IS GOD FIGHTING YOUR BATTLES?

On every Mission Discovery mission trip, we begin the morning together in God’s word. One speaker is chosen to give the word of the day so that everyone else can meditate on the Scripture. Our hope is that volunteers engage in group discussions throughout the day and in their small groups.

Since the way ministry is being done has shifted, our goal is to serve by creating resources that will help others focus on God throughout the day, and influence family and small group discussion.

Join us every weekday as we explore God’s word together. We will have speakers from all over the US and the world. Here is today’s Kickstart Devotional.

Is God fighting your battles?
Mission Discovery Mission Trips with Jenny Bridenbaugh

Jenny Bridenbaugh is a long time friend of Mission Discovery. She has become friends with Courtney Rivera and served with her on a mission trip to Jamaica too.

Good Morning, my name is Jenny Bridenbaugh and I live here in Hendersonville Tennessee.  I am connected to Mission Discovery through Courtney Rivera and I have gotten the opportunity to serve alongside her in Jamaica. I have also gotten the opportunity to serve alongside her as a ministry partner but also as a friend, more importantly.  Seeing her day in and day out serve the Lord through Mission Discovery and HOLD the Children is such a blessing and I’m excited to share with you today just some words of encouragement and let’s get started.

So starting in Second Chronicles 20 and one of the main reasons I wanted to go here today is we all feel like we’re in a battle right now and that is always a struggle.

It’s always a hard time when you feel like you can never win or move forward because we’re kind of stuck. Thankfully things are starting to open up. Thankfully things are starting to progress as the days and weeks go long.  But as of right, now we’re still in the midst of this pandemic. And so in Chronicles, Second Chronicles 20, one of the main things that it is wrapped around is a prayer.

And as you would agree with me that prayer is the one thing that we can do day in and day out.  Pray without ceasing and that we can give ourselves up to the Lord through prayer and petition. And so today we’re looking at, don’t judge me, Jehoshaphat’s prayer.

I was told that if you just say someone’s name with confidence it also is it sounds better and people believe you. So Jehoshaphat’s prayer and I’ll just read some of it, we’re not going to dig into all of it. But it was extremely challenging and I have a little post-it note up here on my wall with it because it’s a good reminder.

It says “After this the Moabites and the Ammonites and with them, some of the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat for battle.” So they came against Jehoshaphat and his people. “Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea and behold they are in Engedi.” Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed as a fast throughout all Judah.”

So just a couple things here, we can just easily read that and be very challenged and where we’re at right now in the pandemic.  One,  he was afraid he’s admitting the fact that he was afraid.  With the things that were coming against him and I don’t know about you but sometimes it’s really hard to vocalize that not only to other people but also to the Lord.

And so the challenge here is, are we sharing with the Lord that we are afraid?  If we are. And some of us might not be afraid at all because we know that he is in control. We have already placed that trust in him. But some of us are in the place of fear and that is okay. But it’s not okay to stay there.   So that is why we come to the Lord.

That is why Jehoshaphat here came to the Lord. And it says that not only was he afraid but he set his face to seek the Lord.  That was his second thing that he did was immediately seek the Lord. And all these other people are coming into my mind from the Bible previously, from Chronicles and it just is a reminder that they sought the Lord every single time something came up. And then the third thing here it says and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.  And so that is one challenge.

You know back in the day for me I used to fast every single January just really start the year off with a fast and mentally and spiritually and be in that place of withholding myself from certain things like food, restricting myself to seek the Lord and to really receive from him.

And that is a challenge for me right now I haven’t fasted in quite a bit but the key is about God and His goodness is that as I read this I know I need to fast.  Because there are things in my life that I’ve not given up to him and that I need to seek his face.  So that I can see His revelation, His glory, in everything he is going to do going forward. So that was just not even at the prayer point.

These are the things leading up to Jehoshaphat’s prayer.  And I believe that is key,  because as we read through part of his prayer it will become more understandable into the way and who Jehoshaphat was in these moments and so he led all the people in a prayer and fasting to seek the Lord.

And said we’re going to start off in verse 6 and it says, “Oh Lord, God of our fathers are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations.  In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.  Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel.   And give it forever to the descendants of Abraham, your friend?”  Now want to skip down just a little bit says “Oh our God, will you not execute judgement on them?”  That’s who is  coming against them. “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”  Is that not where we sit today? Nobody knows what to do. Nobody has an answer. We want the answer, we want the cure, we want everything like that.   But are we seeking the Lord to get the answer?  Or are we really dependent on people to give us an answer?

I must get skipped down just a little bit again in verse 17. We’re still in Second Chronicles 20 verse 17. This is God sharing back to him, He is going back. He says: “You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm hold your position and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf. Oh Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed.  Tomorrow, go out against them and the Lord will be with you. Believe in the Lord your God and you will be established. Believe his prophets and you will succeed. And when he had taken counsel with the people he appointed those in charge saying give thanks to the Lord for a steadfast love endures forever.”  So I can’t really add much to that other than just a reminder of what was said.

You don’t need to fight the battle. The Lord is with you so do not be afraid. Do not be dismayed. And even though we don’t know, God does. And so the challenge today, the key question here to really mull over is, are we letting God fight this battle for us?

Are we trusting him?  Or are we kind of standing on the side of fear of what’s going to happen, how it’s gonna happen and all these things?  And so, are you letting God fight this battle within you? With not just the coronavirus or anything like that, but just on a day to day basis, we face battles every single day. Are we allowing God to fight for us?

Also it does say here says believe in the Lord your God. Are you believing in the Lord to fight your battle? So hopefully this can stir up some questions and challenges in your own life, because it has for me personally and I just hope you hear from Him as you work through this scripture. Bye guys.