How many of us feel like we are always in a battle with
someone or something? It seems sustained
periods of peace are few and far between in this world. The battles that each of us face can be very
different but equally grueling: they can be spiritual, emotional or physical;
internal or external; short lived or never ending. Right at this very moment you may be in the
midst of any number of skirmishes involving work/school/church related
conflicts, family problems, health or mental issues, monetary dilemmas,
home/vehicle troubles and the list goes on and on…and on. But great news! I have a message for you today that should
bring you total peace and harmony. You do not need to fight! The Lord has your back!
I want you to open your bible, your bible app or get on your
computer and look up 2 Chronicles 20. I
want you to read verses 1-30. When you
are done, please continue reading!
King Jehoshaphat was warned that three armies had declared
war on his kingdom and he was terrified.
Along with his community, he began to beg the Lord for guidance through
fasting and prayer, admitting that they were powerless against such a mighty enemy
and that they were not equipped to handle the problem. Then the Lord spoke through the prophet
Jahaziel in verses 15-17 and said, “Do not be afraid! Don’t be
discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow,
march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz
at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your
positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory.
He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with
you!”
King Jehoshaphat and all the people began to worship and
praise the Lord for what He was about to do in their lives. The next morning as they readied for battle,
the king appointed singers to walk ahead of his army to praise and worship the
Lord as they went. And something amazing
happened in the midst of the praise: the
Lord caused their enemies to start fighting amongst themselves. They turned on each other and every last man
was destroyed. When the army of Judah
arrived, there was no one left to fight against. And as an added bonus, there was so much
equipment, clothing and valuables left behind it took them three days to
collect it all. The Lord had held true
to His word.
He had fought the battle
for them.
In this passage of scripture I see three things that we can
learn from how King Jehoshaphat reacted when he faced an impending battle. First, he sought the Lord for guidance (he
PRAYED). He didn’t panic, worry, call all of his friends and ask them what to
do, google his problem to see what the internet had to say or read a self-help
book. He immediately prayed and begged
the Lord for guidance.
Next, he PRAISED and worshipped the Lord. He had faith that the Lord was going to do
what He said and he praised Him in advance!
He didn’t wait until the battle was over to see if God was really going
to take care of things, he praised Him through it all.
Finally, he PROFITED. King Jehoshaphat and his army did not
have to lift a finger in this battle, the Lord went before them and took care
of everything. The blessings that they received through trusting God’s plans were
even greater than they could have ever imagined! Romans 8:28 tells us that ALL things work
together for good for those that love Him and have been called according to His
purpose. The Lord wants good for us, we just need to trust in His plans and His
timing.
I can’t imagine what kind of destruction King Jehoshaphat
would have caused to his nation if he had not sought the Lord before this
battle. We will face that same kind of
destruction if we don’t seek the Lord to fight our battles for us. The bible has warned us that we have an enemy that
has set out to steal, kill and destroy us in any way that he can. (John
10:10) The only way to have victory is
to give it all to the Lord. Today He is telling His children the same thing He
told Jehoshaphat…
Do not
be afraid! Don’t be discouraged, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Take your positions; then
stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you.
PRAY for guidance, PRAISE Him through it all and then you
will PROFIT with victory and blessings!
