Let’s pick up the epic battle we began in the last post in 2 Chronicles 13.
13 Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them.
What do you do when the battle is in front and behind you? When the bills keep piling up, there’s still no call back, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel- we’ve all been there before. Most of the time, if I’m honest, I panic. I try to fix it. I focus more on the situation than on God. But notice how the people respond:
“And they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout.”
God isn’t waiting for us to figure out how to fight our battles. He isn’t waiting for us to be good enough, or have everything figured out. He’s waiting for us to be at a place of dependence where our only option is to cry out to him! This is a place of reliance and trust not to fight our own battles but depend on him to fight for us. When God is our last resort, we suffer more casualties in battle than we need to. Judah’s first response was to cry out to the Lord. Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort! He is waiting for us to cry out to him like a child would to his father.
And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand.
When the men shouted, God defeated Jeroboam. When we face a battle, we do our part: and God does his part- the part only he can do. Our role is to cry out to God, to ask for his help and in so doing, put ourself in a posture of dependance on him. Our part is to cry out, God’s part is to fight. I’ve learned that God is much better at fighting my battles than I am!
18…and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their Fathers.
2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession.
So, not matter what you’re facing: worries about rent, your health, the future, battles with lust, fear, and doubt, you can be confident in God through Christ.
