It's Not Your Battle (2)

REMEMBER, we're still discussing how best to handle the battles of life. We still hold on to the fact that there is no child of God that does not face battles in life. But the bible also said that there's no trial that comes to us that other people had not passed through, and that through the same crisis, God would make out a way of escape and promotion for us. That is to say that crisis, trials and battles of life are raw materials to our promotions, and also veritable instruments to manifesting the glory of God.

Now, we want to see some of the immutable divine principles of winning battles. These principles are what I call the 3Ps of divine battle. They are: praise, promise and prayer. But before we come back to these, let's see briefly what Jehoshaphat did when he got the message of the nations coming against Judah. He was alarmed by this news and he sought the face of Lord for guidance. Subsequently, he gave orders that everyone throughout Judah should observe a fast. So, people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord. ( 2 Chronicles 20:1-23 ).

Jehoshaphat, naturally as a man, had that initial anxiety. He knew danger was imminent. That it was just a matter of hours Judah was overran by the enemies. So, he ran to the house of God to seek his intervention. He also declared a fast throughout the land of Judah.

Your initial reaction when you run into crisis is very vital to the process of your deliverance. Do you always rely on your strength, your connections or your fat bank accounts each time you run into difficulties? The word of God says that the arms of flesh will fail you. And that he that trusts in man shall live in desolate places and shall also be put to shame. Jehoshaphat understood all these and sought God's guidance whenever he ran into crisis.

Remember he had been in and out of troubles before now and had seen the mighty hand of God delivering him out of them all. Out of experience, he understood that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver him from all of them. So, he went back to that unchangeable God and presented the threat to Him. If I may ask, how are you reacting to that crisis you have in your hands? How are you responding to that news from your doctors; that you have a few days to live? What of that heart-breaking news about your marriage, your job, your family? Yes, the information and statistics could be correct and rational, yet they could not in any way diminish the power of our God to intervene in the affairs of men or the course of nature.

Our God is the same God that made an expressway through the Red Sea. He made the sun to stand still and created the whole universe from nothing. He is the same God that shut the mouth of lions, broke the fetters of iron and brass, and opened the prison gates. He is the same God that gave the barren a son at the age of 90 and called the dead out of the grave after many days. He healed the paralyzed man after 38 years and also made water to come out of the deserts and rocks. Then, who told you that he could not change your present situation? Who told you that your condition is beyond remedy? It could be beyond human solution, but not beyond divine intervention. Where do you intend to take your own case? Will you be wise to imitate Jehoshaphat today, so that you can get the same result that he got?

Before we proceed, let's see the prayer that the King of Judah made before God, "Jehoshaphat stood before the people of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the temple of the Lord. He prayed, 'O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? Your people settled here and built this temple for You. They said, 'whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, disease, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us'. "And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when they left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. 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".

Rev Gabriel Agbo is the author of the book Power of Midnight Prayer. E-mail: [email protected] Website http://www.authorsden.com/pastorgabrielnagbo Tel: 08037113283