by Mrs. Anastasia Rebello
2 Chronicles 20:15-18
Intro: As we look around our world today we see a world in the midst of battles and struggles. Christians face the same battles like those in the world, it truly rains on the just and the unjust. But as Christians we face our battles not from a worldly perspective but a Godly one. The Bible is full of stories where the people of God faced battles, and today we will look at one battle under the reign of Jehoshophat and see what the Lord says about us facing our battles today.
Jehoshophat was cornered on all sides just like in our own lives we sometimes feel cornered. But Jehoshophat had a solution. He goes to the throne unlike us who would first run to the phone. It is very natural to go to the phone but God in all His Wisdom is telling us to come to the throne.
When we are faced with circumstances or battles in our lives we wish we could at least have a preview of how things would be. In life’s battle there are two choices we can make, like a coward to run away from the situation or face the situation. If we have this in mind that the battle is the Lord’s and we are not alone our whole perspective changes. But mostly the folly lies in us wondering what our future will be. Many of us here today at this prayer meeting are facing different battles, some marital problems, some children, and some job situations and so on. The question that we have in our minds is “What will happen to our future?”
Illustration: A doctor called one of his patients into his office to deliver some very important news. “I have received the results of your tests and I have some bad news and some good news”, said the doctor. The patient was quiet for a moment, sensing the severity of the announcement. “Let me have the good news first doc”, said the patient. The doctor took a deep breath and said, “You only have 24 hours to live.” “Oh my goodness”, shouted the patient, “If that’s the good news what could the bad news possibly be?” The doctor replied, “I was supposed to tell you this yesterday.”
When we are faced with similar challenges of serious illnesses can we claim Gods word over our feelings? Many of us are pre-occupied with the future. We have children and we really do not know what the future holds for us. In our lives we come with different kind of situations. Some of us in business do not know if it would succeed.
I am reminded here of an article that I read about wealthy merchants who traveled all over the ancient world, buying and selling in the major trade centers of that day. Because of the extensive shipping involved it could easily take a year or so to set up a business. Their weakness was not that they engaged in business, but that they were counting on the future, without any recognition of the God who controls the future. Their business plan was pretty good. They had everything figured out almost everything.
When: “today or tomorrow”,
Where: “this or that city”,
How: “spend a year”,
What: “do business”,
Why: “to make money”.
They did all these things all except one, in their planning there was someone missing. Who? They forgot to include God in all their decisions. We also sometimes make blunders because we do not include Him. My dear friends, planning is great but planning without prayer & God is presumptuous. It is good to plan but planning without Him, we will find it difficult to face these battles that I am talking about.
So how do Christians face battles? 2 Chronicles 20:15-18.
- V.15- Don’t be Afraid - the first key in facing a battle as a Christian is that we overcome fear. Fear has torment; fear is the opposite of faith. When we find ourselves in the struggles of life, we don’t give in to fear, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind.
- v.15b-or dismayed - don’t be discouraged, don’t get over-whelmed by life. Another thing that happens in battles is weariness. People get tired; they feel like giving up or giving in. Don’t get discouraged, don’t give up. Depression is a pressing down of emotions, in the battle let God’s Spirit lift you up.
- v.15c—the battle is not yours - here is a key thought; God allows the battles to come into our lives so that He might reveal His power to us. Our battles aren’t our battles at all. We must learn to release them to God; we must learn to lay things down on the altar.
- V 15d—but God’s—the battle is the Lord’s - God doesn’t ever put you into the midst of a battle to prove your strength and power, but to reveal His. This is where faith and trust comes in, we trust God, and we put our faith in His Word.
- v.17—stand ye still - many times we try to solve all our problems, try to fix things that seemingly won’t get fixed, and spend our time and energy running out to meet every giant in our lives. God says, stand still, wait on the Lord, trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not on thy own understanding. Standing still is the hardest thing to do. But you will see in the darkest times the brightest light. When we are facing a problem God has given us a promise. We are concentrating upon the problems so the promise is never seen. If God has promised you a blessing for your home, that will come to pass in His time.
- v.17b—see the salvation of the Lord - watch God can do for you what you cannot do for yourself. God says, nothing is hard for me, nothing is difficult for me, nothing is impossible for me.
- v.17c—for the Lord will be with you - In our battles we are never alone, we aren’t facing battles by ourselves. God is with us, He will never leave you, nor forsake you, and He will go with you to the ends of the earth. Many times our battle will seem so big that we can’t see anything except the battle. But God is with us, He is God of the mountain, and God of the valley. It is in the darkest times that He reveals His brightest lights.
- V.18d—fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord - Here is the final key to facing the battle, we go into the battle with praise. We worship the Lord before the battle, we worship the Lord in the battle, and we worship the Lord after the victory. Worship is a key to every battle. Battles come to steal our faith; battles come to rob us of our joy but the joy of the Lord is our strength.
There are two ways to fight the battle :
Placing things in God’s Hands:
Jehoshophat was the King. As King everything would fall on his shoulders. When a “great multitude came against Judah to fight a battle, Jehoshophat was determined to seek God for help. In today’s message we will learn how to put things in God’s hands. Seek His help. After that the Spirit reminds us that the battle is not yours, it is the Lords. When people fight a war they take the logistics of the opponent, the terrain they are going to fight on and so on. We too need to know some things when fighting a battle.
- Know that you have a problem: Ask God to expose the weakness in our lives? E.g. Trust. Most of the time people refuse to believe that they have a problem, or they do not understand the true nature of their problem.
- Know that God is bigger than your problem: Our God is the King of Kings. We need to proclaim the Sovereignty of God.
- Know that God is on your side of the problem: If God is not on your side… that is the real problem! If you want God to be on your side of the battlefield, get humble. God gives grace to the humble. Jehoshophat got humble. A person is not humble until they are willing to obey God’s directives.
- Make your problem, God’s problem to solve: God’s testimony was on the line. He had made promises to the nation of Israel. Jehoshophat claimed the promises that God made.
You will know when you have put your problem in God’s hands:
- You will not be afraid: Worry is a sin. When we cast our cares upon the Lord, God will grant to us a peace that passes all understanding.
- You can face your enemy:
- You will experience the presence of the Lord: Jesus is the Captain of the Lord of Hosts. He has never lost a battle.
- You will want to go to Church: The inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.
- You will have a song in your heart: The inhabitants of Jerusalem began to sing and to praise, When the enemy heard the music and praise of the children of Judah, they realized that they were no longer doing battle with Israel. They knew they were up against the God of Israel.
How do you fight this battle you are facing today ?
Nine steps to remember:
1) Put on the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:16-18)
2) Read the word of God
3) Claim the promises over your feeling
4) Ask for the guidance of the Holy spirit (Acts 10v38)
5) Name of JESUS: The name of Jesus brings victory( 1 Corinthians 15 v57,58)
6) Intercession (Ephesians 6 v18)
7) Prayer & Fasting
8) Praise , Worship & thanksgiving
9) Have a relationship with Him daily not once a week. Stay close to the vine (John15v5)
Conclusion: Today, many are struggling with different kind of battles, and many feel hopeless or get overwhelmed in their battles. Give the battle to the Lord, lay it on the altar and worship the Lord in the midst of the battle. Let faith overcome fear, and stand still and see the glory of the Lord.
When I get into a struggle in life, and feel like I am in a battle that is too big for God, He reminds me that He took Israel, a million strong, delivered them, fed them and brought them into the promise land. If He can take care of millions, He surely can take care of you.
Jesus said, do not worry or fret, if God can take care of this entire world, then surely He can take care of you.
Prayer
Lord, Thank you for fighting my battles. I rejoice in the knowledge that eternity will reveal to me the ultimate victory.