Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Jehoshaphat’s Story – Put On Your Armor
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” – 2 Chronicles 20:20
Have Faith
We are continuing in Jehoshaphat’s story found in 2 Chronicles 20. Two weeks ago we talked about God giving the nation of Judah a word of encouragement. He told them the battle belonged to Him. Last week we saw how Jehoshaphat and the people believed God and trusted Him. In today’s post, Jehoshaphat and his army are setting out to face the vast army that was coming against them.
In the verse above, I love Jehoshaphat’s words, “Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld.” It’s a theme we have seen throughout this story. We need to keep our faith in God. And often times we need a reminder, just as the people of Judah did on this day.
Put On Your Armor
At this point in Jehoshaphat’s story, the men are on their way to battle. And part of the preparation is to dress appropriately. The text found in 2 Chronicles 20 doesn’t specifically say they put on their armor, but we can imagine they did so. Any soldier, whether in biblical times or today, would suit up with certain pieces of attire, if they knew they were headed to battle.
Likewise, we need to suit up as well. We might not put on physical armor, like the men of Judah. But we do need our spiritual armor. Each day we have an enemy who is seeking to attack us. We never know when or how he will appear. Therefore, we should prepare ourselves each morning.
Maybe you are wondering how we do that. Thankfully the Bible helps us out. In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul wrote about the armor that was common to Roman soldiers of his time. But the pieces of armor also have spiritual significance.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Let’s take a closer look at our armor, and break this down a bit.
“With the belt of truth buckled around your waist”
The soldiers in biblical times used a belt to hold their long tunic in place. This kept them from tripping.
Likewise, we too must keep The Truth wrapped around us at all times. This will keep us from tripping up in our Christian walk.
“With the breastplate of righteousness in place”
When Roman soldiers suited up, they made sure to protect their upper body, the vital organs, and especially the heart.
We too have to “guard our hearts.” This keeps us walking in righteousness.
When it comes to righteousness, there are two points to remember. First, as Christians, Jesus is our righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Yet we also have a responsibility to walk rightly. 1 John 3:7 says, “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he [Jesus] is righteous.”
“With your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”
Proper footwear was an essential piece on the Roman soldier’s attire. Paul uses the phrase gospel of peace, when he talks about the feet.
The gospel of peace is our peace with God, thanks to what Jesus did for us on the cross. The enemy will try to get into our heads, condemning us, making us feel guilty, and stealing our hope. But we don’t have to fall for his tricks. We can stand firmly in our well-built shoes because we have the confidence that we are forgiven and redeemed. Jesus has already won the battle on our behalf.
“Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one”
There were two types of shields the Romans might use. A round, smaller one was helpful in hand-to-hand combat. But the one Paul wrote about in Ephesians was much bigger. It protected the whole body. Often the soldiers would soak these shields with water, to protect themselves from the fiery arrows that were shot by the enemy.
Our faith shields us from the enemy’s attacks and his fiery darts. Therefore, we have to be intentional about holding onto our faith and using it when needed. This means we choose to believe truth over lies. We choose to stand on God’s promises instead of allowing the devil to bring us down. And we choose to believe our God is mightier than any obstacle we face.
“Take the helmet of salvation”
Roman soldiers wore helmets to protect their heads when in combat. When we keep on our helmet of salvation, we keep in the forefront of our minds that Jesus has saved us from an eternity in hell. This truth helps us in numerous ways in our day to day lives.
First, it helps us to live with an eternal mindset. Living with an eternal mindset helps us to know that the pain of this life is temporary. We have a glorious heavenly home to look forward to. This fact alone brings us peace as we face difficulties. Having an eternal mindset also helps us to see how urgent the Good News is, which will cause us to share the Gospel with the lost. And when we have an eternal mindset, we will put God first in our lives.
Also, our helmet of salvation will protect our minds when the enemy attacks. Our minds are dangerous territory in our battles. The enemy will send doubts, fear, depression, anxiety, sinful thoughts, negativity, complaints, anger, and anything else he can think of into our minds. We have to keep our helmet of salvation on at all times. We have to remember the work that Jesus did on the cross for us. If you accepted Jesus, your salvation is secure. And the victory is already won.
“The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”
“The sword is the only piece of the armor described by Paul that is geared for both defense and offense. In that regard, it truly is two-sided—defending us against the devil and actively forcing the devil to retreat from us.” [When the Enemy Attacks © 2004 by Charles F. Stanley]
Paul clearly tells us that the sword of the spirit is the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 tells us “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” It is vital for us to study Scripture and memorize Bible verses. God’s Word is a sharp weapon that we can use to stand against the enemy and his tactics. (Perhaps we can start by memorizing these verses from Ephesians? 😊)
“And pray in the Spirit”
I want to point out that Paul mentions prayer in these verses as well. I won’t talk about it much at this point, since we already talked about prayer in previous posts. I will just say that prayer is vital when we are in a battle. And it is something we need daily, just as we need our armor daily.
Putting on the armor before heading to battle was necessary for these soldiers. And it is necessary for us as well. On numerous occasions I have heard or read where Dr. Charles Stanley said that we should put on the armor before our feet hit the floor each morning.
We don’t know what each day will bring. But God knows. When we clothe ourselves with the right armor, we are intentionally protecting ourselves from the attacks that come our way. It doesn’t mean we won’t have anything difficult to face. But it does mean we can handle it more appropriately, knowing that our faith is sturdy and we have Almighty God beside us.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a pleasant weekend.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Jehoshaphat’s Story – Believe and Trust
18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. – 2 Chronicles 20:18-19
We are continuing in Jehoshaphat’s story found in 2 Chronicles 20. Last week we saw how God told the nation of Judah to not fear because the battle belonged to Him.
In verses 18-19, it says, “Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.”
A few things jump out to me in these verses. I love that Jehoshaphat and the people praised and worshipped God. We will talk more about praise in a future post, therefore I won’t get into that here.
However, there is something else I want to point out. In the way that Jehoshaphat and all the people reacted – we see that they believed and trusted God. They believed that what God said was true. And they trusted Him with whatever was ahead.
How often do we ask ourselves, “Did God really say that? Maybe I heard Him wrong.” Especially when we don’t see immediate results, we begin to doubt.
Or we might say we are handing something over to God. Yet we still worry and fret about it. Our minds keep going over the situation. We still hold onto fear, because we don’t completely trust God to fight our battles.
I know in prior posts we talked about things like turning to God, seeking God, remembering who God is, praying to God, and so on. And in a way, this topic might seem similar.
However, I feel it’s important to stress just how much we need to cling to God through each and every step of our battles. When we get over one hurdle, the enemy will throw another at us. The enemy will keep trying to steer our focus off of God.
So that is why we are talking about believing God and trusting Him. They are important steps in anything we face. Even in our daily lives.
In Jehoshaphat’s story they just received a powerful word. Now they have a choice to make. Will they believe and trust? Or will they doubt?
A Pattern of Doubt
This brings to mind the story of the twelve spies in Numbers 13 and 14. God had promised land to the Israelites. They were so close, knocking on its door. But there were other people living in this land, and they needed to be driven out. So twelve spies were selected to go investigate. When they returned, ten of the twelve came back fearful. They believed the current occupants of the land were just too big to tackle.
Two of the spies – Joshua and Caleb – spoke faith. They knew who their God was. And they knew if God made a promise, He would see them through.
Unfortunately, the ten spies spread their fear through the camp. Everyone bought into the lie. They let doubt take over. As a result, the Israelites stayed in the desert for forty years before they finally entered the Promised Land. The adults of this group never did get to inhabit the new land, except for Joshua and Caleb. It was their children and grandchildren that saw the fulfillment of the promise.
But this was a pattern with the Israelites. When we read through books like Exodus and Numbers, and much of the Old Testament really, we want to shake our heads. Over and over the people doubt God. Then when He comes through for them, they turn back to Him. But it never seems to last.
Are we any better? I hope so. These hard stories are in the Bible to help us learn. It’s not always easy. But we can do it. We can choose to believe and trust God.
A Pep Talk
Sometimes this means we need to give ourselves a pep talk. There is an important factor that plays a role in our faith – our attitude.
Let’s look at a different Biblical example found in 1 Samuel 30. Prior to David becoming king, he had been living in a place called Ziklag. In this story, David and his men had been away from home. When they returned, they discovered tragedy had struck. The Amalekites “had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.” (1 Samuel 30:1-2)
You can imagine how distressed David and his men were. In verse 4 it says that they “wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.” If that wasn’t bad enough, the men then turned against David. Verse 6 tells us that “the men were talking of stoning him.”
But I want to focus on something else from that same verse.
- In the King James Bible, verse 6 goes on to say, “David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
- The New King James Version says, “David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”
- And the NIV and NLT versions say, “David found strength in the LORD his God.”
I love this verse and I think we can learn a lot from it. David chose to encourage himself in God. Why? I think David trusted God in this moment. Although things looked terrible on the outside, David knew from experience that God was trustworthy.
David and his men wound up going after the Amalekites and they recovered everything and everyone that was taken. All the women, children, and other people were recovered. I have to wonder what ending this story would have had if David had not encouraged himself in the Lord? What if David didn’t put his trust in God?
A Present Day Example
As many of you know, we recently were impacted by Hurricane Idalia. As the storm approached, many were understandably fearful and worried. Many also held on to God and prayed. I tried to do that as well. I even used the opportunity to write out a prayer using the same format as Jehoshaphat’s prayer.
I am happy to report that we and our loved ones remained safe through it all.
(I know there were many areas that were hit harder than we were. We are continuing to pray for all.)
As can be expected, many of us lost power. This was when my attitude took a turn. In past hurricanes, we didn’t get our power back for several days. That is what I expected to happen again. Then I realized what I was doing. I was being negative, even after writing this post about encouraging ourselves in the Lord! So once I realized my attitude needed an adjustment, I turned it around. I prayed for restored power. Our power did come back on that same day. Could it be a coincidence? It’s possible, since many in my town are still without power. But that is not the point.
The point is that I knew I needed to keep my focus in the right place. I needed to keep trusting.
Even when those around us are negative, we have a choice to encourage ourselves in the Lord. We can choose to believe and trust.
Life is hard, I know. We will face battles, big and small. So I hope you don’t think I’m making light of the big battles. I’m not.
But I do know, no matter what we are facing, we will have an enemy that wants to bring us down. But we also have a God who wants us to look to Him.
When we face trials, let us choose to run to God and trust Him. Nothing is a surprise to Him. He can help us get through our difficulties and come out the other side with joy and peace.
Then let’s remember to hold onto that trust, no matter what happens next. We might get a promise from God, as Jehoshaphat and the nation of Judah did. Often times this might come to us through the Bible, through prayer, or through another person. When we know God spoke, it’s important to hold onto that and not let doubt creep in.
However, sometimes we might feel God is silent. Or we might think He isn’t working quickly enough. That is when we need to encourage ourselves in the Lord.
The enemy will try to plant doubts into our heads. But “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
Let’s not wait for a big storm to come our way. Let’s start today to believe and trust our Almighty God!
If you have any special prayer requests, please let me know. And please say a prayer for our friends who are facing a hard battle, as they recently had a house fire. Thank you.
And thank you for reading. I hope you have a peaceful weekend.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Jehoshaphat’s Story – The Battle Belongs to God
All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
2 Chronicles 20:13-17 NIV
We are continuing to look at Jehoshaphat’s story found in 2 Chronicles 20. Today we are focusing on verses 13-17. Last week we saw how Jehoshaphat prayed a powerful prayer before the entire nation. Immediately after that, they received a word from God, through a man named Jahaziel.
In these verses we learn that Jahaziel was a Levite. Each tribe of the Israelites came from the sons of Jacob. In this case, the Levites are descendants of Levi. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, each tribe received a portion of the land, except for the Levites. The Levites were set apart to handle religious duties and to be the priests.
On this day when Jehoshaphat and the nation have turned to God for help with the battle they were facing, God showed up and spoke to them through this man. He gave them a word of encouragement.
And what encouraging and powerful words they were: “Do not be afraid or discouraged … the battle is not yours, but God’s … You will not have to fight this battle … stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you … Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged … the Lord will be with you.”
Wow! Can you imagine facing disaster, being scared out of your wits, and not knowing what to do. Then God shows up with a statement that turns it all around.
The thing is that as Christians we know all this to be true as well, but we just don’t always remember it. We know we shouldn’t be afraid or discouraged. We know God will fight for us. We know God is with us. Yet too often we allow fear to take over.
One thing we must keep in mind, no matter how big or small our battle is – The Battle Belongs to the Lord.
Too often we try to fight things in our own strength. This leaves us feeling exhausted and discouraged. We need help to see us through our battles. And thankfully help is always accessible. We don’t have to fight our battles with our own strength. We have Almighty God’s strength to help us.
I love the words found in Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.” This verse came approximately 300 years after Jehoshaphat’s story. It was during a time when the Jews were supposed to be rebuilding the temple. This was a huge task. They needed encouragement to see this project through. God reminded them that they wouldn’t be able to complete it in their own strength. But they could complete it when they sought Him for help.
Take Action
One thing to keep in mind, is that this doesn’t necessarily mean we sit down and do nothing. In Jehoshaphat’s story, God did tell the people to “March down against [the vast army] … Take up your positions … Go out to face them.”
And likewise in our battles, we too may have to take action. Depending on what we are facing, we might worry about exactly what action we should be taking. Every battle we face will be different. And even if you and I are facing a similar battle, God might call us each to proceed in a unique way.
Remember that Jehoshaphat had just finished praying. That is a clue for us as well. We need to stay connected to the Lord in prayer, and seek His wisdom. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us and He will guide us to take the right steps.
Then when we do proceed, we can do so with confidence knowing that the battle belongs to God.
Hold Your Peace
A few hundred years before Jehoshaphat’s story, when the Israelites were fleeing Egypt, Pharaoh’s army was chasing them down. The Israelites panicked and didn’t have much faith. And they blamed Moses for their troubles.
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:13-14 NIV
And the Lord did fight for them. These words proceed the famous story where God parted the Red Sea. The Israelites were able to walk through the Red Sea on dry ground. Then when Pharaoh’s army reached the Red Sea, not a single man survived.
But again notice in this story, the Israelites still had to take action. They had to get up and walk. Although the words of Moses were to “be still,” this was really a matter of the heart, rather than a state of the body. The KJV of Exodus 14:14 says it this way, “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.“
“Hold your peace.” We can choose to hold peace in our hearts when we remember that God is fighting our battles.
In the words of Dr. Charles Stanley, “We do not handle stressful situations by fighting against them; instead, God calls us to be at rest in him.”
Reminders of Truth
Living our day to day lives, we can quickly forget some of these amazing stories in the Bible. And when we are blindsided by the unexpected, our minds are so focused on the problem in front of us, and we don’t always remember truth. That is one reason why it is important to read our Bibles on a daily basis. This helps the truth to be tucked deep in our hearts.
However, these powerful stories are not just in the Bible. We can also remind ourselves of times when God was there for us. We might do this by keeping a gratitude journal or a prayer journal. Write down events when God showed up for you and your loved ones.
In Psalm 44:1-8, the psalmist is recounting how the Lord was the one to fight the Israelites’ battles. God drove the other nations out of the Promised Land. It wasn’t the work of the people. It was the work of God. “It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.” (v 3-4 NIV)
I especially like the fact that this psalmist remembered the ways God had been there before. This is an important step for us as well. When we remind ourselves of the ways God has provided in our lives, this helps build our faith in Him. We can proceed with confidence when we keep truth in our hearts.
When we have a firm foundation in our faith by walking with God daily, we develop a deeper understanding of who He is. And this helps us to trust Him. Then when a battle comes our way, we can be still and hold our peace. We know that the battles we face belong to God.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my post. I hope you have a fabulous weekend!
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Jehoshaphat’s Story – The Prayer
NOTE – this post is a bit long, so you might want to grab a cup of coffee or tea and get comfy…
We are continuing to walk through Jehoshaphat’s story. Today we are focusing on Jehoshaphat’s prayer found in 2 Chronicles 20:5-12. We will walk through each portion of the prayer in the sections below.
Remember Who God Is
Jehoshaphat began his prayer with these words: “LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.” (v 6)
I love how Jehoshaphat started his prayer by emphasizing God’s strength. He knew who God was and he was quick to point that out. This was how he opened his prayer, even before mentioning the battle they were facing and before asking for the Lord’s help.
This part of the prayer made an impact in several ways. It helped him to come humbly before Almighty God with reverence. And it also reminded himself and the nation of Judah that God was all powerful and trustworthy.
Jehoshaphat knew the secret to faith: Faith is not about us. It’s about God.
When we keep that in mind, it helps us to face our battles with renewed confidence.
In the words of Dr. Charles F. Stanley, “A question I often ask myself is, ‘How would I conduct my life if I really believed God is who He says He is and if I really believed the Bible is His word?’ This is what living by faith is all about – taking God at His word.” [Charles F. Stanley’s Handbook for Christian Living © 2008 by Charles F. Stanley]
How can we doubt God when He is omniscient (all knowing), omnipresent (present everywhere), and omnipotent (all powerful)?
Priscilla Shirer puts it this way, “What we mean by ‘having faith’ actually says far less about us and a lot more about God. Faith does not focus on the quality or quantity of human belief. It focuses on how trustworthy, true, and loyal the object of that belief has proven Himself to be.” [The Armor of God © 2015 by Priscilla Shirer]
Each day, whether we are facing a battle or not, we have a choice. We can choose to put our faith in a trustworthy God. We can choose to trust what we know about His character.
God can handle anything we are up against. When we remember how mighty He is, this helps us to step forward with confidence and peace.
Remember God’s Promises
Next in Jehoshaphat’s prayer, he says, “Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?” (v 7)
I believe in this verse Jehoshaphat chose to remember God’s promise. God promised the land to the Israelites. When God promises us something, He will not go back on His word.
There are numerous verses in the Bible that tell us that God does not lie and does not change. One example comes from Numbers 23:19 in which it says, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
And I like the way Hebrews 6:18 puts it, “… it is impossible for God to lie …” [emphasis added].
In the words of Billy Graham, “…God does not change His mind. God never goes back on His promises or tells us something one day and something different the next. Unlike us, God always can be trusted to keep His Word. God, the Bible says, ‘does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind’ (1 Samuel 15:29)…” [billygraham.org]
When we are facing a battle, we too should remember God’s promises found in His Word. As it says in Isaiah 62:6 GNT, “… remind the LORD of his promises and never let him forget them.”
There is power in God’s Word. When we hold tightly to His promises, memorize them, repeat them, and use them in our prayers, we are bringing the most effective weapon to our circumstances.
“The LORD’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.” – Psalm 12:6 NLT
Know That God Is Always There and God Hears You
Jehoshaphat went on to say, “They [God’s people] have lived in it [the land] and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’ “ (v 8-9)
In these verses, Jehoshaphat recalled the significance of the temple, which represented God’s presence to the Israelites. As it says in 1 Kings 8:11, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
In the temple there was a thick curtain that stood between the priests and God’s presence. Only the high priest was allowed to pass through the curtain, and that was only on one day a year (The Day of Atonement).
However, when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain was torn in two. What separated us from God is gone. We can now meet with the Lord anytime and anywhere.
And as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. God’s presence is with us everywhere we go. No matter what we are facing, He is with us. His power and strength never leave us.
Billy Graham said, “The moment that we receive Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts. Our body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit helps us live the Christian life. There is not a person anywhere who can be a Christian without the Holy Spirit. There is not a person who can follow Christ without the help of the Holy Spirit.” [decisionmagazine.com]
And Romans 8:38-39 tell us that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. What a gift we have in God’s presence!
“I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” – Psalm 16:8 NLT
In these verses, Jehoshaphat also remembered that God always hears our prayers. Sometimes we might feel like God doesn’t hear us. We might wonder why He isn’t acting as quickly as we want. Or we might think that He didn’t answer in the way that we wanted. But know that God always hears the prayers of His children. He is always listening. He longs to hear from you and He is eager to help you. He is closer than a phone call away.
And when our words fall short, when we are in such distress that we don’t know how or what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf. Romans 8:26-27 NLT says, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”
God Is Our Vindicator
Jehoshaphat ended his prayer by saying, “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (v 10-12)
In these verses, first Jehoshaphat tells God about the battle that they are facing. Of course, God already knows what is happening. He knows all. But it’s important to bring our concerns to God. When we talk to Him about what is going on in our lives and hearts, it gives God an opportunity to help us with what we are facing. It also brings us comfort and peace, as we bring our battles to the Lord.
Also in these verses, Jehoshaphat is seeking God for justice. He knows that ultimately God is our vindicator. God is a good God, which means He doesn’t like evil. And God loves His children, which means He doesn’t like when evil forces come against us. He doesn’t like when others unfairly wrong us.
When we face an injustice, let us remember that God is our vindicator. We can bring our concerns to God, because He is just, faithful, and trustworthy.
“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” – Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV
I also love the way Jehoshaphat ended his prayer with these words – “our eyes are on you.” I pray we too can always keep our eyes on God, no matter what we are going through. Keeping our focus on the Lord changes everything.
Let us end with our own prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, no matter what I am facing, I want to approach my battles the way Jehoshaphat did. I want to remember that faith is all about You and not about me. I want to remember how mighty You are. I want to hold tightly to Your promises and Your Word. I want to have peace because I know that You are always with me and You always hear my prayers. And I want to stand tall knowing that You are a God of justice and You will be my vindicator. Help me to keep my eyes on You, always. I’m so thankful for You, God! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Jehoshaphat’s Story – Leading and Praying
“Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard and said…” – 2 Chronicles 20:5-6a
We are continuing to walk through Jehoshaphat’s story. The verses that follow the words above are a prayer. We will dig into that prayer next week. Today I want to focus on this verse and talk about prayer in general.
A Strong Leader
Something that stands out to me is the fact that Jehoshaphat stood before the nation and prayed. As the king of Judah and ultimately a person of influence, this was a vital step to take. With a vast army headed their way, the people of Judah would look to the king to see what his response was. If he was fearful, they would likely be fearful as well. But he responded with faith, which brought faith to the people.
We may not see ourselves as leaders, but we too can influence those around us to seek God with faith and seek Him in prayer. People are watching us, Christians and non-Christians alike. They observe what we do, what we say, and how we act. Whether we are facing a crisis or not, we can face each situation with faith.
How do we get there? How do we default to faith when we are tempted to walk in fear? For Jehoshaphat, as we talked about a few weeks ago, he walked with God daily. That helped strengthen his faith. And that is why he was quick to turn to God when a crisis hit. We can do the same. When we walk with God every day and spend time with Him daily, this will strengthen our faith.
That doesn’t mean we won’t ever have fear or worry. But we do have a choice. We can choose faith over fear. We can choose to speak words of faith. We can choose to act in faith.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – The words of Jesus found in Matthew 5:14-16
The Power of Prayer
Not only did Jehoshaphat stand before the nation, but he also prayed before the nation. He knew the power of prayer.
When we read the Gospels, we see how spending time in prayer was important to Jesus. We see many instances where it says He withdrew from the crowd and went to a solitary place to pray. Luke 5:16 is just one example in which we read, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” If prayer was vital for Jesus, how much more important should it be for us?
Prayer isn’t only for times of distress. Prayer is something we need daily. That is part of what walking with God looks like.
Here are some truths about prayer that we might consider when we feel our prayer lives are lacking.
Prayer is a Privilege… Prayer is an honor and a privilege. We are able to meet with our loving Father at any time and from anywhere. When we stop and ponder that for a moment, it fills us with gratitude for the gift of prayer.
Prayer Transforms Us… As we pray, we are being shaped and formed to be more like Jesus. We are molded into the person God purposed us to be. We shed the gunk of this world as we are transformed from the inside out. E.M. Bounds put it so beautifully, “Walking with God down the avenues of prayer we acquire something of His likeness, and unconsciously we become witnesses to others of His beauty and His grace.”
God is Always There… Whether we are crying out in despair, whispering words of gratitude, calling out in praise, or begging for divine help – He is there. He is eager to hear from us. He listens to every word. And He is happy to help us and wrap us in His loving arms. I love how the Passion Translation puts Hebrews 4:16: “So now we draw near freely and boldly to where grace is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness.”
Prayer Helps Us Learn About God… Spending time with God in prayer helps us to learn more about Him. We begin to understand how incredibly merciful and faithful He is. We are filled with awe at His goodness. His love fills a void deep within our hearts. Dr. Charles F. Stanley said, “The first privilege of having an intimate relationship with God through prayer is that you get to know God. Consider what a great and awesome honor that is—to know the One who not only created all that exists but also directs it from His mighty throne.”
Prayer is Conversation… We don’t just rattle off our needs to God, but we sit in God’s presence and have a conversation with Him. We are forming a strong bond and a meaningful relationship. God is incredibly fond of us and longs to hear from us. Through prayer we not only receive strength, help and guidance, but we also receive love and tender care. What a priceless gift we have in prayer.
Prayer Keeps Us Anchored… The time we spend in prayer doesn’t just have an impact on those moments while we are conversing with God, but they actually impact our entire day. When we spend time with Him on a regular basis, this helps us to walk wisely in everything we face. We walk with peace in our hearts. We are in tune with the Holy Spirit.
Prayer Restores Us… Something so simple and yet so beautiful that I have learned is that when we sit quietly in the Lord’s presence, He will help refresh our souls. Different versions of Psalm 23:3 verify this. “He restores my soul” (NKJV). “He refreshes my soul” (NIV). “He renews my strength” (NLT). What comforting words!
Whether we are facing a crisis or not, prayer is essential to our Christian walk. And I believe prayer played a vital role in Jehoshaphat’s story as well. Humbly coming before the Lord is not merely a way to seek help in a difficult situation. It also brings us comfort and strength, because we know that Almighty God is beside us. We can face each situation and each day with the peace that surpasses understanding.
Next week we will dig into Jehoshaphat’s prayer. I’m looking forward to it, and I hope you are too. Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful weekend.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Jehoshaphat’s Story – Seeking God and Coming Together
“The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.” – 2 Chronicles 20:4
We are continuing in Jehoshaphat’s story found in 2 Chronicles 20. There are two things that stand out to me in the verse above.
Seek God
A couple of weeks ago we talked about turning to God. Seeking God is a similar concept, so I won’t dig into this too much. However, I love the word “seek” because it was my one word for 2019. So I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to say a little something about it! 😁
When we seek God, we are intentional about turning our eyes, our ears, our minds, and our hearts toward Him. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of the definitions of seek is “to go in search of.” To go in search of God takes effort on our part. It takes time and energy. It means we make the Lord a priority.
I believe seeking God is a lifelong process. This side of heaven, we will never learn all there is to learn. We will never stop needing Him in our lives.
Yet at times we put our relationship with God on the back burner. We know we need Him, but sometimes we allow other priorities to take precedence.
We have to make a commitment to keep pursuing God. I believe it would benefit us to do a heart check every so often. Do we do everything in our power to spend time with Him and soak up His presence? Do we try to seek His face every day? Do we seek Him with our whole heart?
When we do, our efforts will not be in vain. God’s words to His people in Jeremiah 29:13 are a comforting promise, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Come Together
The second point I want to make about this verse is how the nation came together. They came together to seek help from God and they came together when trouble was looming.
Having a community that we can rely on, and in turn they can rely on us, has lasting rewards. We have a sense of belonging when we have family and friends surrounding us. When a trial comes our way, we have people in our corner to support us. In our Christian walk, our friends help us grow in our faith. Having family and friends around us brings us strength.
The apostle Paul was a strong leader and full of faith. When he was in prison, he wrote encouraging letters to the churches. He persevered in his faith when we was beaten and stoned. His relationship with Jesus was rock solid. That was the strength he stood on. However, even Paul felt lonely when most of his friends deserted him. He knew that having encouraging friends around him brought strength as well. (See 2 Timothy 4:9-22.)
In Hebrews 10:24-25, we are reminded: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
I appreciate the words of Dr. Charles Stanley: “We are the body of Christ, and when we are with other believers, we are doing what comes naturally and what we will do for eternity—being together in his presence. We make up the church, and together we provide strength for one another through prayer, fellowship and encouragement. Enemy forces are always at work around us, seeking to blow us off course. Sheer individual commitment is really not enough to keep us in line. We need the presence and accountability of other believers who love us and are willing to laugh, cry and check on us. At times, when we feel as if our faith makes no difference—or we see no fruit in our lives, and we don’t think our testimony makes a difference—it does. When we surrender our lives to Christ, he uses us in countless ways, ways we may never know.”
For the nation of Judah, I believe that coming together was key in this crisis. May we remember that in our own lives as well. Whether we are facing a difficulty or not, I pray we all have family and friends surrounding us who can help encourage us. And we too can help encourage the people in our lives. We each have the power to spread the love of Jesus. Like a flame on a candle, our flame can help light countless other flames.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Jehoshaphat’s Story – Fasting
“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.” – 2 Chronicles 20:3
We are continuing in the story found in 2 Chronicles 20. Last week we talked about the first part of verse three. Today we will talk about the latter part – Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.
We don’t know a lot of details about the fast, but we do know they fasted. And what’s amazing is that the entire nation fasted. I believe Jehoshaphat proclaimed this fast in order to get direction from God, as well as protection.
We see fasting a lot in the Bible. Sometimes it will be one person who fasted. Other times it will be a group of people who fasted. And in the Bible we often see fasting for a particular reason.
Something to note – the devil might attack us spiritually when we consider fasting because he knows how powerful it is. In fact, as I was writing the draft for this blog post, my internet went out. Coincidence? Or not!
Let’s talk about some basic information on fasting…
What should we fast from? And how should we fast?
I’m going to touch on these two questions together, because the answers can go hand in hand.
The most common type of fasting, especially in the Bible, is fasting from food. There are full fasts from all food. Often you would only drink water, if the fast is between one to three days. If the fast is longer, perhaps up to a week, then drinking juice is common to help keep your strength up.
In the Bible we do see some fasting for a length of forty days. Scholars believe these are supernatural fasts.
There are also partial fasts. Often this is seen in the form of the Daniel fast and eating only fruits and vegetables. (See Daniel 1 on how this originated.) Many churches will hold this kind of fast for three weeks in January to start the year off in an act of surrender.
Sometimes we might see someone fast from a certain meal, such as breakfast, for a week or more.
Due to health concerns, many people need to be careful in this area. If that is the case, you might consider fasting from a category of food, such as sweets.
Fasting doesn’t have to be from food alone, though. You can also fast from certain activities in your life. Social media or television are good examples, especially in our current culture. Fasting is about our hearts, and removing things that distract us from our relationship with God.
Why we fast and the benefits of fasting.
This is an important topic to consider because (1) we need motivation to help us fast and (2) we want to make sure our motives are in the right place.
Fasting can help us in the following areas:
- To draw us closer to God.
- To get discernment for a certain situation.
- To seek His will.
- To cleanse ourselves spiritually.
- For breakthrough about something we are dealing with.
- To surrender ourselves before God.
- To hear from God.
- Mental clarity.
- Victory over a stronghold.
“For me, fasting has been the secret to obtaining open doors, miraculous provision, favor, and the tender touch of God upon my life.”
Pastor Jentezen Franklin
But we have to check our motives. We don’t fast to lose weight, to manipulate God to do something, or to get attention from others.
There are several times in the Bible when we see people fasting for the wrong reasons. Their hearts aren’t in it. In some cases they fasted to show how spiritual they were or because of misconstrued religious observances. (Isaiah 58 and Zechariah 7 are good examples.)
And you might be familiar with Matthew 6:16-18 where Jesus said, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
During Jesus’ time, some of the religious leaders fasted to get attention and show how spiritual they were. Jesus warns us against this. Therefore, before we fast and before we talk to others about our fast, we should do a heart check first to see what our motives are.
When should we fast?
- We can fast when we need help in one of the areas that I mentioned above.
- And as I also mentioned earlier, many will fast in January as a way of handing the year over to God.
- I’ve heard of some fasting around their birthday to start their personal new year off in submission.
- Some people choose one day each month to fast.
- Many people do some type of fast during the Lenten season – the forty days leading up to Easter. In this case we usually see one or two items that are being fasted from.
Really we can fast at any time. Fasting should be entered prayerfully. If the Holy Spirit is prompting you to fast, then you know it’s time. But don’t forget that the devil will also bring arguments against fasting. The enemy will tell you that you don’t need to fast, that you can’t fast, and that fasting won’t work. So it’s definitely important to seek guidance and strength from the Lord.
“Proper fasting humbles us, blesses others, and honors God.”
Author Tara-Leigh Cobble
For Jehoshaphat and the nation, this time of fasting was a way of coming before God with a big concern. When we come to God with our battles, it’s important to remember to seek His will above all else. Sometimes we will go through situations that, as human beings, we want nothing to do with. We want to run in the other direction. Or we want God to intervene immediately. However, sometimes God intentionally sends us through difficulties in order to mold us and to teach us to trust Him.
Therefore, fasting will help us to seek His will. Fasting will also help us to remove all the muck from our lives and hearts, and will help transform us. It will help us to clear away the noise and clutter, so that we can hear from God more clearly.
When we fast, whether in the midst of difficulties or not, we are seeking God and His will above all else. We learn that whatever He has in store for us is always better than what we can dream up for ourselves. And we learn to trust Him with everything. We hold everything loosely in our hands and surrender all to Him. Then we know that we are on the best possible path.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. And if you have any special prayer requests, please let me know.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Jehoshaphat’s Story – Turn to God
“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.” – 2 Chronicles 20:3
We are continuing in Jehoshaphat’s story. At this point we know that a vast army was coming against Jehoshaphat and the nation of Judah. Over the past two weeks we looked at how we Christians face spiritual attacks in our lives. Today we are going to look at the first step that Jehoshaphat took when he was faced with this crisis.
Take a moment to consider – What are your instincts when a crisis or spiritual attack hits? Do you panic? Do you text a friend? Do you eat too much ice cream? Do you immediately try to fix things yourself?
I love what Jehoshaphat’s response was. And I think this is something we all can do, no matter what crisis we are facing – Jehoshaphat immediately turned to God.
In 2 Chronicles 20:3, it says, “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord…” After Jehoshaphat heard the news that turned his day upside down, he made an immediate and wise decision to turn to God.
Let’s step back for a moment to look at Jehoshaphat and his character. Here are a few positive things we know about Jehoshaphat:
- The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his ancestor David (2 Chron 17:3).
- He didn’t worship false gods, as many people of his day did (2 Chron 17:3).
- He sought God and followed His commands (2 Chron 17:4).
- His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord (2 Chron 17:6).
- Jehoshaphat removed the places of pagan idolatry and tributes to false gods (2 Chron 17:6).
- He sent officials around his country to teach the Book of the Law of the Lord to the people (2 Chron 17:7-9).
- The fear of the Lord fell on all the surrounding kingdoms, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 17:10).
- He sought advice and truth from the one true God, while his ally sought the advice of 400 false prophets who only told this ally what he wanted to hear (2 Chron 18:1-27).
- He turned the people back to the Lord (2 Chron 19:4).
- He appointed judges and warned them to judge carefully before the Lord (2 Chron 19:5-7).
- He appointed priests to administer the law of the Lord and settle disputes. He warned them to serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord (2 Chron 19:8-11).
If you ever read through 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles, then you know that the majority of kings found in these books were evil. Jehoshaphat was one of the few who wasn’t evil. We can see in some of the highlights above that he tried to honor God.
With that being said, I believe that since Jehoshaphat already had a stable relationship with God, this helped him to make the right decision when a crisis came his way.
Jehoshaphat didn’t wait until something bad happened to go running to God. And we shouldn’t either.
However, I also want to point out that Jehoshaphat wasn’t perfect. Above I mentioned that Jehoshaphat sought advice and truth from the one true God, while his ally sought the advice of 400 false prophets. His ally here was an evil king named Ahab who ruled over Israel. We might question his relationship with an evil king in the first place.
I appreciate that the Bible shows us when good people make mistakes. None of us are perfect, and we will all make mistakes too. And God knows that. God also sees our hearts and He knows our intentions. God loves us despite our mistakes. Ultimately God wants us to seek Him and walk with Him.
And I believe Jehoshaphat did that as well. He sought God and he walked with Him. This helped create a strong foundation of faith. Then when Jehoshaphat faced something difficult, turning to God was second nature.
Ron Mehl puts it this way, “Jehoshaphat’s secret was simple. When it came time to run for the Lord’s help, he didn’t have very far to go. In fact, he walked with God every day.” [A Prayer That Moves Heaven by Ron Mehl, (c) 2002]
I love that – “he didn’t have very far to go.” Can we say the same about ourselves? I hope so!
Day in and day out we can seek God and build a relationship with Him. In the beginning it might feel like a chore. But after we have spent time with the Lord and know Him better, our time with Him becomes an exciting part of our day. We find that having a relationship with Him is a joy that brings us peace and contentment. Then when challenges come our way, we will have a strong foundation to stand on.
So we know the importance of having a solid relationship with God each day. And we know the importance of turning to God in a crisis. Yet, we sometimes find it difficult to turn to God in times of trouble. Either we decide to handle things ourselves, or we let fear consume us. Why is that?
Sometimes the answer stems from the fact that we can see what’s in front of us, but we can’t always physically see God working on our behalf. Our culture tells us that “seeing is believing.”
However, a big part of faith is believing in the unseen. As it says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” And Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
There is a story found in 2 Kings 6 that I love, dealing with the prophet Elisha and his servant. The king of the region of Aram didn’t like the prophet Elisha because Elisha was always one step ahead of him. When the king of Aram would plan to attack Israel, Elisha knew what he was up to and would warn the king of Israel. One day the king of Aram was fed up with Elisha and decided to go after him.
Let’s read 2 Kings 6: 14-17 together:
14 Then [Aram] sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
God’s angels were surrounding them. What an amazing story.
Our culture portrays angels as delicate creatures, but God’s angels are warriors. God sends out his troops to protect us. As it says in Psalm 91:11, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”
God is always there for us, whether our human eyes can see Him move or not. Sometimes it might take longer than we like for Him to do something. But that doesn’t mean He isn’t working.
And when we build that relationship with Him, when we spend time reading the Bible, when we make prayer a priority – these things help us to build our faith. They help us to trust that God is working things out for good. They help us to know that He is beside us, no matter what. And we believe His promises.
Whatever we are going through today, whether we are facing a battle or not, let us remember to walk with God each day. Then when a difficulty hits, we will instinctively run to God. Our faith will be strong and we will trust He is fighting for us.
Next week we will talk about the latter part of verse three. Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Jehoshaphat’s Story – Some Battles We Might Face
Warning – this post is longer than my usual post length. So grab a cup of coffee ☕️ and get comfy…
We are continuing in Jehoshaphat’s story. Last week we talked about how the enemy comes against us, as children of God. However, we also talked about how we have Jesus on our side.
Today I wanted to touch on a few ways that we might see the enemy attack. Mainly I want to look at a few ways the enemy sneaks in and we don’t realize it’s him. As we walk through each one, take a look at your own life or the lives of your loved ones. Perhaps some of these scenarios will sound familiar, but you didn’t realize until now that it was a spiritual battle.
The Enemy Will Attack Our Minds
If you have ever struggled with depression, anxiety, fear, anger, pride, worry, defeat, unforgiveness, hatred, or any other negative emotion – this started in your mind. And while it is true that God has given us some of these emotions to be used wisely in certain situations, it is also true that these emotions can run rampant if we are not careful.
Mental health has become more and more of an issue in our world. No matter the age, race, or gender, this serious issue can affect so many. As Jennie Allen said, “The greatest spiritual battle of our generation is being fought between our ears.” [Get Out Of Your Head © 2020 by Jennie Allen]
Note: I do realize some of us will require medical help in the area of mental health. If that is you, that is okay. I am not undermining your situation. And I hope you don’t think I take it lightly.
However, I do believe that for many people out there, the battles that we face in the mind can be altered by the power of prayer and clinging to the truths found in the Bible. One of my favorite Bible verses touches on this subject. In 2 Corinthians 10:5. Paul tells us, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Taking every thought captive might sound easier said than done. We might have to take our thoughts captive over and over again.
Pastor Craig Groeschel said, “Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. What we think shapes who we are.” [Winning the War in Your Mind © 2021 by Craig Groeschel]
Looking at it from that perspective reveals to us how vital it is to take every thought captive. I believe prayer, Scripture, and gratitude have played a key role in my own life when it comes to the battle of the mind. (And in the coming weeks we will talk more about these practices, as well as other practices found in Jehoshaphat’s story, which will help with many of the battles we face.)
If this is something you struggle with, I pray you find peace as you run into the arms of Jesus.
The Enemy Will Distract Us
This is a topic I am passionate about, especially in our current culture. I am convinced that devices, social media, video games, and the like are some of the enemy’s best tools in our generation. Many people waste countless hours in a black hole. At traffic lights, in the post office, and at ball games, we see heads down and thumbs moving. Even at restaurants, grown adults are playing on their phones instead of visiting with the people sitting right in front of them.
I have a smartphone and I have a tablet. So I know firsthand that they are beneficial instruments. However, I also know firsthand how addictive they are. Personally, I have taken steps to limit time spent on things which I believe are a distraction and provide no lasting benefit. It takes discipline, but it is possible.
However, please note that the enemy can use a myriad of other things to distract us. As I mentioned before, the enemy is sneaky. He can even use something exceptionally good to distract us. Some things in our lives are really good things. Yet too much of a good thing can distract us from the One we need to spend time with the most. And good things can also take away our focus from those who are sitting right in front of us.
Let us seek God in prayer and ask Him to reveal anything in our lives that needs to go and anything that keeps us from having the best relationship with Him.
The Enemy Will Make Us Think Our Value Comes From Our Performance
In our culture, we tend to keep going and going until we have reached exhaustion. We add more onto our plates at home, at work, or at church. We think if we can just get it all done, then this will prove our worth.
Do you remember the Martha and Mary story found in Luke 10:38-42? Martha and Mary were sisters, and Jesus was visiting with them on one particular occasion. Martha was running around tending to preparations while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. Martha complained about her sister not helping. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (v 41-42).
Martha was trying to perform, trying to get it all done. And perhaps she thought that all of her endeavors around the house would prove her worth. But if we are honest, are we any different? Our culture seems to shout that we have to do more in order to be valuable.
Renee Swope puts it this way, “We live in a culture filled with messaging that tells us our productivity proves our worth. And it is a lie from the pit of hell that is wreaking havoc on our mental health, our physical and spiritual well-being, our youth, and our families. We have got to recognize this underlying belief that has too much power and influence over our decisions and in the direction of our lives.” [A Confident Mom © 2022 by Renee Swope]
Friend, please remember that your value doesn’t come from what you do at work or at home. It doesn’t come from keeping a tidy house or getting good grades. It doesn’t come from being a super parent or someone well-respected in your field of work.
Your value and your identity are found in Jesus. Your relationship with Him is what makes you valuable. You are clothed in righteousness. You are a new creation. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
The Enemy Will Keep Us Busy
This is another topic that I am passionate about. But it also can be tied to the previous two topics. So I won’t say too much here. However, I do believe busyness is the enemy of living out our Christian lives.
How can we love others, when we are in a hurry and always focused on our to-do lists? When we slow down, and eliminate unnecessary tasks from our lives, we have margin to be present to those around us.
How can we grow in our spiritual lives when our plates are so full that we push our time with God to the back burner? Usually when we are busy, our prayer time and Bible reading are the first things to go. But that is when we need them the most. As Martin Luther said, “I am so busy now that if I did not spend three hours each day in prayer, I could not get through the day.”
Our pressures cause us to hurry through a busy life. Learning to let go and lean on God will do wonders for our souls.
The Enemy Will Cause Conflict In Our Relationships
Take a look around at the people in our world. Families, friends, coworkers, fellow citizens, fellow Christians. Everywhere we turn, we see conflict. It seems to get worse and worse in our culture. Instead of spreading the light and love of Jesus, we are easily offended and writing each other off. Forgiving others, even for the smallest offense, appears to be a radical concept these days.
But in Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus commands us to forgive our brethren: “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”
It is heartbreaking to know that each time we get hurt, and as a result refuse to forgive someone, this pleases the enemy. He knows that keeping bitterness in our hearts will hold us back. If we do not forgive others, and instead hold a grudge, we are building a wall around our hearts. This will influence other areas of our lives, including our relationship with God.
In his aptly titled book, The Bait of Satan, John Bevere says, “The issue of offense … is often the most difficult obstacle an individual must face and overcome.” [© 1994, 1997, 2004, 2014 by John Bevere]
When we look at the world around us, it can be discouraging to see how relationships are being torn apart. While we can’t control the world, we can control our own attitudes in this area. When we remember that the enemy is the one who is trying to put a wedge between us and our loved ones, this helps us to proceed in love and peace.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” – Romans 12:18 NIV
We could talk all day about the ways the enemy might attack us. But, alas, I have nearly 1900 words in this post! 😬 If you are still reading, then I thank you for sticking with me! 😅
I only scraped the surface here. Other ways could include health, finances, temptation, and so much more. However, sometimes those battles are more obvious. Therefore, in this post I tried to touch on ways that the enemy sneaks into our lives and we don’t realize it’s him.
It’s important for Christians to remember that we have an adversary who is constantly against us. But we don’t have to allow him to have full control of our lives. Knowledge is power. The mere fact that we know his tactics will help us to be better prepared when he attacks. In the coming weeks, we will continue to uncover the story of King Jehoshaphat. And we will explore some key steps that the king and the nation of Judah took when an army was coming against them. I pray we too can learn ways to stand strong against the enemy’s attacks, as we lean on the Lord and His strength. With God by our sides, we can move the mountains that come against us.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Jehoshaphat’s Story – Facing a Battle
Last week I mentioned that we are going to walk through Jehoshaphat’s story found in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.
Today we are going to focus on verses 1-2: “After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi).”
This story starts off with a bit of drama. Jehoshaphat was notified that “a vast army” was headed his way. The day may have been an ordinary day to begin with, but suddenly things didn’t look good at all.
Hopefully we won’t face a literal vast army in our lives, yet we still can relate to this story. We have all had days like this, haven’t we? Suddenly a phone call, an event, or a decision can turn our world upside down. We may have woken up to an ordinary day, but then out of the blue, our day spirals.
Something I have mentioned on this blog before, but it is important to remember – as children of God we are at war. Just as various armies came to wage war against the nation of Judah, every day Satan is waging war against you, me, and all of God’s children. The fact is that the enemy doesn’t like us one bit. He doesn’t like us spreading the light and love of Jesus to those around us. He doesn’t like that God has great plans for our lives. So, he tries to stop us in our tracks. He will distract us and make us feel defeated. He will do anything to get us off course.
We all go through difficult seasons in our lives. But I believe there are many times when the devil is the one at work, and we don’t even realize it.
Think about a recent problem in your life, or even a difficult person you have been dealing with. You might think that situation or person is the enemy. But it’s not. The real enemy working behind that circumstance is the devil.
As Priscilla Shirer so aptly puts in, “Whoever or whatever it is—it is not your real problem. Hear that again: IT is NOT your REAL problem. The most troubling things in your life—things you perceive with your five physical senses—are not your real issue. Though you may be wrestling with them verbally, emotionally, financially, even physically, you are wasting precious time and energy that needs to be reserved for the real culprit—the one who is behind the scenes, striving to direct the details of some of your most acute difficulties. Everything that occurs in the visible, physical world is directly connected to the wrestling match being waged in the invisible, spiritual world.” [The Armor of God © 2015 Priscilla Shirer]
In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
The thief is the devil. He is out to get us. He will work diligently to steal our peace, our joy, and our blessings. He will do whatever he can to kill our hopes, our dreams, and the beautiful things we have built. And he will move in to destroy our relationships or anything else he can get his hands on. This is vital for us to remember. Every single day. We have to stay focused.
Some of the big problems that we face might be easier to identify as a work of the devil. But unfortunately, he is sneaky and sly. He doesn’t always attack us with obvious warfare. So we have to stay alert. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Next week I will touch on some areas that we might see an attack. But for now, I want us to keep in mind that part of the battle is remembering that the devil is at work. This helps us to take proper action. And we will be getting deep into what that proper action looks like throughout the coming weeks.
There is good news tied to this. Let’s read Jesus’ words in John 10:10 again: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus didn’t only tell us about the enemy’s tactics and then leave it at that. Jesus went on to remind us that He came to bring us a full life. Some Bible versions put this verse differently. The New Living Translation says, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” And the English Standard Version says, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
This is good news. We shouldn’t be scared of the devil when we remember that Jesus is on our side. While it is important to remember that we have an enemy who is against us, it is equally important to remember that we also have an amazing Savior in our corner.
And the best part of all is that the enemy cannot win. Jesus has already defeated him. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Let us cling to this truth, every day, no matter what we are up against. Jesus has already overcome.
Maybe right now you are facing something difficult. One thing to keep in mind is that whatever you are facing is not a surprise to God. Just as the what King Jehoshaphat faced was not a surprise to God. He knows all. And He sees the battles that we will come against, long before we do. That should give us some reassurance that if He allowed it, then He will also walk beside us through it all. He has our backs.
Praise God for His neverending goodness, faithfulness, and love. No matter what comes our way, we can depend on Him and His strength to see us through.
Until next week…
Thank you for reading. Have a blessed weekend.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Bridget A. Thomas 