God Fights Our Battles for Us
“Lord ... we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” II Chronicles 20:12
Many times we find ourselves in situations where we absolutely do not know what to do and feel powerless to even do anything.
I always tell people pray and ask God to tell you what to do and then do exactly what He tells you. God blesses obedience.
II Chronicles 20 is a great encouragement and reminder that God can fight our battles for us - no matter what we are facing or how big the challenge! This passage sustained me during a very difficult season of ministry at a church I pastored when I was in my early 30s.
Jehoshaphat is facing an incredible situation where three armies are coming against Israel. He prays and consecrates a fast.
“O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 NASB
He is then reminded that the battle is God’s.
And he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15 NASB
“You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.”” 2 Chronicles 20:17 NASB
The Lord instructs Jehoshaphat to do something very counterintuitive: Put your priests and worshippers out front and your army behind you. Then tomorrow, when the three armies come against you, you will see the salvation of the Lord.
All 3 armies completely destroy each other before they ever get to Israel. God fought the battle! Then Israel spent the next 3 days gathering all the “spoils of war.”
God Blesses obedience! No matter how radical or crazy His request. He blesses obedience and then he does exceedingly abundantly more than we can think of, ask or imagine. Not only does He fight the battles for us, He gives us blessings beyond the victory.
“Lord ... we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”
-Marty Dupree
______________________________________________________________
