The Battle is NOT Yours — Living The Everyday

Dec 7

Dec 7 The Battle is NOT Yours

I started reading the books of Chronicles a few weeks ago. If I am completely honest and transparent, I wasn’t too excited because (I thought) Chronicles was a repeat of the books of Kings. While it has similarities and shares details of the same events, it is drastically different from Kings and began to blow my mind out of the water the moment I started reading it (again).

Insert humbled palm in face here.

Sorry God.

The amount of content these two books share on the importance of worshipping God through music was profound for me. I have read 2 Chronicles many times before, but it has been a while since I last read them. And in light of all that is taking place in the world and our current surrounding, it is not an accident that God had me begin the books of Chronicles a few weeks ago.

For those who do not know me all that well, I am a worship music leader. I have been leading worship through songs of praise for over 25 years. I began at the age of 16 and have not stopped since.

I have often explained to people that leading worship, for me, is like preaching for a pastor. The messages that are being spoken are no different. The only difference is that I do not have 3 points and the words I am saying (preaching) are set to music. Some of these songs are directed at mankind and other times they are spoken directly to God. But the power, force, conviction and belief behind every word I sing is the same as when I speak.

The amount of “preachable” content that is within the books of Chronicles is unlimited. Even now I find myself thinking, “WHERE DO I BEING?! It’s ALL so good!” So I will start with an event that took place and was recorded in 2 Chronicles chapter 20 beginning at verse 1.

** Side note: From here on out I am going to try my hardest to not refer to events in the Bible as “stories.” Stories, for me, are fiction. They are made up. And that is NOT the Bible. The Bible is true life events that were recorded in 66 books. So, no more referring to the Bible as “stories” but rather, events.

Okay - end rant.

In Chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles we find King Jehoshaphat (I know, interesting name) up against forces of other kingdoms that are preparing to wage war against him. This army was vast. Dominating. This army filled Jehoshaphat with great alarm. But instead of running to his commanding officers and military advisors, he inquired of the Lord and proclaimed a fast. And not just Jehoshaphat but the people of Judah, from every town, came to seek God on what to do.

Just pause for a minute.

EVERY PERSON from the tribe of Judah came together to seek out the will of God on the matter.

IMAGINE!!

Imagine the magnitude of this. When troubles come (which we know we are currently facing many) imagine if those who proclaim Jesus as King, those who wear the label of Christianity CAME TOGETHER to seek out the will of God TOGETHER!

IMAGINE?!?!

Do you sense my excitement?? Do you sense the power behind what is happening?? Do you sense and feel the awesomeness behind this?!

Okay, moving on..

Beginning at verse 5 of Chapter 2 let’s read (emphasis added):

5Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6and said:
“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
10“But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
13All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.
14Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
15He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ ”
18Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 19Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his c holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever.”
22As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

How many battles have you tried to fight - alone?

How many battles have you tried facing standing up versus on your knees?

Know this, you aren’t alone!

Reading these Scriptures reminded me of the importance of standing before the Lord with EVERY situation, scenario, battle, or problem that comes before me.

Reading these Scriptures reminded me that every battle belongs to the Lord.

EVERY - SINGLE - ONE.

I can submit my battles to Him. I can trust Him with my battles. I can WORSHIP Him through the storms.

Look at verse 21 and 22:

After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his c holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever.”
22As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men.

King Jehoshaphat appointed worshippers to go out AHEAD of the army. They proclaimed the goodness of God BEFORE the army, before the battle!

Worship tears down walls.

Worship breaks the seal of heaviness.

Worship divides flesh and spirit and allows us to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Worshipping through song shakes the powers of darkness.

Worship can change the course and actions of our hearts.

Worship can set an ambush against what it is trying to destroy.

How are you choosing to fight your battles?

There will be many battles that we will come up against in this life that will not be against flesh and blood. Instead, they will be fought through prayer, through submission, through laying everything down before the Lord and looking to words such as these:

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you…

The people of Judah still had to take position. They still had to take action in their hearts. They had posture themselves before the battle and before the Lord. Then they had to allow God to be God.

I could go on and on and draw more insight from this passage of Scripture, of which I may do in other posts. But at 1500 words in this one post, which is more than the 280 characters that are written on Twitter posts, I will bring this to a close with a final encouragement.

I want to encourage you to open your Bible to the Book of 2nd Chronicles chapter 20. Read these verses on your own. Ask God to show you what battles need to be laid at His feet. (Pssst, I’ll give you the answer: all of them.) And also begin posturing yourself FOR battle like it is written in these verses.