The Battle is the Lord's
2 Chronicles 20:1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.
10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
13 And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;
15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
Faith and Opportunity
Faith can grow in the face of uncertainty.
Faith is cultivated through being challenged.
Faith grows in the face of opposition.
Faith weakens when it is not exercised.
Many of the encouragements given in the Holy Bible are timeless, meaning that the examples recorded are for people of all eras to learn from.
And many of these happenings show us the blessing that comes from recognizing and acknowledging our weakness and helplessness, so that we may be made strong in the Lord through the experience of his deliverance.
Let us consider the following historical account of His children who lived many years ago in the land of Judah. “King Jehoshaphat, when he heard that his people were going to be attacked by enemies; he feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, proclaiming a fast throughout all Judah and his congregation also gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 20:3,4)
May we learn from the examples of those who have come before us noting especially how the king, upon initially experiencing fear, set himself to seek the Lord and of how the people did likewise. They recognized and acknowledged their inability to deal with the great threat, even to the point that they admitted that they did not know what to do.
How good it is that we admit to the Lord that we do not know what to do, but that our eyes are upon Him who is able to work everything to the good for us who love Him and have been called according to his purpose. After all, the battle is not ours, but it is the Lord’s.
Therefore, we need not be afraid or dismayed by reason of the magnitude of the problem or challenge before us, for in committing all to the Lord we are casting all our cares upon Him, trusting that He will provide the comfort for today, as well as the deliverance that is needed. This deliverance may not necessarily be through a change of circumstances, but by the means of a greater realization and experience of His Presence with us. This means that we are given to know and experience that He is with us and is working everything out according to His will and for our spiritual benefit and growth.
Please read and meditate over the 20th chapter of 2nd Chronicles in order to receive more encouragement from our Mighty God through the testimony of our brothers and sisters in the Lord, including the little believers who are mentioned. Make this portion a personal prayer when you are in a difficult situation: Lord, I do not know what to do, but my eyes are upon you!!
Jesus reminds us that He has overcome the world and that we are partakers in this victory through faith as we see in the following verse.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Let us keep our eyes on Him this day and always.