God's War

There is a reassuring prophecy given to the besieged southern kingdom of Israel in 2 Chronicles 20:17, "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you." (KJV).

Such a verse is a comfort to our hearts when facing the battles and conflicts in our daily lives. Knowing the Lord will fight gloriously on our behalf, gives us hope and courage that we are not going down. We will overcome!

But how many of us can't stand still enough to wait on God to take the lead? We soon grow impatient and interfere in God's war. We have an opinion on how and when the Lord should do battle - after all we have a schedule to keep. We remind Him of our enemy as if He has forgotten. We have to help Him along when the heat of the battle gets too close to our skin. Or when we are in the thick of it, we panic and start to run in any direction but toward Him.

So how do we keep from giving way to fear? How do we stand still and see His salvation? How do keep our lips silenced from telling God how to battle?

The answer is we position ourselves by faith worshiping Him as we follow our Commander into His war.

Yes, beloved, it says that the king when "...he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever." (verse 22).

Imagine what the enemy must have heard and seen. A choir moving toward them singing gospel hymns!

But here is what God will do for us when we raise our hands to heaven with our eyes fixed on Him. When we start to praise rather than complain or tell Him how to do His work. It is then God will set up an ambush to defeat the enemy. It says, "And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten."

We learn to stay out of God's war by letting Him lead us on. As He directs, we engage in His battle by exalting Him - extolling His glory to an enemy who has no idea that God is about to spring an ambush!

Beloved, every enemy of fear, doubt, regret and temptation that tries to besiege you will be ambushed by God who will fight for you - on His terms, His way. After all the Devil is His enemy - so the battle belongs to God.