The word I circled for this part
Good morning to you <3
Or at least morning is when I am writing this and how I wish I could work ahead on these, but somehow life continues to spin on with me running slightly behind it trying to catch up.
So here is our thought for today as we move along through looking at 2 Chronicles 20.
Yesterday we read about how, after King Jehoshaphat called for the people to gather from all the cities of Judah (see map in September 13 post) and fast and seek the LORD, God did speak through Jahaziel.
And what did God say to the people?
The first part is what we are going to camp out on today.
“Listen all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’” 2 Chronicles 20: 15
And since this is my little pondering spot on this thing we call the worldwide web…here are my thoughts as I look over that rich collection of simple words filled with much-longed for reassurance in all the battles I face.
First my circled word….
L. I. S.T.E.N.
Listen to Me…He says…
and then He makes sure all the key people are getting the point.
LISTEN to ME….(oh how I wish I could handwrite that for you because if I was writing that in my journal notebook it would most likely take up about three quarters of the page.
I would write tall letters and I might take a marker to it just to make it bolder…
and then I would draw a ton of stick figures of people to represent Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Some would be big and tall and some a little shorter and then there would be child size figures clustered around them. Some would be holding little stick figure babies.
And I would draw one stick figure with a crown.
Because the LORD made sure King Jehoshaphat had his listening ears on first and foremost.
I can picture the King gesturing to his scribe to take notes…don’t miss a thing here.
We want to get every detail of the battle plan down correctly!
And so the whole hungry gathering leaned hard into hearing range of the voice of Jahaziel as he spoke forth the words of the LORD God of Israel in their most dire moment….
perhaps he himself leaned forward with his hands over his spirit ears so he could get every single word correct and then…
he may have cleared his throat a bit and declared the Word of the LORD as he heard it…
DO NOT BE AFRAID…DO NOT BE DISMAYED…
What?
That’s it?
yes…
the LORD your God has heard your cry for help and here is the first and most important thing for you to know and to do….
DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISMAYED.
I SEE THE MULTITUDE COMING AGAINST YOU.
I don’t know how quick of a thinker King Jehoshaphat and the others were but at this point I would have already sped ahead to…well..great…that’s really helpful there, God. Thank you so much.
Which is probably why He doesn’t put me out there in the really big battles, but keeps me in the reserves for skirmishes.
But then as everyone was probably beginning to scratch their head and wonder if Jehoshaphat had a plan B up his kingly sleeve, God speaks the clincher through the mouth of Jahaziel.
The words we all need to remember when we have not picked the fight, but the fight has found us….
the reason they did not need to fear or be dismayed…
This battle…this battle belongs to Me not you.
Yes you will have to prepare for it and yes you will have to show up and yes you will have to exert energy to overcome fear and dismay at the reality of what is coming against you.
You will have to strap on your armor, and you will have to take your sword.
You will have to will those shaking knees to march into formation and head out in the direction I will lead you.
You will have to trust Me.
But this battle…you will not fight.
This battle belongs to Me.
“Tomorrow go down against them.
They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
You will not need to fight in this battle.
Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD,
who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!
Do not fear or be dismayed;
tomorrow go out against them,
for the LORD is with you.
The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.
Go out and face your battles today knowing this.
Do not be afraid.
Do not be dismayed.
No matter how greatly you are outnumbered.
HE
IS
WITH
YOU
<3