lord” in it this week?
Jehoshaphat prayed, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” What decision or uncertainty are you facing where you need to pray this prayer honestly?
The sermon highlighted “remembering God’s faithfulness” as a way to reframe fear ([40:50]). What specific example of God’s past faithfulness in your life can you rehearse when anxiety arises?
Worship was placed “in front of the warriors” in Judah’s battle. What practical step could you take to prioritize praise (e.g., music, gratitude lists, Scripture) before resolving a stressful situation this week?
Which of the “thieves of peace” (anxiety, worry, fear, comparison, control) most often robs your peace? How might 2 Timothy 1:7 or Philippians 4:6-7 directly address that struggle?

Sermon Clips

68s

#SurrenderToGod

“In 2026, here's how this might sound. God, I don't know how to fix this marriage. God, I don't I don't know what this diagnosis means. God, I don't know what my future holds. God, I don't know how this situation will end, but my eyes are on you. It's not a a prayer that declares the victory yet. It's a prayer of surrender and submission. And some of you, that could be the most freeing thing that you do today. God, I I I don't know. God, I I'm not sure how this is gonna play out. Because for some of us, maybe not everybody, but the number one enemy to your peace right now is you trying to fix everything yourself. You feel overwhelmed. You you don't know how this is going to work. You've tried all that you know to do. And so maybe you just need to say out loud what Jehoshaphat prayed. I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you.”

50s

#WorshipIntoBattle

“Sometimes you have to put praise and worship in front of the problems, in front of the battles. Why? Because worship's a declaration. It's declaring whatever I'm about to face, my God is bigger than that. God is bigger than whatever I'm about to face. Worship isn't just something we do after the breakthrough. Worship is how we walk into the battle. God, you are bigger than whatever we're about to face. Some of the stuff I know, some of the stuff I don't, but I know who you are. I know what you can do, and so I am prepared, God, for however you will choose to bring victory. My peace is found in you. Here's the sixth one. Peace reveals the power of God.”

59s

#TurnToGod

“``Peace begins when we turn to God. Now, again, I want I wanna make sure you hear what I'm saying right up front because we're gonna deal deal with a lot of this today. This does not mean that if you're experiencing fear, don't love God, that you don't trust God, that you're not coming to church. But when you experience fear, what is that first response? Look at what he said in verse three. It said Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord. So when he experienced bad news that caused fear in him, his immediate response was to turn to God. Sometimes what we do is when we get afraid, when we experience heavy emotion, we run from God. Right? Guilt and shame caused Adam and Eve to do that in the garden. They experienced shame for the first time. They sinned. They covered themselves. They ran away to try to hide from an all knowing, all seeing God. How dumb is that? And yet that's what we do. And so sometimes what happens is we get afraid and we think God's gonna be ashamed of us for feeling fear and we run away. But Jehoshaphat turned to God.”

55s

#PeaceBeforeVictory

“Here's what I noticed. The enemies hadn't left. The circumstances hadn't changed. The battle still existed. In fact, the word of God was, here's where you can go find your enemies. This is not a flight. This is not a runaway. Run to them. And when you get there, here's the promise of God. You don't have to fight the battle. I will. Don't be afraid. Don't be dismayed. Don't feel like when I get there, I won't be equipped. When I get there, I won't be strong enough. When I get there, I won't know what to do. All you have to do is go stand there and watch the Lord fight on your behalf. There is peace that comes before the victory. And the world would tell us that when everything works out, you can have peace. But God tells us that you can have peace before everything works out because you know the God of victory. I”

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Characteristics of God | Pastor Jeremy Isaacs | Week Five | 9:30am