Living Through The Battles Part 2

As we meander through this world, battles will come. Wait long enough and you’ll find yourself staring face to face with struggle. It is in these times your mind will swim with uncertainty. Your faith will be diluted with indecision. The very things you once were certain of are now questioned.

When we go through the fire, it is hard. Life is hard. Let’s remind ourselves of the sobering words of Christ, “in this world you will have tribulation”. Hardness in life is undeniable and inevitable. The question then is how do we respond when we are on life’s battlefield?

Let’s pick up from last time…

In II Chronicles 20, a number of nations stand ready to plunder God’s people. The situation is dire. Yet, in the face of this opposition, their response was really radical. Their confessions and attitudes serve as examples for us in enjoying victory in our battles.

Fourth – Maintain Your Position. Check out verse :17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you”. Notice the progression: (1) “take up” (2) “stand firm” (3) “see”. A crucial point in seeing deliverance is not running. In fact, it is just the opposite-it’s resting! By that I do not mean passivity; rather it’s realizing the overwhelming sovereignty of God in every aspect of life and resting in that confidence! Fear runs; faith “hunkers down” in who God says He is. Take some time this week and do a little study on the phrase, “be still” found in the Bible-I think you will like what you’ll find.

If you leave the fight, you leave your position. If you leave your position, you will never enjoy God’s victory He will win for you.

Fifth – Prioritize Praise. Check out verses :18-19- Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with very loud voice. Their response to the battle was to PRAISE! Wow! Can I ask you a question? When difficulty shows up in your life, what is your response?

I’m a fixer. I try to fix the difficulty myself and, in turn, usually make things much worse. What can I glean from this truth? In the heat of battle, I am to pick up my most powerful weapon…PRAISE! Our praise is based on His promises. And if I can recall and reclaim those promises with my praise, this battle will not claim me! Rehearse and remember His promises. When you face the battle, don’t rehearse defeat. We are going to most believe what we most rehearse therefore, rehearse and prioritize praise.

Our praise is to be in our confidence that God has already intervened and given the victory. Your greatest weapon in the battle is your praise.

Sixth- Watch God Work! In verse :22-24 God did it again. He showed up just in time. He has a habit of doing that for His children. Rest in Him, trust who He is, and watch what He does. If you are living through a battle right now, don’t give up! Take a step back and remind yourself who God really is. Listen to the words of Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah