DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2021-03-05
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Chronicles 20:12-15
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹² O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”
¹³ As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children, ¹⁴ the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel…..
¹⁵ He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

OBSERVATION: King Jehoshaphat was extremely concerned about the large army heading his way, so he had a very serious prayer meeting together with his people, asking God to protect them. However, God spoke through a Levite named Jahaziel, who then went to Jehoshaphat and shared the words in our Scripture today. What a message, and oh how applicable it is to us today!

APPLICATION: Take your time and think about your most urgent prayer request. You’ve shed many tears over the matter, and you’ve made this the top priority in your personal prayer time for days.  You’ve asked your pastor to join you in prayer; you may have asked the church elders to anoint you with oil and pray over you; and your family is equally as burdened with you about your worry. What must you do now? Friends, reflect on our Scripture today, and spend some time letting that sink in. Our God’s not dead, and you’ve given your problem to Him. You’ve asked Him to hear your prayer – know your concern; heal your body, take care of the problem you are facing, or guide you into saying the right thing to your relatives in need of the Savior. But wait a moment, don’t we often hear doubt in our minds as we pray? In our Scripture, the king and the people were told that God had responded to their prayers (their pleading), so they needn’t worry any longer, but that the Almighty God now owns the problem and the outcome. What’s different with you? Oh that’s right, God is not doing what you told Him to do. Child of God, may we all be reminded today that our God is not a puppet. Yes, He’s still a prayer answering God; He’s still in control of what our tomorrows will look like, and yes, He is still very capable of guiding us in the right path. But always be reminded that we are asking God for His will to be done. Let me share a story from a friend, that may serve to illustrate my point. He had a relative who had been in a bad wreck. The family prayed endlessly that God would keep this young man alive. They had their church join them in the same request of God. Years later in reflection, my friend questioned if they prayed the right way for this younger family member, as the young adult lived many more years, but was a mere ‘vegetable’. Friends when we plead with God in prayer, let’s please be willing to ask God for His perfect will in the situation, and as His obedient children, let’s respect His decision. It may be right in line with what we are asking, but I believe that the end result will cause us to shout praises to our Lord and King, for He alone is worthy of our praise. Friends, our God created this world; He made the animals and us humans, with all our complexities; He also created a heavenly realm for us to live with Him eternally. Is there anything that He can’t do? Do you suppose that any of our problems are too big for Him? In our Scripture today, we know that God proved Himself to Jahaziel, the king and the people, for He won the battle that they were so worried about, and He did it without them lifting a finger. Why is our faith so small, the battle’s not ours, it’s God’s. Trust Him with your battles today, won’t you?

PRAYER: Oh Lord, please give us the faith to surrender our needs to You at all times. Just like any kid would do to their parent, may we be willing to plead with You for our needs and concerns, and to always return thanks and offer up praises for Your response to our requests. Lord, help us to be so attuned to placing our needs before You, that when we come with the urgent, earth shattering cases, that we would be comfortable in presenting yet another case at Your feet, knowing that You will hear our prayer and respond in Your way and in Your best timing. Please help us to be comfortable in surrendering our battles to You, knowing that You’re in charge of everything that goes on in this world, yet our humble request is a top priority to You, because of Your love for each of us. Thank You Lord for saving my soul! You’re my King! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!