"HOW TO BE A WINNER"

An humble King Wins!

The LORD had spoken to Judah; the inhabitants of Jerusalem and king Jehoshaphat saying, "This saith the LORD to you, Be not afraid, nor dismayed because of their great numbers; for the battle is not yours, but God's."

The first thing that the LORD wanted them all to come to realize was that He has the battle taken care of and they would not need to be afraid. What would it be like in each of our lives if we all could experience this whenever something came up that we couldn't handle?

The football player that catches my attention the most is the one who drops down on one knee and points his or her hand up to God! That is exactly how Jehoshaphat reacted when he knew his victory was sure and it was his humble attitude that also influenced the attitudes of all of Judah and Jerusalem! Just think about how different it would have been for their entire nation if he had started whooping and hollering and praising himself or his nation? But think about it, isn't that what the United States of America has been doing ever since the war?

I remember when we went to fight in Iraq. Songs began to emerge about the US and how proud we were to be Americans and about our victory over there when we demolished their bases and army. Songs like "Born In the USA", "Proud to be an American" and "Bomb Iran" were written and people chanted these songs with a smile on their faces as if killing was exciting and fun. I saw the pride of our nations leaders begin to swell and they boasted in the news how no one will mess with the USA.

Think about how different that is from Jehoshaphat and his nation's attitude in this passage? Ask yourself, "Which one is right and which one isn't?" They can't both be right, because God is always the same and the Spirit of God spoke to them. Let's see how they reacted as a nation,

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.  2Chronicles 20:18-19

One of the most influential nations of all time was influenced by their King who loved and worshiped God. His attitude of thanks and praise to God shined, as the king bowed his head with his face down to the ground worshipping God. The amazing thing is that a nation of people that love God follow the leadership of a man of God with the right winning attitude!

Whooping and hollering, chest pounding, heads held high or singing songs of pride in the USA doesn't reflect the attitude of a nation that humbled themselves and prayed before offering up songs of praise to the LORD God of Israel. Does it???

 Can you see the difference in the attitudes of the leaders and citizens of our nation today and the attitude of king Jehoshaphat and the nation in this passage? Don't forget the key that makes all the difference between nations as we look back at the end of verse seventeen..."for the LORD will be with you."

In the next post we will look at the consequences of having the right winning attitude and praising the LORD. We'll see what happens in situations that look so hopeless, when it is put in God's hands.

Until then, remember to trust and praise God even when you are surrounded by impossibilities and the people, whose lives you impact, will be watching and following Your example! Psalm27:14

"VICTORY CAN BE CONFUSING"

Where the King goes, the people follow!!

The LORD had spoken to Judah; the inhabitants of Jerusalem and king Jehoshaphat saying, "This saith the LORD to you, Be not afraid, nor dismayed because of their great numbers; for the battle is not yours, but God's."

The first thing that the LORD wanted them all to come to realize was that He has the battle taken care of and they would not need to be afraid. What would it be like in each of our lives if we all could experience this whenever something came up that we couldn't handle?

My daughter called me one day about something she was going through and I suggested that she pray and ask God to fight that battle for her. That's when she told me that she had been learning to whisper prayers to God all through the day. What a blessing it was to hear that my daughter had already been doing this at the age of twenty-two.

Oh that we would live like that every day and fear not, nor be dismayed!

The literal Hebrew translation for "dismayed" is to "break down or be confused".  The LORD was saying to those who faced destruction and defeat, "Don't be afraid and don't get confused and break down emotionally (in your thinking) either! Don't give up!"

Let's look at the next thing that the LORD said to Judah through his servant Jahaziel;

2Chronicles 20:16-17 Tomorrow you go down against them: watch for them as they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and you will find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, you stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

The LORD sent them to the enemy. They had been fasting and trusting in God up to this point. They were told that He would fight the battle for them and they really liked that part of His message.

 Now the LORD is telling them to go out to meet the armies that want to defeat them? Have you ever thought about approaching a situation in your life, when you knew you were certain to lose unless something drastically changed? Not me! Not a chance! But think about this for just a minute! 

What if you knew that no matter what it looked like, you were going to WIN? How do you feel about  situations in your life when you knew you would come out on top? You knew you were sure to win and you probably couldn't wait for that moment to arrive, could you?

Were you experiencing that rush; that thrill of victory? When it happened, did you throw a fist up in the air and shout out without a moments hesitation, "YES!"?

Have you ever noticed the difference in how football players react whenever they score the winning point? They all react differently,don't they? Some of them hold the ball over their heads and point at their chest,showing everyone who should get the praise. Some will turn and bang chests with their team mates and then get carried off the field in praise. Some will even kiss the ball as if it had some great power of it's own. But the player that catches my attention the most is the one who drops down on one knee and points his or her hand up to God!

This is exactly how Jehoshaphat reacted when he knew his victory was certain. His humble attitude and reaction influenced the attitude of all those around him; of Judah and Jerusalem! Just imagine  how different the outcome may have been for the entire nation of Judah and Jerusalem, if Jehoshaphat had started whooping and hollering and praising himself, or maybe even praising HIS NATION? 

But think about it, how do Americans act when we are on top? Do we take the glory? When was the last time that our President gave God any glory for a victory granted? Does it make any difference?

You bet it does!

TO BE CONTINUED....

If you face battles you can't win, with an humble spirit, ask for God's help today. It begins with the humbling of the spirit that God grants us a truely victorious life eternally. God will ultimately cause you to lie down in green pastures.(Psalm 23) He will surely bring you out! Remain steadfast by faith!(Hebrews 11:1) Shalom

"WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HAD"...Continued

Have you ever fought a loosing battle?
There are millions of Americans who are without jobs and the Senate passed and announced a couple of years ago that the unemployment compensation would be cut off for anyone who had been unemployed for six months or longer; leaving many families without any source of income.

Think about how the layoff of thousands of fathers has impacted the lives of everyone, even the single mothers who are raising their children alone and depend on that child support to provide proper care for their children. Think about the businesses that no longer receive business from  thousands of families who are now without any income whatsoever! It's a fearful time for most Americans today!
 Yes, things are looking hopeless and even the wealthy are fearful for their families and their own survival. Couldn't we relate in some ways to the feelings that Judah was going through in chapter 20 of  2Chronicles before they began to fast and pray? I think so!

Maybe you or someone you know seem to be fighting what looks like a losing battle with employment, an illness, a physical recovery, an addiction, disease or emotional abuse of some kind. Those are the kind of battles that we must trust God to win! Those are the battles man cannot fight on his own!

Let me tell you something encouraging now, my brothers, sisters and friends! Let me show you how Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah won the war that was IMPOSSIBLE TO WIN! Let's look at another passage a little further down when the Spirit of the LORD spoke to Jahaziel a Levite, in the middle of the congregation of Judah. Let's see what Jahaziel said;

2Chronicles 20:15 And he said, Hearken you, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat, Thus says the LORD to you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

He said not to be afraid or dismayed because of what you see when you look at your circumstances! Isn't that just how we feel too sometimes? Why did he say this?

He told them that the battle ahead wasn't going to be their battle to fight, but God's!

Your fight to survive illness, injury, loss of job, your financial struggles, your clothing and home are not yours to battle for in the time of hopelessness! You may think it is and you may fight and struggle until you are sick and exhausted and in tears, but the LORD will fight this battle for you if you will follow the recorded demonstration found here. Look at what all of the cities of Judah did thousands of years ago when they made the right choice.

They didn't even raise their hands to fight this battle and they not only won; they went home with treasures that they didn't have before? Isn't that just like our LORD to fight our impossible battles and send us home with something more than we had before? I have personally seen God's hand at work so many times when it seemed like there was no way to win! I know that the LORD will do the same for ANYBODY that turns to HIM! I know he will hear our prayers and attend to our fasting when we are experiencing pain, hunger and see no possibility of winning. Put your trust in the LORD!

Don't be afraid; for the battle is not yours, but God's!

TO BE CONTINUED....
In the next chapter we will look at what the families of Judah were expected to do when the enemy was upon them and how the LORD rewarded their prayer, fasting and obedience.

"WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HAD"

Have you ever felt like you fought a loosing battle?

I know that life can take sudden turns for the worse and when that happens we tend to react with panic, fear and sometimes even feel like running for our lives. Isn't this so true of almost everybody in the world today? Yes, there are still a few unusual people who bow their backs, hold their heads high and will fight on to the death. There are those people who will begin to plan another strategy and another angle of attack to hold off the approaching army, but there are times when even those brave and stubborn people must realize that they too must seek help to win.

In the Word of God we find a King who had just experienced that feeling of fear and panic and just didn't know what he needed to do. His name was Jehoshaphat and he had just been given the message that he was going to be attacked, not by one, not by two, but by three armies. These armies were of the children of Moab, Ammon and the Ammonites. He was informed that the group was of a very great multitude coming from the sea and they were getting closer every minute. Don't you think that this king who had been placed over the children of Israel and had served the Lord in all his ways may have been a pretty fearless kind of guy? After all he had the Lord of all creation on his side! how would you have reacted to this message knowing that you had a much smaller army? Let's read a passage that shows his reaction to this message;

2 Chronicles 20:3-4 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 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. (For a way out & direction)

Wow! Can you believe that? It says that Jehoshaphat (the King) feared! What did he fear? He was afraid of the armies headed in his direction and he knew that he was in an impossible situation to escape alive. He couldn't help his feelings of fear and panic, BUT he could help how he responded to the news that had overwhelmed  him at that moment of surprise!

Haven't we all gotten surprises in our lives that shock us and leave us feeling helpless or in a total state of panic? Yes, I have experienced this and I know that anyone alive today has also been through this feeling and some may have even felt this way recently. My friend, let's learn from the reaction of this King to his fearful situation, his helpless situation. He had no hope of winning. He knew he was doomed to loose this battle and also to loose all that he had received from the Lord himself! What did he do though?

He set himself to the LORD! This means that he turned his face to the LORD and turned his attention to the LORD for help. Then he proclaimed to all of his kingdom to fast and pray. You see, the prayer and fasting come before the impossible over and over in the Bible. When I read this my first thought was of how the lack of food would have made the warriors of Judah even weaker physically as the armies of their enemies gained ground towards the great attack on their city. Knowing that they would grow weaker without food and continuing to proceed with the fast was a total move of faith in the LORD. As a matter of fact, it was the only choice that King Jehoshaphat had, that presented any chance of victory in this hopeless situation!

Think about this for a minute! Every life was in jeopardy and their very existence was at stake at this moment of their lives! Is this where you are in your life today? There are millions of people in the US right now that don't know where there sustenance will come from for the next day, week or month.

To be continued....

Hold fast and look to the LORD for a way, find a way to fast and meditate on thanking God for the way He is going to work in your life. Let's see how this situation turns out my next post.