Ambushing Satan With Song [Part ONE]

2 Chronicles 20:1-25

There are at least two ways by which God protects his people from danger.

1. Sometimes he prevents danger from even arising on the horizon of our lives.
2. Other times he allows the danger to attack, and gives us the victory so that we live on and serve him in gladness.

In this passage, God allowed the enemy to attack.

The story of Jehoshaphat under attack and the unusual victory God gave him has been one of my favourite stories over the years. What I want to do is to deliver this story in several short posts so that we can journey together in learning the timeless lessons this story brings to our soul

God Allows the Enemy to Attack

We learn back in 2 Chronicles 17:6 that Jehoshaphat was a good king in Judah: "His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord." And verse 10 tells us that in those days the way the Lord protected him was that no enemy even arose: "And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat."

But in chapter 20 God loosens his sovereign grip on the nations around Judah and allows the enemies of Jehoshaphat to come against him. Verse 1: "After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meumites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle."

God has ceased to protect Jehoshaphat by holding back his enemies. He could have continued to hold them back. But he doesn't. It is time for Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah to experience the protection of God in another way.

Jehoshaphat Seeks the Lord in Prayer

What should we do when God releases our enemies against us?

Watch what Jehoshaphat did. Verse 3: "Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord." When our lives are threatened—when our faith is threatened or our marriage or the morality of our children or the fire of our worship—when we are threatened by any of Satan's devices, we should seek the Lord and lock into earnest prayer. We do this because our victory comes from the spiritual realm, not the material realm.

God is looking for the soul that would pray like a Jehoshaphat [verses 6–12] He begins by ascribing sovereign power to God: "O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? Do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In you hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you."

Would you pray like that today? Even when you are most desperate, and fear is making your insides melt, would you ascribe sovereign power to God? "In your hand are power and might so that none is able to withstand your!" When you begin your prayer by ascribing all power and glory to God, a strength and hope and confidence come into your prayer and you feel yourself in touch with the Ruler of the universe. This places you into the initial phases that leads to victory .

Clothes For Life

“For Aaron’s sons, make tunics, sashes, and special head coverings
that are glorious and beautiful”.

Exodus 28:40

In the book of Exodus the future of political leadership is cloudy. Moses’ sons would not inherit the office. Nor would Joshua’s boys. In fact the book of Judges shows just how messy the succession process would become. It was not God’s original intention that leadership should be inherited. Instead God favoured the process of selecting uniquely designed men and filling them with the Spirit for the job. None were related but all were greatly used.

But yet, when it came to Aaron, the high priest, God planned that spiritual leaders would be hereditary. Without hesitation, the Lord said that not only Aaron but his sons too were to be priests. They were not even given a choice in the matter. They were elected and that was that. It was their father’s role to get them ready for the work. The only choice they had was whether they would be a good priest or a poor one.

What does this mean for us today?

In one sense the best seminary is the Christian home to produce future spiritual leaders. There are remarkable examples of people coming to Christ without a Christian upbringing who go on to be remarkable spiritual leaders. But there are more examples of leaders who were raised by godly praying parents who not only disciplined their children but discipled them well. Educational instituitions, seminaries and colleges and experience sharpened their abilities, but the heart of their ministry started around the meal table.

Because Peter explains that all Christians are called to be priests; Aaron’s story applies to us all. In this story, as throughout the book of Acts, it is clear that God wants to save whole families and not just individuals. Eventually every one of our children leaves home. It is God’s intention that when they do that they should represent the Lord well and bring his presence wherever they should go.

I remember my wife dressing our children for their first day in kindergarten. They had crisp, cute school uniforms. They were so proud of their little shoes and school bag. We had them stand at the balcony and took a picture. We still have those pictures.

Both our kids don't wear uniforms anymore. They have both passed the age of putting on school uniforms. The last time I saw my son in his white prefect's uniform was the day he went to collect his 'O-level' results some three weeks back. The uniforms are now in storage, the real clothes are waiting.

My children are called to be priests, to bring the presence of God wherever they go and to bring the influence of Christ wherever they are. I want them to know two things before they leave the dressing room of our home.

The clothes they are given by the Lord in a Christian home are beautiful. They are not out-dated but powerfully relevant; spiritually in vogue. It is as if everyone in the world is dressed in grey and they are allowed to wear colour, to bring hope where there is none to be had. There should be joy, anticipation and awe of God in the ministries He has called them to do as priests. I want them too to know that these clothes are glorious, for it is God who has called them and it is the Lord who will go with them where they go. He will be with them in his presence and he will touch every life that they touch. He will make their life glorious and they will shine in his clothings.

As parents we are called to clothe our children for life - with the robe of Christ. Fussing over their material needs is necessary but paying attention to their spiritual dressing is far more needful. Let's clothe our children for LIFE!

Stewarding Your Victories Successfully

“And now the Lord your God has given you rest…
only be very careful to observe
the commandments of the law
which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you,
to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways
and keep His commandments
and hold fast to Him and serve Him
with all your heart and all your soul”

Joshua 22: 4,5

The context of these verses were such that the wars were coming to an end with the foreign opponents and God had given His warring people rest on every side. They have been victorious, but now their responsibilities were just beginning. God had given them wealth, victory, land and status.

But now God commands them to steward well their victory and success! They were to put into effect the laws of God fueled by love for the Lord. They were not to forget, but weave into their daily dealings with one another the laws and statutes of God.

The greatest test would not be with foreign armies – it would be stewarding victory successfully. It would not be fearing defeat and poverty. It would be guarding the pride that comes with blessings and prosperity.

If we fast forward the story, we will see how the Israelites forgot – how they left the laws of God and turned against one another.

When God gives victory in any area, you and I have a responsibility to steward it well. Has the Lord healed you; answered your prayers; brought you out of the horrible pit; blessed you financially? When God gives us a victory, we are responsible before the Lord to use it to serve. We must never forget the commandments of God.

This Sunday, Agape will again bring our financial gifts to the King for our work in Pek Kio in 2007. In so many ways, the Lord has blessed us. Let us responsibly steward those blessings so that others may be blessed. As a result, may we go from blessing to blessing so much so that blessings overtake us!