The Battle is God's

 

“Attention everyone -- all of you from out of town, all of you from Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat -- God’s word:  Don’t be afraid; don’t pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God’s war, not yours. Tomorrow you’ll go after them; see, they’re already on their way up the slopes of Ziz; you’ll meet them at the end of the ravine near the wilderness of Jeruel. You won’t have to lift a hand in this battle. Just stand firm, Judah and Jerusalem, and watch God’s saving work for you take shape. Don’t be afraid. Don’t waver. March out boldly tomorrow -- God is with you” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17, The Message)

There is much that catches my attention in this chapter. The Jews were facing a tremendous army. At least three of their enemies had joined forces and were waiting to attack. Jehoshaphat’s first response was to pray--not to strategize or organize--but to pray. A nationwide fast was called, and the people participated. Seriously, who calls their whole country to fast and actually gets a response from people from multiple cities? 

Marching into battle the leading force was a choir. Yes, you heard that right: a choir marched ahead of the Israelites singing praise songs all the way. The Israelites won the battle without doing a thing. They just marched up to the enemy to find them all dead! 

 This is an interesting passage in so many ways, yet one thing stands out to me: verse 15 says, “For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 

Life continually brings battles, challenges, and obstacles to our everyday lives. Disharmony among loved ones, health issues, conflict at work, feelings of loss or confusion...but the battle is not ours. God will fight for us.

What does this passage tell us to do when we face battles and are in times of distress? Don’t be afraid. Don’t pay any mind to the enemy. Don’t waver. March boldly out in the way we should go. Pray. Praise God. Remember God is with you. 

God is with us all the time, and He will take care of every enemy. He will show up for every battle. Thank goodness we can rest in Him.

What battles are we facing today? How does God want us to respond to our battles? What would it look like if we leaned more into the belief that “The battle is not yours, but God’s?” How can we draw strength from Jehoshaphat’s and Judah’s response to the enemies they were facing? 

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