“May the Lord’s Hand Be with Us”

(2 Chronicles 20:6)                                                                         Pastor. Song Soo Park

and said: "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

Brothers and sisters, in the Old Testament we find that two different words are used to describe the hand of God. In the Korean Bible, both are simply translated as “hand,” but in the Hebrew Scriptures, God’s hand is expressed using two distinct words: naga (נָגַע) and yad (יָד).

First, the word naga (נָגַע) is used to describe God’s hand of healing and comfort—the hand that gently touches those who are weary and brokenhearted, sick and weak.

So when Elijah was spiritually exhausted and lay down under the broom tree, what did God do? In       1 Kings 19:7 we read: “The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him [naga, נָגַע] and said, ‘Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.’”

Yes, God touched the spiritually weary Elijah through the hand of an angel, and the word used for that touch is naga (נָגַע).

On the other hand, the word yad (יָד) is used when God reveals His power and might. For example, Psalm 95:4–5 says: “In His hand [yad, יָד] are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands [yad, יָד] formed the dry land.” Here, the word yad (יָד) is used to proclaim God’s strength and sovereign power.

Based on these biblical meanings, I have chosen our church’s theme for 2026 as “May the Lord’s hand be with us,” praying that this will be a year in which our church experiences both God’s mighty hand of power (yad) and His hand of healing and restoration (naga). Let us confess this together: “May the Lord’s hand be with us.” “May the Lord’s hand be with us.”

In the passage we read today, 2 Chronicles 20:6, we see that King Jehoshaphat of the Southern Kingdom of Judah also cried out for God’s mighty hand in a moment of crisis: “Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.”

But there is something important we must notice here. Before Jehoshaphat sought God’s powerful hand for help, he had already carefully planned and prepared what he himself was responsible to do. Let us look at 2 Chronicles 17:1–2: “Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah, and he strengthened himself against Israel. He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.”

Up to this point, these are things that any ordinary king of the world could plan and prepare.But what Jehoshaphat prepared most thoroughly appears in the next verse. Let us look at 2 Chronicles 17:6: “His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.” “His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD…” The word “devoted” means “with the whole heart,” and in Hebrew it is lev (לֵב).

This word lev (לֵב) is formed by combining two Hebrew letters, lamed and bet, and remarkably, these two letters appear at the very beginning and the very end of the Torah—the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

In the Hebrew Bible:

• The first letter of the first word of Genesis 1:1, Bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית), is bet.

• The last letter of the last word of Deuteronomy 34:12, Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל), is lamed. (Hebrew, of course, is read from right to left.)

What this tells us is that to be “wholehearted” means that God’s Word completely fills the human heart.

Yes, walking wholeheartedly in the ways of the LORD is not something we can do by sheer willpower or determination alone. To walk wholeheartedly in the Lord’s ways, God’s Word must be read, meditated on, memorized, taught, and learned—until it fully fills our soul and heart. Only then can we truly walk in the ways of the LORD.

That is why our church holds weekly Bible-reading gatherings—to fill ourselves with God’s Word. We gather together to read Scripture aloud, meditate on it, and share it, filling the empty places in our hearts with God’s Word.

If we do not fill the empty spaces of our hearts and souls with God’s Word, what will eventually fill them? Our sinful nature—and the weeds sown by the world and Satan—will take over. And as time passes, the territory of our hearts and souls will be stolen by the world and by Satan. When that happens, no matter how strong our resolve may be, we will not be able to walk in the Lord’s ways.

Why? Because we have lost control of the very heart and soul from which our will and decisions arise.

Therefore, in 2026, I hope that even more people will participate in Bible-reading gatherings—not only on Sundays, but also on weekdays.
In addition, starting in 2026, we will memorize one verse every Sunday. Each week, we will memorize  a key verse from the sermon passage, filling the empty spaces of our hearts and souls with God’s Word. I believe these small efforts are the first steps toward walking wholeheartedly in the ways of the LORD.

In Scripture, we also see Jehoshaphat striving to walk wholeheartedly in the Lord’s ways. Let us read  2 Chronicles 17:7–9: “In the third year of his reign he sent his officials—Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah—to teach in the towns of Judah. With them were certain Levites… and also the priests Elishama and Jehoram. They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD, going around to all the towns of Judah and teaching the people.”

Jehoshaphat sent leaders to teach God’s Word to the people of Judah. First were his officials, and second were the Levites and priests.

Originally, teaching the Law was the responsibility of the Levites and priests. Yet Jehoshaphat also sent officials—regional leaders who governed local areas. This shows that when Jehoshaphat appointed officials, he either chose men who were well-versed in God’s Word and the Law, or he trained them thoroughly in it.

Thus, these officials did not merely carry out administrative duties; they also taught God’s Word and Law to the people.

Hebrews 5:12 tells us that after we have believed in Jesus Christ and grown in faith, there is something we must do: we must teach God’s Word to others. “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.”

Teaching God’s Word requires two essential spiritual foundations:
First, knowing God’s Word accurately. Second, having faith and conviction in God’s Word.

When we truly know and are convinced of God’s Word, a spiritual response naturally arises within us—a holy desire to share and teach what we know.
That is why Jehoshaphat’s officials, who were grounded in God’s Word, taught the Law to the people wherever they were sent.

Therefore, in 2026, just as Jehoshaphat’s officials were trained in the Word and then trained others, our church plans to establish a discipleship team.
Like Jehoshaphat, who appointed not only Levites and priests but also ordinary officials, we will form   a discipleship team from among our lay members and begin one-on-one discipleship training starting in March.

This will take time. In 2 Chronicles 17, we see that Jehoshaphat prepared for three years. Likewise, our church will take time to build this ministry.
Please pray for this and participate as you are able.

The second thing Jehoshaphat did to walk wholeheartedly in the ways of the LORD was prayer. Although we did not read it all, in 2 Chronicles 20 we see that when Jehoshaphat heard that Moab and Ammon had joined forces to attack Judah, he officially proclaimed a fast throughout the land.

How did the people respond? 2 Chronicles 20:3–4 says:
“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.       The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek Him.” And verse 13 says: “All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.”

Without anyone forcing them, the people brought their families and gathered at the temple in Jerusalem to pray. This shows us that Jehoshaphat had already trained the people in prayer. That is why, as soon as the fast was proclaimed, the people united in prayer.

In 2 Chronicles 20:9, we even hear Jehoshaphat’s prayer cried out before the people: “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.”

Does this prayer sound familiar?
Yes—it is the prayer Solomon prayed in 1 Kings 8. Jehoshaphat had memorized it and prayed it word for word.

This tells us that Jehoshaphat himself was prepared in prayer and had already prepared the people as well. He knew that the way of the Lord is not a path walked alone, but one walked together as              a community of faith.

Therefore, beginning in February 2026, we plan to establish an intercessory prayer team. We will gather before Sunday worship to pray for our nation, our church, our pastors, missionaries, small groups, and families. More details will follow, but this reflects the kind of prayer preparation we see      in Jehoshaphat.

Jehoshaphat thoroughly trained the people in God’s Word and prepared them through prayer so that they could walk wholeheartedly in the Lord’s ways together. And how did God’s hand respond to this spiritually prepared people?

2 Chronicles 20:21–22 says: “After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army… As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir… and they were defeated.”

Verse 27 continues: “Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.”

When those who have prepared spiritually and walk wholeheartedly in God’s ways seek the Lord’s hand, the result is this: they return to Jerusalem with joy and praise.

In 2026, what our church must do is clear: to read, meditate on, teach, and learn God’s Word, and to gather together in prayer as we walk wholeheartedly in the ways of the Lord. Then the same powerful and helping hand of God that was with Jehoshaphat and his people will also be with us.

And we will stand in the place of worship, praising Him with joy.
Remember this: when spiritually prepared people who desire to walk wholeheartedly in God’s ways seek the Lord’s hand, God’s hand works with greater power than ever before.