2 CHRONICLES 20
THIS
BATTLE series, that began a few weeks ago, started with a passage God showed me
in 2 Chronicles 20.
This
journey has brought me to a new understanding about the concept of the battles in
life. Battles are not about us “having
it out” with the situations in life.
Battles are not about us and what we can muster using our intellectual
faith.
They aren't about us wrestling God.
They aren't about us wrestling Satan.
Battles
are to show us where our focus is and where it needs to be. Battles are to show us, even
though a lot can be said and done, God is still in control.
God uses the battles in life to
show us his love and faithfulness.
Battles are about Him coming to our rescue.
Battles
help us discover a greater love in God then we had previously, a love that
humbles us to the core and brings thanksgiving in the form of tears.
Battles are not to harden us but soften
us so we absorb more of who God wants to be in our life. And this love of God makes it so we can
touch other people’s life.
I
tried to imagine what might have happened that day in 2 Chronicles 20 when the
dark news arrived.
Like a scene from the opening of a movie… The orange
sun slowly paints the sky as it ascends an old Middle East landscape. All is peaceful until the camera bears down on something in
the distance. The score
turns heavy and dark in tone as we see a rider riding a white horse at
breakneck speed. The horse
heavily drinks the morning air with its flared nostrils as its hooves thunder
upon the white ground in great stride. Its robed rider has the expression of trepidation yet
determination. Perspiration soaks the animal’s fur. Through outlaying villages and into city streets there is no shouting
as if he, the rider, is some Paul Revere but the pair’s speed and silence alone
are deafening to everyone they pass.
Husbands look at their wives and wives seeing the
concerned expression of their husbands, have the urge to suddenly bring their
children close.
The dust of the man’s horse can be seen trailing
a line to the great palace of the King of Judah.
We aren’t told in the bible how King Jehoshaphat
receives the alarming news… but we do know his reaction.
When King Jehoshaphat hears that a mighty army of
Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites have declared war on him and are marching
toward Judah and Jerusalem, King Jehoshaphat does NOT:
Call his men to arms….
Or fortify his defenses….
or come up with military strategies….
or make military alliances….
or gather the people up to take refuge in the
hills….
BUT instead the king sought the LORD for
guidance. 2 Chronicles 20:3
When we hear alarming or difficult news what do
we tend to do first?
Do we seek the LORD first? Do we seek the LORD knowing we are
God’s responsibility? Do we seek the LORD, knowing he
knows how to address the situation?
Do we seek the LORD for comfort, peace, assurance not just for answers?
I find when we don’t seek the LORD in the battles
of life we:
We become “self” centered instead of “God”
centered.
We start to fret, we become overwhelmed,
apprehensive, dispassionate about life, we let emotions get the best of us, we
easily get irritated with others, our imaginations get ahead or the best of us,
we become discouraged, have anxiety, and become fearful.
We tend to come up with our own ways to solve the
problem. We make poor
decisions because of internal or external pressures.
We forget to be thankful for all God is and does
for us. We don’t remember what
God’s word says and speaks to our heart.
We start to blame God for our circumstances instead
of seeing God as THE WAY out of the entanglements of our circumstances. We forget God wants the best of us. We forget he is there just ahead of us, behind us, standing with us, in us and even carrying us. We forget the enemy uses such
circumstances to try to separate us from God. The enemy uses what we see, hear, think, to manipulate us.
We tend to focus more on the solution then on God and
when the solution doesn’t come right away we become discouraged because we
aren’t living in God’s peace and love but our own understanding.
Our requests become greater then the knowing assurance of God's love.
We forget to “Rejoice IN the Lord always.” We need to remember to be surrendered IN
the Lord’s love.
His love enables us to never give up, never lose
faith, always stay hopeful and endure through every circumstance. (Note: 1
Corinthians 13:7)
NEXT the bible stays King Jehoshaphat orders
everyone to fast and pray and they all (men, women and children) came together
to Jerusalem to the new courtyard of the Temple of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 20:3-4
Do we call others for prayer when it comes to
guidance, assurance, peace, grace, healing from the Lord? Do we call on the
members of our household in prayer?
Do we petition our brothers and sisters in Christ for prayer?
Think what happens when we settle down into
prayer, does it not have a calming effect in our lives as we focus, submit,
turn, relinquish and wait upon the Lord for his leading?
It is assuring, when we don’t know what is to
come -to know we have God to not just guide us but be with us every step of the
way.
Can you imagine how prayer quieted the fears of
people as they too focused on the LORD?
Listen to how Jehoshaphat prayed out loud in courtyard of the temple. Think about the state of his mind and
why he prayed such a prayer out loud. First he started with the attributes of God.
“O LORD, God of our ancestors,
you alone are the God who is in heaven.
You are the ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can
stand against you!” 2
Chronicles 20:6
Do we remember… do we think on… the magnificence of God, especially in
the times of uncertainty? He is
our certainty.
He then followed with the things God had done.
“O our God, did you not drive
out those who lived in this land when your people arrived? And did you not give this land
forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? Your people settled here and built this Temple for you. They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with
any calamity such as war, disease, or famine, we can come to stand in your
presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and
you will hear us and rescue us.’” 2 Chronicles 20:7-9
What was he trying to do for his people and himself as he prayed?
Do we remember and reflect on what God has done in our life, our
family members lives and those we know?
Do we share what God has done and speak out those things in our prayers.
It is not profitable for the soul to remember the greatness of God and
His love and faithfulness for us?
Is it not beneficial to remember God’s promises?
Let’s exercise this for a moment: Write down or think the things God is to you. (These things should be genuine felt in
our heart not just recited from some intellectual recall. You know this because God has shown you
it is true.) God is my
caretaker. God is my Father. God
is my faithful friend. God is my
comforter. God is my peace. God is my transformer- He transforms
me. God prepares the day for me. God gave me a way when there was no way.
The King Jehoshaphat then relinquished his concerns to God.
“And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir are
doing. You would not let our
ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them
and did not destroy them. Now see
how they reward us! For they have
come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. O our God, won’t you stop them?...” 2
Chronicles 20:10-12
Ever in the midst of the battles of life compare your present troubles
next to God’s promises and they don’t seem to line up. That is what is happening to King
Jehoshaphat. What is happening
isn’t matching up with what God has said.
He can’t understand why this seems to be allowed to happen. So he speaks it out.
King Jehoshaphat then ends his prayer with this….
“We are powerless against this
mighty army that is about to attack us.
We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”
I am continually reminded that there are times when I don’t know what
is going to happen. I don’t know
what to do. But by God’s grace and
his provisional care and his assurance not in myself but in him, I can do all
things set before me. Christ is with me.
How good it is to relinquishing our concerns to God…
How good it is to relinquish our weaknesses and shortcomings to God…
How good it is to admit our dependence and trust in God…
CONT. Pt 9
No comments:
Post a Comment