When You're In Deep Trouble

"It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat." 2 Chronicles 20:1 Jehoshaphat was a righteous king in Judah who walked with God in all that he did. But now he was being surrounded by armies far beyond his ability to fight. vs 3: "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah." What do you do when the enemy comes against you? Most people go into a frenzy of asking advice from friends or counselors, going over the story again and again while trying to plan a way to deal with the situation. Why is it that the last thing many believers think to do is to set themselves to seek the Lord? In our humanness we forget that no matter what support we gain, the outcome of the situation is going to depend on one thing only, the sovereignty of the Lord. If he is moving an enemy against us to provoke a response in us, there is no way we're going to stop it. On the other hand, if an enemy comes against us under the direction of Satan the hater of our souls, the Lord will gain the victory for us if we seek him. So seeking him should be the first, not the last thing we do, because oftentimes the Lord brings the victory in a way we never would have expected – so it all depends on HIM. In Jehoshaphat's case, it was a Satanic enemy seeking to destroy what God had given to Israel. Hear Jehoshaphat's prayer. Notice the humility of his prayer, he admits right up front that there is absolutely nothing he can do against this enemy. BUT - he fully trusts the Lord. vs 12: "O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us, nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." And the Lord answers him: vs 15, 17: "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, FOR THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT GOD'S... You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you…" Picture yourself standing against this fierce army arrayed against you to destroy you. This is a picture of a reality. We DO have an army arrayed against us if we belong to the Lord, there IS an army of those who hate us and who hate our God. They WILL come against us to destroy us. And they ARE too great for us. They CAN make our lives miserable. But when God says HE will take care of it, how awesome is it to know that we don't have to do a single thing unless he so directs us, the battle is HIS! And what should our response be? Praising God with voices loud and high! What a God we serve! vs 19: "Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high." We are to lift up our voices loud and high in worship and praise to the greatness of our God who has our backs and who will do mighty things on our behalf. We are to REJOICE in him! And he will reassure us: vs 20: "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, BELIEVE in the Lord your God, and you SHALL be established;" And then the Lord will move: vs 22: "Now when they began to sing and to praise, THE LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated." And the result is pure joy: vs 26-27: "And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, (the Valley of Blessing) for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called the Valley of Berachah until this day." Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them REJOICE over their enemies." And that's always the end of the story IF - IF - we respond correctly before the Lord - IF - we put our total trust in him, bring to him our voices loud and high in worship and praise ...and then stand and see the salvation of the Lord!