Principles for Real Success

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Asa learned to seek God eagerly, be strong in the Lord and not give up (2 Chronicles 14-16). His son, Jehoshaphat, added to those principles. His story is condensed in 2 Chronicles 17 through 21:1.

In Chapter 20, Jehoshaphat is facing a combined army made up of Moabites and Ammonites as well as a few other add-ons (20:1). So he does what is always wise when we are facing challenges in life; he went to the Lord for help.

Principle #1: Admit you can't handle the situation and throw yourself on God's mercy.
"For we have no power to face this vast army that s attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (20:12, NIV).

Principle #2: Remember who the battle, and the victory, belongs to.
"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's" (20:15, NIV).

And in case we might think that these principles give us permission to stay in our sleeping bags and sleep through the battle while God takes care of business:

Principle #3: Show up!
"…march down against them…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" (20:15-17, NIV)

It wasn't even a matter of sitting on the sidelines. They were to prepare themselves for battle as if that battle depended on them. They were to march to the drums and trumpets of war.

Principle #4: Praise God for Who He is before you see His hand at work.
"After consulting with the people, [urging them to have faith] Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army saying: 'Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever'" (20:21, NIV).

It was then, after they had followed the principles, that the people of Judah saw the hand of God at work on their behalf (20:22).

I heard someone say recently that the Old Testament is not about a people, it's about the God of those people. We focus on Israel because they are lessons to be learned from them. But the most important lessons to be learned are those from God Himself.

Comments

  1. Rita Garcia20 July 2012 at 09:48

    I enjoy reading and learning the lessons you glean from the Old Testament. I will save this one. What a great reminder to always put God first in our day to day lives and plans. Casting all of our cares.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Joanne Sher20 July 2012 at 09:57

    LOVE this. Wrote on the same passage Monday, but with a different angle. I LOVE how much amazing stuff there is in His Word!

    ReplyDelete

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