SOVEREIGN—Lean in & find your rest in the LORD
“O our God, will You not judge them?
(The 2nd Book of Chronicles 20: 12-13 NASB)
For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us;
nor do we know what to do,
but our eyes are on You.
All Judah was standing before the LORD,
with their infants, their wives and their children.”
If we live long enough, we will face opposition to what we believe, to our faith. As a Christian, we will come upon those who do not believe and those who resent us for our faith. Some of those will even (in anger to God) lash out toward us.
When we face this type of distress, we have a decision to make. We can—
- Either quietly go away to hide or submissively remain quiet about what we believe.
OR WE CAN—
- Either loudly lift our hands, our eyes, and our voices &
- Sing praises to the ONE we believe.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, we are afforded many biblical narratives of faith, stories that show us the faith found in God’s people. King Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, and the kingdom he ruled faced the opposition of roaring kingdoms who wanted to drive God’s people from the land of promise God had led them to possess. The king had a decision; he had to make a choice. Interestingly and wonderfully, King Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, standing right there in the house of worship, and
THIS ONE WHO BELIEVED DISPLAYED HIS FAITH BY PRAYING TO GOD.
“and he said,
(The 2nd Book of Chronicles 20: 6-7 & 12 NASB)
“O LORD, the God of our fathers,
are You not God in the heavens?
And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations?
Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.
Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel
and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
. . .
[then, after acknowledging WHO GOD IS,
the king voices the enemies who are plaguing the people of God]
“O our God, will You not judge them?
For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us;
nor do we know what to do,
but our eyes are on you.”
Read the narrative found in the official record (the chronicles) of the king. Be amazed by what the people do next, after their king prays. Listen to hear the believers’ thanksgiving. & Hear the songs of praise to God. & Then, observe the LORD’S ambush set against the people’s enemies. & See how the LORD performed a miracle when HE caused one enemy nation to destroy another enemy nation. & See how the people of God came to look at the battlefield. & FINALLY, SEE
“the multitude” of all the “corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped.” (Verse 24b)
See the LORD’S deliverance.
SOVEREIGN.
THIS IS THE LORD GOD WHO CREATED THE HEAVEN & THE EARTH!
SOVEREIGNTY.
THIS IS THE SAVIOR & MESSIAH!
THIS LORD SENT JESUS TO EARTH TO MAKE THE WAY WE CAN BE SAVED!
Today—Lean in & find your rest in the LORD.
- There’s not one iota.
- There’s not one square inch.
- There’s not one speck of dust.
- There’s not a single human being.
- There’s not one centimeter of this universe that God does not declare—
“THIS IS MINE.”
The day of that battle (recorded in the king’s official chronicle), King Jehoshaphat led his people toward the battlefield in order to collect the spoils, a common occurrence back in the that day.
“When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil,
(The 2nd Book of Chronicles 20: 25 NASB)
they found much among them,
including goods, garments and valuable things which they took for themselves,
more than they could carry.
And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much.”
The LORD has many names, one being JEHOVAH JIRAH, translated as MY PROVIDER!
As God’s children, as His precious possession, & as those who have believed in God’s Only Begotten Son—JESUS CHRIST—
- We are not to worry or to be filled with anxiety.
- We are not to be so human-focused.
- We are to walk in God’s Truth.
- We are to fear the LORD GOD!
- We are to be in awe of Him.
We are to live-out God’s will and not our own.
&
When giants loom over our life-path, and we know they will, then we are to PRAY.
(something like this)—
“Lord,
I will walk anxiety-free & boldly march on unafraid. You, Lord, are my Helper & my Stay. Even though I do not understand why this is happening, still I trust You because You Lord are my anchor. You Lord are my GOD.”
We are to LIFT OUR THANKSGIVING & SING PRAISES THE LORD WHO LOVES US SO!
&
We are to rest in the LORD’s SOVEREIGNTY!
In closing, the New Testament of the Bible, gives us verses of affirmation, verses of faith.
See the words given to the children of God, words given to the Hebrews, the believers & the words of faith they could rest upon as they lived—
“Therefore,
(The Letter to the Hebrews 12: 28-29 NASB)
since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken,
let us show gratitude,
by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
for our God is a consuming fire.”