In your enemies face

  

As the dust cloud of my suffering charges closer to an impending assault, the advancing enemy is at full attack, and he points the weapons of my circumstances and fires the bullets at my past failures.

But God has not risen up a standard against him, no this time it seems that God has only place a sandbag at my foxhole; a sandbag just high enough for me to duck my head below the fire of the advancing enemies.

So I crouch my shoulders and duck my head down until my nose is almost submerged into the filthy germ-infested water that floods my foxhole. Just out of the reach of the advancing attacks I realize that there is not much room to move. Just a little lower and I drown; a few inches higher and a bullet ripped through the cavity of my brain. And to make things worst all my company has either died, or gone in full retreat and left me alone.

There is nothing in me worthy in this battle, I have rocks, my enemies have tanks, I aim my slingshot, while he points his cannon at me, surely in my own strength I will perish. “So I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” [1] Oh my God how I need you to build a larger fortress, or at least drains the sludge that has almost completely encased me where I stand, cause my enemies to change their mind, something God, I need you now! “for I have no strength against this great company that cometh against me; neither know I what I should do: but my eyes are upon thee.” [2] And my confidence is that “you will rescue me even in my times of trouble, so that I will not so much as stub my foot against a stone.”[3]

Though every natural thing says I will be destroyed, I will not give up the battle, not weapons, or judgment, or sicknesses, or hunger, “I will stand in the presence of my God, and invoke the Name of Jesus in my affliction, and he will hear me.”[4]

Then out of heavens the thunderous voice of God speaks to me. A voice that shakes the mountains, and causes the rivers to flood, yet it can scarily be heard as a whisper in my ear. “BE NOT AFRAID NOR DISMAYED  BY REASON OF THIS GREAT MULTITUDE;  FOR THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, ITS THE LORD"[5]  Therefore in your enemy;s face "STAND STILL, AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD[6].

Just thoughts in life with Christ

FireSpeaks

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[1] Psalm 121:1                 I will lift up my eyes to the hills; From whence comes my help?

[2] 2 Chronicles 20:12  O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great                           multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our                                 eyesare upon You.

[3] Psalm 91:14               Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set                             him on high, because he has known My name.

[4] 2 Chronicles 20:9     If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will                             stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this                                   temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.

[5] 2 chronicles 20:15    And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and                             you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor                                   dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but                                 God’s.

[6] 2 Chronicles 20 17  Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see                           the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be                            dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

A Great Multitude is Against Thee

2 Chronicles 20:2-3 (KJV) Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

Last Thursday I set at my computer thinking how in the world I would make ends meet? No job for over 2 years, no unemployment compensation, no money coming in. Everything that I did to generate income or get a job was failing and I was falling further, and further in debt.

I spoke to a recruiter and he asked me to come in so he could get a better idea of what kind of job I was looking for, but I declined because I did not have enough gas in my car to get there 12 miles away.

My cell phone began to vibrate I hesitated to answer the text because I just did not want to be bothered, Looked down at the phone it was my wife. I’m in the hospital she told me and now the weight of my problems had just tripled. Could I really deal with her being sick? Wasn’t I dealing with enough already?

My mind wandered from my situation to my questioning my faith. Wasn’t I faithful God? Didn’t you promise you wouldn’t forsake me?  Why are you allowing those that hate you to prosper and me to suffer? I wondered when would all my resources be depleted and I lose my home? Though I was fighting spiritually I had already resolved to die.

Then I read a daily devotion by Os Hillman where he speaks of the King Jehoshaphat who had just received the bad news that the kings of Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir

 had joined together to form a powerful army against him, but rather than sit and wallow in his own depression the bible tells us that King Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the LORD  and proclaimed a fast throughout all of Judah. King Jehoshaphat sought the Lord for help. Saying

2 Chronicles 20:9 (GW) ‘If evil comes in the form of war, flood, plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple and in front of you because your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you in our troubles, and you will hear us and save us.'

He encouraged himself in the presence of the people remembering that God was still in control, that it did not matter what the odds were He had God on his side, [1] and God is able.  King Jehoshaphat cried out to the LORD  concerning the enemies that were about to attack and sought God for an answer that he was unable to provide saying “for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”

And God devised a plan for him and the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel in the mist of the people “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. 2 Chronicles 20:15 (KJV)

And while still in the congregation and the spirit of the LORD was still upon Jahaziel God spoke to King Jehoshaphat saying  “You do not have to fight this (battle). Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord….” 2 Chronicles 20:17 (KJV)

Just as King Jehoshaphat encouraged himself and all of Judah with the truth. We must know that no matter what the world says or what it may appear Jesus is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, El Elyon the Most High God, Possessor of Heaven and Earth, we must take our problems to Him who alone has all the answers.

Because there will come times when we will have no strength against our problems or circumstances, and absolutely no idea even what we should do. Then we must keep our eyes on Jesus, and realized when the battle seems too great for us to comprehend, it is because God has no intent for us to bring it to an end. That battle that we think we are facing is not ours it’s the Lord’s Sometimes God is telling us to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

 Your Brother in Christ

T.Charves@ Pearsall

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[1] 2 Chronicles 20:6 (KJV) And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rules 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?