Daily Devotion

Selection Taken From:
A Year with God by R.P. Nettelhorst

Make this the year you let God's Word "dwell in you richly"---and marvel at the results! Each entry in this 365-day devotional features Scripture verses in which God speaks, accompanied by insights and applications to enhance your understanding. Learn what God says about hope and fear; perseverance and quitting; companionship and isolation; and more! 384 pages, softcover from Nelson, Copyright 2010.

God Knows What's Going On

[Jahaziel] said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Loan to you: 'Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them; they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. This battle is not for you to fight; take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the LORD on your behalf, 0 Judah and Jerusalem: Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you."
Then Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. - 2 Chronicles 20:15-19 NRSV

God has his own ways of taking care of things. No matter what methods he ( peens to use, all God's people have to do is believe him and do what he says. God makes it all work out.

Jehoshaphat was facing an invasion of the Moabites and Ammonites coming from Edom on the other side of the Dead Sea. He was the king. This was his responsibility. It was his job to do something. But Jehoshaphat didn't have any way of stopping the invasion. So he called all the people to fast. The people of Judah and Jerusalem came to Jerusalem and sought help from God. Jehoshaphat led them in prayer, concluding that "we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (2 Chronicles 20:12 NIV).

God's spirit came upon one man, a Levite named Jahaziel, and God told him what to do. Jehoshaphat and the people responded by bowing down, worshipping God, and thanking him. Jehoshaphat then sent his army to face the enemies approaching Jerusalem. At the front of his army, people sang and praised God, and his army never had to face the enemy. Instead, God made the enemies fight among themselves. They destroyed one another. All Jehoshaphat's army had to do that day was gather the plunder left behind.

Since God is with us, we should never be afraid. When we understand that our own abilities are weak but that God is strong, and when we know in our hearts that what God wants is what we want, we can ask for and receive God's help.