First Chronicles chapter 19. The Battle Belongs to the Lord!
Another good morning! King David and Israel are faced with a battle that has more than one king and nation coming against them. In fact they are surrounded. Which seems like a pretty impossible situation. Plus the enemy has many great fighting tools. For example a nation that has chariots puts themselves at a fighting advantage.
This was Israel's approach:
1. The Battle belongs to the Lord. 2nd Chronicles 20:15 says, the battle isn't ours it belongs to God. So when we are faced with a struggle or opposition we need to immediately give it to the Lord in prayer. Don't wait until you're struggling and beat down. We need the Holy Spirit to empower us and help us and guide us through the battle.
2. When you go into battle be brave. What's important when you go into battle, you can't quit. You can't let the devil win. You have to go in with the mindset that says I‘m not going to give up. I will persevere. I am determined. I will be brave. I will believe and trust the power of God.
3. When you go into battle, do it for the Lord and
4. Do it for God's people, the body of Christ. Just like when David fought Goliath, he did it for the Lord and God's people. When people see victory in our lives and recognize it as not by our strength but the strength of God, then God gets the glory. It's an encouragement to others to take their struggles to the Lord and to not give up.
5. Don't go into battle alone. This is where Christians make a huge mistake because they try and do it alone. They are afraid or ashamed to share their struggle with others for fear of what they would think. That is a lie from the devil. He puts those thoughts into our minds so that we won't experience victory. Everyone struggles in some given area. We have to swallow our pride and be open because that's when freedom starts. It starts with a confession. When you're able to confess that to a friend they now become your support, your encouragement, and your accountability partner. We need this!!!
– it might mean we are asking for prayer from one person.
– it might mean we are asking for prayer from the whole congregation.
– it might mean we're pulling aside that one close friend that we can open up to so they become are encourager, support and accountability partner.
Have a great day!
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We can see from the beginning of this chapter how misinterpretations and misunderstandings can lead us in the wrong direction. The princes of the Ammonites planted seeds of doubt in the mind of Hanun about David’s intentions. I understand that nobody wants to be tricked and there are so many scams out there that we always have to be on guard to not be taken advantage of, but maybe we can sometimes be too skeptical when we respond to something that is actually genuine. There could have been such a different outcome if Hanun would have reacted differently in this chapter and not had doubt.
I was thinking about the doubts that the disciples had when Jesus appeared with them after He arose from the dead in Luke 24:36-39.
As they were talking about these things, Jesus Himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I myself. Touch Me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
How do we handle doubts?
I was reminded of another situation from Mark 9:20-24.
And they brought the boy to Him (Jesus). And when the spirit saw Him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
One more passage that I thought about is from Matthew 17:19-20.
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”