Welcome back to Monday Morning Inspirational Message FEAR TO VICTORY. Fear is an emotional state when stuff happens unexpectedly and/or that dreaded event or situation is approaching to becoming a reality. Fear is a common emotion like happy, sad, anxious and confused. Similar to conflict FEAR also leads to positive results like VICTORY.
Not saying all fear or conflict leads to victory since many times operating in our own power and strength. Not consulting with God. Yet who’s report do we “Believe.” Isaiah 53:1 “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the Arm of the LORD revealed.” God’s Arm represents His power and strength which are revealed and operates in the lives of the people and world. Then who’s power and strength we trust?
Romans 10:16 “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, LORD, who hath believed our report?” Nothing new under the sun. Even doing this present time folks continue to reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately many not only reject His report once heard but, refuses to listen or hear what God has to say about situations for daily living that includes how to trust Him, show compassion towards others and how to spend our money wisely. Nonetheless God desires all to be saved and none lost.
A requirement—Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” As believers it is our desire to please God, to diligently seek Him and believe wholeheartedly that we serve a faithful God who rewards those that diligently seek Him. When we think of God’s rewards they go beyond worldly gains but, includes spiritual fulfillment and blessings to like God’s aid that comes from living a life in line with faith, insight or discernment that leads to understanding as well as, making moral and godly decisions.
Now 2 Chronicles 20 describes a great lesson regarding Jehoshaphat’s FEAR TO VICTORY. Note despite God’s displeasure with King Jehoshaphat’s decision to go out to battle in partnership with the wicked King Ahab, He did not hold that offense against him. Instead God intentionally focused on how well pleased He was with Jehoshaphat’s rule over Judah and bringing the nation back to Him. Read chapter 19:1-3. A lesson for many of us. God is not petti. We ought to give our children and others a break. Stop focusing only on the negative. Let’s focus on their actions of good intents which are pleasing and right in our sight.
We shall address Jehoshaphat’s FEAR first. In 2 Chronicles 20:3 paraphrasing “Some came and told him a great multitude that included the Moabites and Ammonites are against you and are on the way.” They gave Jehoshaphat their location and said, “The multitude is coming from beyond the sea on this side of Syria.” Verse 3 “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” In fasting God desires we thirst after the Bread of Life, His Word for spiritual fulfillment like we thirsts and adore food for physical health and pleasure.
Again feared a normal reaction since Jehoshaphat received a frightening report. He did not run and hide. He quickly realized God’s Arm, His power and strength. Scripture says, “He set himself to seek the LORD.” A posture of humility. Jehoshaphat realize his nation was doomed without God’s help. Their success required God’s attention and favor. And if God was for them, they could not lose.
Just like us when receiving alarming news, heavy weight like a mountain. Far from an ordinary situation. Many times fear sets in and we seek God’s divine intervention. Like Jehoshaphat we should set ourself to seek the LORD in a posture of humility. Realizing LORD without Your help I/we are doomed to lose. Our posture of humility is owed to God because of who He is. Who is God to you? To me He is the God who “Has my back.” He said it very clearly. I/We serve a God who does not lie.
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” Hebrews 6:18 “That by two immutable (irreversible) things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”
King Jehoshaphat of Judah knew he had to call upon the name of the LORD for help due to the multitude of nations coming to “Take them out.” We have to call upon the name of the LORD when faced with situations that can “Take us out” and/or results to hopelessness that includes cancer, diabetes, other sickness/diseases, divorce, homelessness, parents and children acting like “Strangers in the streets” and government/world crisis.
We see the grave situations at hand. We already know prayer works along with fasting, praise, worship and thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Psalm 66:4 “All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.” Psalm 95:6 “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” Nehemiah 1:4 “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven.”
Prayer Time—2 Chronicles 20:4-5 highlighting Jehoshaphat called the Nation of Judah from all their cities and those in Jerusalem. They all came out. Jehoshaphat stood within the congregation in the House of the LORD, before the New Court. Verse 6 Jehoshaphat recognized God for Who He is & presented His position as a question (key elements) “O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? Verse 7 Jehoshaphat included what God had done for Israel. Reminding God of His gift the promised land to the seed of Abraham Thy friend forever? Therefore we must recognize who God is our prayers, remind Him of what He has already done and of His promises according to His Word. Vs 8 talks about their dwelling in the land and the sanctuary built for God in His’ name sake.
Verses 9- Reminds God how they previous stood in His presence—in His house when faced with calamities of the “Sword (maybe their enemies), judgment, pestilence or famine and cried, a lament prayer to God in His sanctuary because they already knew He was present. Then the LORD will hear and help them out of their affliction. Verse 10- Jehoshaphat tell how God would not allow them to invade the children of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir when they came out of the Egypt and this how they want to repay them. Read 11-13. Verse 14 indicates the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, a Levite (selected to serve God in the Temple) of the sons of Asaph. And he said, verses15- paraphrasing “Listen up Bro” all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat thus says the LORD to you, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude: for the battle is not yours’ but, God’s. They were told “To go against them on tomorrow and to find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD. For the LORD will be with you.”
Belief & Response—The King & people’s responses prior to victory manifestation. Verses:18 & 19 “And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high. All of one accord. Finish reading how the battle was the LORD’S, not the King’s, not Judah nor the inhabitants of Jerusalem. FEAR TO VICTORY
VICTORY through righteous lifestyle despite imperfections. VICTORY through moving quickly. VICTORY through gathering the people together on one accord in prayer & fasting. VICTORY through humility knowing without God’s help a defeated foe. VICTORY through trusting God. VICTORY through recognizing God for who He is. VICTORY through reminding God of what He has already done. VICTORY through reminding God of His promises. VICTORY through crying out to God our fears, troubles and dilemmas. VICTORY through hearing from the Spirit of the LORD. VICTORY through believing the Word of the LORD. VICTORY through falling on our face, bowing in worship before the LORD prior and/or before answered prayer. VICTORY through praise like shouting out “His mercy endures forever.” VICTORY through thanksgiving because we believe.
LORD thanks we have and are growing from FEAR TO VICTORY through: righteous lifestyle; moving quickly when needed; to know without You we are nothing; on one accord with you when praying and fasting; trusting You, recognize You for Your absolute power and glory; remind You as well as ourselves of what you have already done for us including Your promises; crying out to You our heartaches and troubles; our anticipated hope in hearing You, through Your Holy Spirit to our spirit in answering our prayers and more; believing Your Word more and more; falling on our face in worship; shouting individually and collectively “Your grace and mercy endures forever; thanksgiving because we believe and believe before we see the manifestation or see your deliverance in our face. Blessings and continue blessings! Neatbooks4u
