2 Chronicles 20:1-30
Up to this point in 2 Chronicles Jehoshaphat has made some bad choices as king. Finally, we see a turning point in his decisions as he inquires of the Lord. In this chapter we see the king desperate for God as the Moabite and Ammonite armies were coming for him and the people of Judah. The first thing Jehoshaphat did upon hearing the news was to seek God. He gathered the people and they went to the Lord in prayer. “...We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you,” (verse 12). The Lord answers by giving a revelation to a prophet in the crowd named Jahaziel. “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you,” (verse 17). Jehoshaphat encourages the people to have faith in the Lord and the prophets for the victory that's about to come! They prepare with singing, and once they get to the “battle ground”, they discover that the Moabites and Ammonites were already dead. They killed each other instead of coming for Judah! It says at this they praised the Lord and rejoiced! God also gave them SO much plunder from the army, it took three days to collect it all. God had said they wouldn’t have to fight this battle. It was God’s battle to fight; they just needed to trust Him!
We all have moments in our lives (or soon will) where we are desperate for God. Maybe you share a similar prayer like king Jehoshaphat, where you don’t know what to do…but that you are looking to God for answers. The men in the army were singing this into battle, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever,” (verse 21). They were quoting Psalm 136, which literally concludes every single verse with “his love endures forever,” throughout the entire psalm - check it out! The point is this, they were praising while heading into battle. What about you? When desperate for God, are you reminding yourself of his goodness like this army did? They were quoting scripture, they were seeking God, and they were doing so while approaching their enemies. We can do the same! Before the hardship or uncertainty comes will God find us faithful? If your answer to this is no, just look at Jehoshaphat. He had plenty of moments leading up to this that he wasn’t listening to God. YET, God still had mercy on him and delivered his enemies into his hands. That means this: God is not holding your past against you. He wants us to move forward, trusting HIM for the battle. Recognize your desperation for God on a daily basis. Have faith when it’s hard. Trust when it’s overwhelming. Let go of control and let God fight your battles. You don’t fight alone.
We all have moments in our lives (or soon will) where we are desperate for God. Maybe you share a similar prayer like king Jehoshaphat, where you don’t know what to do…but that you are looking to God for answers. The men in the army were singing this into battle, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever,” (verse 21). They were quoting Psalm 136, which literally concludes every single verse with “his love endures forever,” throughout the entire psalm - check it out! The point is this, they were praising while heading into battle. What about you? When desperate for God, are you reminding yourself of his goodness like this army did? They were quoting scripture, they were seeking God, and they were doing so while approaching their enemies. We can do the same! Before the hardship or uncertainty comes will God find us faithful? If your answer to this is no, just look at Jehoshaphat. He had plenty of moments leading up to this that he wasn’t listening to God. YET, God still had mercy on him and delivered his enemies into his hands. That means this: God is not holding your past against you. He wants us to move forward, trusting HIM for the battle. Recognize your desperation for God on a daily basis. Have faith when it’s hard. Trust when it’s overwhelming. Let go of control and let God fight your battles. You don’t fight alone.
Posted in Devotional