In review of 2 Chronicles 20:21 I read, “Then [the king] chose men to be singers to the LORD, to praise him because he is holy and wonderful. As they marched in front of the army, they said, ‘Thank the LORD, because his love continues forever.’” (NCV)
If I ask for God's help when I face struggles, God will fight for me. And he always triumphs. How do I let God fight for me? (1) By realizing that the battle is not mine, but God's; (2) by recognizing my human limitations and allowing God's strength to work through my fears and weaknesses; (3) by making sure I am pursuing God's interests and not just my own selfish desires; (4) by asking God for help in my daily battles.
When Israel and their king, Jehoshaphat, were outnumbered by three enemy nations, the king chose not to worry. Instead, King Jehoshaphat led his people to worship God in various ways. Today you’ll see how they worshipped by thanking God for the victory in advance.
It was almost time for the battle to begin, and Israel was on one side of the valley, their enemies on the other. You’d expect Israel’s troops to begin arming themselves and lining up to march into the fight. But here’s what happened instead: “Then [the king] chose men to be singers to the LORD, to praise him because he is holy and wonderful. As they marched in front of the army, they said, ‘Thank the LORD, because his love continues forever’” (2 Chronicles 20:21 NCV).
Instead of choosing warriors to lead the troops into battle, the king assembled a choir. Despite the oddness of the strategy, the men obeyed. The choir marched in front of the army, declaring God’s unending love and thanking him in advance for delivering them.
This is how God wants me to approach my battles, too. God wants me to thank him in advance for solving my problems. When I thank him afterward, I’m showing gratitude, which is important. But when I thank him in advance, I’m also showing faith.
In the next verse, we see the effect of this unorthodox battle plan: “And at the moment they began to sing and to praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to begin fighting among themselves, and they destroyed each other!” (2 Chronicles 20:22 TLB)
That’s my kind of battle! God’s people didn’t even have to pick up a weapon.
This is what God wants for me, as well. God wants me to lay down my weapons, all the ways I’ve been trying to solve my problems on my own, and to trust him as I face my enemy / obstacle. Then thank him for deliverance and watch in gratitude as God fights on my behalf.
In summary, praise God because he is holy and wonderful. Thank Him, because his love continues forever. If I ask for God's help when I face struggles, he will fight for me. I let him fight for me by realizing the battle is not mine but his, by realizing my limitations and allowing God's strength to work through my fears and weaknesses, by making sure I am pursuing God's interests and not just my own, and by asking for his help in my daily battles. I need to choose not to worry, but worship God in various ways. Thank God in advance for victory, declare his unending love. God wants me to lay down all the ways I've been trying to solve my problems on my own, and to trust him. So learn to thank him in advance for his deliverance. Then watch in gratitude as God fights on my behalf.
I often get caught up in my own life and doing things in my own strength. Today’s verse and devotion remind me to give it to God. Praise and thank him in advance. Father, I pray this morning for this reminder to permeate my life. Use your Spirit to remind me to turn to you when I face problems. I also ask for wisdom and guidance for my day, my task, my leadership and my interaction with others. I also ask for your help for my team and myself in completing the milestones we have for this week and to make strong progress toward our ultimate goal. These things I ask and pray in your Son Jesus name, Amen.
0 comments:
Post a Comment