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Victory Is Found in the Lord

Posted by Derrick Liu on

Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 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.’” 2 Chronicles 20:14-17

Life can be hard sometimes. Whether it be dealing with personal health issues, sickness in the family, stressful work situations, relationship problems or any other number of items. Towards the beginning of this year, I heard someone exclaim in disbelief that only two weeks had passed since the start of the new year. I could feel the exhaustion and defeat in that person’s voice. Truth be told, I often have similar thoughts of exasperation and tiredness.

During those times of despair, I am too easily disheartened by the circumstances right before me and lose perspective of God and His great and mighty power. But passages such as 2 Chronicles 20 reminds me that my time is much better spent falling prostrate before the Lord, worshipping and praising Him rather than fretting about what I fear may lie ahead.  

Much like God delivered a miraculous victory for Jehoshaphat and the Israelites in 2 Chronicles 20, God can and wants to do so for us as well. Unfortunately, I foolishly find myself many times putting faith in my own power and wisdom rather than in God who can wipe out an entire army without the Israelites even having to raise a sword.

For your own life situations and predicaments, do you spend more time stressing and relying on your own wisdom than seeking the Lord for His? If so, I encourage you to:    

  • Praise and give thanks to God for His never-ending love, grace and mercy upon us; and,
  • Ask for God’s help to be intentional about putting more faith in Him by replacing that stressful energy with worship and prayer to the Lord.

 

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