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!"?
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
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