facing battles

"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 upon you." ~ 2 Chronicles 20:12

Whenever I'm facing a hard trial that just seems so overwhelming to me, I love to go back to this story in 2 Chronicles. Some of the promises God makes in this story can ring true for me in my battles too. And it also gives me something to do in response to the thing that is discouraging me, making me fear, or overwhelming me.

First here are some of the promises:

"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's" v 15

"You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you... Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you." v 17.

So often I want to run from my problems. I look for an escape, but here God is saying to face it, to stand firm, face it and see what He will do.

And here is the response we are to have in facing something that seems to be overwhelming or over our heads:

"After consulting the people, Jehosaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the Lord for his love endures forever." As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men.. who were invading Judah and they were defeated." v 21-22

God told them to go into the battle, praising him, to face their situation and praise him in it. I just take so much from that, cause even as I experience things that just seem like such a battle, if I go into it praising God, he will fight it for me.

And at the end of all this it tells about how these men who won the battle went to collect the plunder, to collect everything left behind, things of great value and it was "more than they could take away." When we face our battles and allow God to fight them and we praise him in the midst, we will find more than we can take away from the experience, we will leave with more than what we went into it with.

Not only that, God will be glorified through it and we receive his peace. "The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehosaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side." v 29-30