The Battle is the Lord's

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!