Dear Friends

Today, I want to correct a common misconception: having problems doesn’t mean God has stopped working in our lives.

Although there are things we can do to have fewer problems, I have found that the biggest problems usually come when we want to do God’s will for our lives. At such times, the feeling of facing an over- powering enemy wants to creep up on us. Things appear to be hopeless, and we are in a fight we think we can’t possibly win. During times like these, we must remember one very important thing: The battle belongs to the Lord.

You and I are involved in a spiritual war in the unseen realm. God’s Word makes it clear that we will have times of trouble but that Jesus has already overcome the world (John 16:33). This means that when Christ is living in us, we are equipped to face every battle that comes our way.

But the key is understanding “HOW” to face (and win) the battles in front of us. You may be struggling with fear, a bad habit, relationship issues, or even a life-threatening disease. Whatever it is, when you give your battle to the Lord, you are in a position for victory.

2 Chronicles Chapter 20 is one of my favourite passages of Scripture in the Bible. It’s the perfect blueprint for how to respond when trouble strikes. At the beginning of this chapter, we find King Jehoshaphat of Judah and his entire army surrounded by their enemies, trapped and outnumbered. Verse 2 says: It was told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude has come against you from beyond the [Dead] Sea, from Edom; and behold they are in Hazazon-tamar . . . ” (2 Chronicles 20:2 AMPC). Suddenly, without any warning, Judah’s army was faced with an impossible situation and seemingly no solution. Sound familiar? But it’s how Jehoshaphat responded that was truly amazing . . . He ran straight to God – and so should we.

Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, received the news that a vast army of Moabites and Ammonites was coming to attack. So, how did he respond? Initially, he was afraid, but he didn’t allow fear to paralyse him. Like most of us, Jehoshaphat initially felt fear, but he pushed past fear and determined to seek the Lord for comfort and guidance. He knew that only God could give him a plan that was sure to succeed. I encourage you to read verses 6 and 7. You will notice that Jehoshaphat begins his prayer by declaring who God is, acknowledging how great He is, and even reviewing the mighty things He has done for His people. Then Jehoshaphat expressed his confidence in the Lord to handle the problem. 2 Chronicles 20:3 says: Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all Judah (AMPC).

I can recall a time years ago when I received a bad report and needed a word from the Lord. I had gone to the doctor for a regular checkup, and they found a small lump in my breast. When they tested it and discovered it was a very fast-growing type of cancer, I was suddenly faced with not only the prospect of surgery but also a battle with overwhelming fear. I can still remember walking down the hall in my house and fear hitting me so hard that I felt like I was going to fall down. It was so strong that I had a hard time sleeping at night. I was desperate — in a fight for my life — and I knew that I needed encouragement from God. One night, as I was lying awake in my bed at about three o’clock in the morning, God spoke to me deep inside my heart and said, “Joyce, you can trust Me”. This one word from the Lord delivered me from overwhelming fear. Although I was apprehensive as I waited for test results, I knew I was in God’s hands and that whatever happened, He would take care of me.

When trouble comes, and we know we are facing an attack from the enemy, our first response should be to seek guidance and comfort from the Lord. We need to resist trying to reason or figure things out in our minds or running to people for the answer. Yes, God may direct us to a person for advice, but we should always go to Him first to show that we honour and trust Him.

When we hear from God, faith fills our hearts and drives away fear like nothing else will.

So now what? I love what Jehoshaphat did next. In 2 Chronicles 20:12 he prays, “O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them? For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (AMPC).

Wow! There are three very important things Jehoshaphat did in this verse.

• First, he admitted that he had no might to stand against his enemies.
• Second, he admitted that he did not know what to do.
• And third, he said that their eyes were on God.

These three things put Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah in a position for a miracle.

In a similar way, we need to realise that we are totally dependent on God to solve our problem — we can’t do it on our own! In John 15:5, Jesus said, “. . . Apart from me you can do nothing” (NIV). This is a scripture God showed me early in my walk with Him. I was a very independent person, and it took me a while to realise how totally dependent on God we really are.

So, to follow Jehoshaphat’s example, we need to first set ourselves to seek God and hear from Him concerning the situation we are facing. It’s easy to praise and worship God after we are delivered from a problem — when the headache is gone or your enemies are defeated. But going the extra mile and worshipping before the battle is actually won really gets God’s attention.

Today, expect God to do something great. The Lord wants us to expect Him to do great things for us. He wants us to watch with an attitude of faith to see how He will come through on our behalf.

Prepare yourself for challenges in good times so that fear and anxiety cannot nag you. Take Jehoshaphat as your role model. Seek God, praise him, follow his instructions and expect his intervention with faith.