A Bad Report

It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with
them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and
told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the seas,
from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is EnGedi). (2 Chronicles 20:1-2)
There are always “some” with a bad report. The Biblical record is filled with their
gloomy proclamations:
C Moses received a bad report concerning the dangerous depths of the Red Sea
which blocked Israel’s exodus from Egypt.
C Messengers came to Nehemiah describing Jerusalem in ruins with its fortified
walls collapsed in devastation.
C Naomi, a woman whose story is recorded in the book of Ruth, received a series of
bad reports: Her husband and both dons died.
C King David looked out over the plains and saw a messenger running with news
from the battlefield. It was a devastating report that his son, Absalom, was dead.
C A righteous man named Job seemed to have a propensity for bad news. He
received word that his children were killed and his servants and herds captured by
the enemy. Lucky man--he also had a wife who seemed to delight in
emphasizing these negative reports (as if Job needed someone to tell him how
bad things were). Her advice was to “curse God and die.”
C As Jarius hurried towards home bringing Jesus to his ailing daughter’s side, his
servant met him with the tragic news that the child was already dead.
There are always "some" with a bad report. In fact, there are usually “more” than “some”
because we live in a negatively oriented world. If you don’t believe it, observe what happens
when you share an innovative idea. The common response is for others to immediately point out
why your plan won’t work. This negative mind-set is tremendously evident on the evening
television news where practically every report concerns crime, political wrangling, or societal
crisis. Even the weather report is negative. Why not say “80% chance of sunshine” instead of
“20% chance of rain”?