This past week I found myself standing among the ancient ruins of Ashdod, a place that still carries echoes of the past. As I looked over the broken stones and weathered walls, I couldn’t help but think of all that this land has seen — kingdoms rise and fall, prophets speak, battles fought, and miracles won.
It’s humbling to stand in a place where generations before us trusted God through impossible situations. And it made me think: the God who showed up for them is still the same God who shows up for us today.
While I was there, one particular scripture came to mind — 2 Chronicles 20:20. It’s the story of King Jehoshaphat, who found himself and his people completely surrounded by a powerful enemy army. They had every reason to be afraid. Outnumbered, unprepared, and unsure what to do — they only had one real option left: to trust God completely.
So Jehoshaphat stood up before all of Judah and Jerusalem and spoke these words:
“Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
Now, that’s what the English translation says. But when you look closely at the Hebrew, something very special stands out. The verse doesn’t say “you shall be established.” Instead, it repeats the word believe — three times.
In Hebrew, it sounds more like this:
“Believe in the Lord your God, and you will believe. Believe His prophets, and you will prosper.”
Isn’t that amazing? It’s like God is saying: keep believing. Don’t just start in faith — stay in faith.
Because real faith isn’t something we do once. It’s something we keep choosing — again and again.
When the enemy surrounds you — believe again.
When your prayer isn’t answered yet — believe again.
When you feel weak or tired — believe again.
When you don’t understand what God is doing — believe again.
Jehoshaphat didn’t tell the people to grab their weapons. He told them to grab hold of faith. And instead of leading with soldiers, he sent worshippers to the front lines. While the singers praised God, the Lord Himself moved on their behalf. The enemy armies turned on each other, and by the time Judah reached the battlefield, the fight was already over.
What’s more — it says it took them three days just to gather all the spoils. Gold, silver, precious things — everything the enemy had left behind. Their faith didn’t just bring victory — it brought blessing.
And that’s what this story reminds us: faith leads to victory, and victory leads to blessing.
Sometimes prosperity doesn’t look like money in the bank. Sometimes it looks like peace in your heart when everything around you is shaking. Sometimes it’s the strength to keep believing when nothing seems to change. That’s what it means to “prosper” in faith — to stand firm, to trust God’s word, to see His hand at work in ways you didn’t expect.
So as this Shabbat begins, take a deep breath and rest in this truth:
You don’t have to figure everything out. You don’t have to fight every battle alone. Just keep believing.
Faith isn’t a one-time act — it’s a daily walk.
Every sunrise is a new opportunity to believe again.
And just like Jehoshaphat, as you choose to trust and worship in the middle of your challenges, God will go before you. He will fight for you. And one day soon, you’ll stand and look back — realizing that He turned what seemed impossible into a testimony of His goodness.
A Prayer for Shabbat
Lord, thank You for reminding me that faith is not about seeing but about trusting.
Help me to believe You again today — to choose faith over fear, to lift my voice in worship even when I’m weary.
Go before me, fight my battles, and bring Your peace into every area of my life.
Teach me to keep believing until I see Your victory.
In Yeshua’s name, amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Israel Pochtar
