Defensive Strategy

Devotions by Jason Hale

TOPIC: Defensive Strategy

FOUNDATION SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 20:15
And he said, “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.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: What do you do when the battle is too big for you?

There is a fascinating story in 2nd Chronicles Chapter 20, where the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah.

The king wasn’t aware of it until someone came and told him that a great multitude was coming against him from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they were last seen in Hazazon Tamar” (which meant they were not far away). They were too close to prepare for. …close enough to cause widespread panic.

Although Jehoshaphat was afraid, he set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah, and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, and prayed, “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

Let’s just pause for a moment to observe how he constructed his prayer:

King Jehoshaphat acknowledged God as ruler over heaven and earth according to how the scriptures described Him. He acknowledged God for what God did for their forefathers in the past. He reminded God that His Name and Presence resides with them (in the sanctuary they built for Him) and rehearsed the covenant God made with them. He reminded God of their obedience to Him (to not destroy their attackers when they had the opportunity to do so). He asked for God’s judgment (against that which he deemed unfair). He acknowledged that they were powerless in this situation. He acknowledged that they didn’t know what to do. He acknowledge God as their only source for help when he said, "but our eyes are upon You."

After he prayed, they waited on God to answer.

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, and he said, “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. Tomorrow go down against them. 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.”

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. Then the Levites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.

So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever.”

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.

My greatest victories were the ones where I didn't know what to do and couldn't see how to win. But I set my face towards God to seek His help, "...but our eyes are upon you," and He showed Himself strong on my behalf. God fought for me and delivered me.

When the battle is too big for us and we don't know what to do, then following King Jehoshaphat's defensive strategy is a great place to start:

1. Proclaim a fast for a day.
2. Pray (using the format in which King Jehoshaphat constructed his prayer); ask God for help, while acknowledging that you don't know what to do and that He is the only one that could give you victory.
3. Wait for the answer.
4. Praise Him for the answer.
5. Do what He says do.
6. Praise Him for the victory.

...and there's one more step,

7. Seize the opportunity to gather the material blessings that are revealed when the battle is won.

When enemies come to attack, how would you like for God to fight for you and give you their riches?

Without a doubt, the defeated armies had been conquering other nations and taking their valuables. So, when they came to attack Judah and were found dead, it took Judah three days to gather all of the spoil.

There is always a blessing after the battle.

Remember this: When you are facing a battle that is too big for you, it is not too big for God.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Quiet your mind and wait on God for at least 5 minutes, then immediately write down your thoughts afterward.
2. Go through today’s message again.
3. Make up your mind to trust what God has promised over what the current circumstances appear to be.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your Word to me today. I ask for Your help to remind me that in times of trouble, you are my only source and you are always there to help.  

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING: Read 2 Chronicles 19 - 21

QUOTE: The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:14 (NKJV)

DAILY BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 20-21, Psalm 34, Matthew 5

PROPHETIC WORD/DECLARATION: In this season, as you rely totally on God, He shall fight for you and you shall rejoice in victory.

Today’s devotional was written by Jason Hale of Jason Hale Ministries.

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