The Battle Belongs to God
“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘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’ “ (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17)
Alarmed by the approach of a vast army made up of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites, King Jehoshaphat called the people of Judah to prayer and fasting. They gathered in Jerusalem at the temple and Jehoshaphat prayed, “Our God, will you not judge them? 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 on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12).
After the king had prayed, the Spirit came upon Jahaziel, a Levite and descendant of Asaph. He gave God’s astonishing answer: “You won’t have to fight this battle. Just stand and watch.”
The king and his people responded by falling on their faces and worshipping—some with very loud voices (vv. 18-19).
Early in the morning as they went out to battle, King Jehoshaphat sent the singers in front of the army (v. 21). As they sang, God was at work. He caused the various armies gathered against Judah to destroy each other. When the Israelite army arrived on the battle scene, they saw dead bodies everywhere. It took three days to collect all the spoils (v. 25).
How often have we prayed, “God, help us, we don’t know what to do”? We may have expected God to tell us what to do and promise to help us. But what if he tells us to do nothing—he’s got this? Can we patiently trust him to act on our behalf and start singing, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear,” or “O God, our help in ages past, our hope in years to come”?
May this be your prayer: “God, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on you.” Then start singing your favorite song of praise.
Dig Deeper
Compare Jehoshaphat’s prayer at the temple in Jerusalem in 2 Chronicles 20:5-12 and the prayer of Solomon at the temple’s dedication 2 Chronicles 6:20. How are the prayers alike and how are they different?
Read Psalm 83. The singers may have sung this psalm written by a man named Asaph because Jahaziel was one of Asaph’s descendants. Re-write Psalm 83 to fit your own situation.
Read 1 Samuel 3:1-18. Prayers—our words to God, and prophecy—God’s words to us, go together. What was God’s response to Samuel’s prayer (v. 9)? Describe a time God answered your prayer in a special way.
Nancy J. Baker
This devotion is part of our Do Not Be Afraid series.