This summer, while at a camp speaking, I came to a place where I had no idea what to do next. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say and I wasn’t certain what God had been up to the previous night with the many distractions we had experienced on a night that I had thought would be HUGE for the Kingdom.
I found myself on my knees the next morning, begging God for some idea where He wanted me to take the group…desperate for the words to speak and the ideas to convey. As I prayed, the Holy Spirit impressed a familiar phrase on me…”the battle belongs to the Lord”. I stopped praying and turned to my Bible to find that phrase. My search led me to II Chronicles 20:15-17. King Jehoshaphat is faced with a vast army made from many nations all coming against his small country, Judah. He goes to the Lord in prayer…the Lord sends a prophet who says this to Jehoshaphat, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s…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; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” I knew in that moment that God was reminding me that this battle was not mine, but His…that I simply needed to take my position and stand, and watch God fight for me on behalf of His kids. That night, God moved in a mighty way, beyond my ability and beyond my imagination.
Trying to live as God’s missionaries in our culture can be difficult and overwhelming at times. Trying to make a difference in the lives of people around us can be downright frightening. The great news…the battle belongs to God. He will fight for us. Let’s, at the very least ,take our positions and stand firm.
