THE CHALLENGE OF THE ENEMIES IN OUR LIVES

(2 CHRONICLES 20:1-19)

Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. ² Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of Aram and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).” ³ Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.

⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court, ⁶ and he said, “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. ⁷ Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? ⁸ They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, ⁹ ‘Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.’ ¹⁰ Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), ¹¹ see how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. ¹² O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

¹³ All Judah was standing before the Lord, with their infants, their wives and their children.

¹⁴ Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; ¹⁵ and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.”

¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. ¹⁹ The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

When The Enemy Closes In

            There are times in our lives when we all feel a bit overwhelmed.  Like the whole world is closing in on us and the enemy is marching into our lives unannounced, unprovoked, and in force.  At that moment there are one of four possible responses:  panic, shoulder up to meet the challenge head on, become withdrawn, or turn to Someone greater than ourselves for help.  This passage we are about to look at is an example how we should respond

A Kingdom Under Attack

            Jehoshaphat was king over Judah when they came under attack by three separate nations which, for whatever reason, decided to ally against them.  What makes it more shocking is that these were nations who were considered kindred people:  Moab, Ammon, and Edom.  Moab and Ammon where the children of Lot (the nephew of Abraham) and his two daughter’s unrighteous sexual encounters found in Genesis 19:30-38.  Edom was a nation developed from the children of Esau the brother of Jacob in Genesis 32:3 and 36.  In his prayer before the Lord, Jehoshaphat points out in verse 10 that Israel was forbidden to drive out these nations by God according to Numbers 20:17-21.  Even though, through the years these nations had been brought under subjection by different Kings of Israel, there was never an attempt to drive them out.  So one can see the shock and surprise of being attacked with the sole purpose of destroying them.

            The other thing to see is the complete size of these armies!  They were not coming with a small force.  In fact verse 2 notes, “…‘A great multitude is coming against you…’”  At this point in history Judah stands alone against them.  The nation had been split because of the unrighteousness of Solomon and his son according to 1 Kings 11:29-40 and 12:1-20 as well as 2 Chronicles 10.  The northern kingdom of Israel was severally weakened at the defeat of Ahab her king and the overthrow of its administration by Jehu in 2 Chronicles 18:28-19:3.  At this point there is no one to turn to for help in this world.

The Panic

            It would be amiss for any of us to assume that panic did not enter the heart and possibly the population at the revelation of what was occurring.  Verse 3 notes that Jehoshaphat was afraid, as would anyone.  Where does he turn?  What should he do?  How should he handle this situation?  The one thing we can say about this king was that he did not shoulder up thinking if he just mustered up enough men and if their strategies were smart enough they could defeat this invasion.  The other thing he did not do was withdrawal.  He did not attempt to run and hide from the situation.  Being the good king that he was verse 3 reveals that even though he was afraid, he “…turned his attention to seek the LORD…”  Just to be understood, he alone did not do this, but this was expected to be done by everyone in the kingdom.

The Action of Turning to Yahweh

            Verse 3 clearly states that Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast, therefore the call to seek Yahweh’s face is made.  Verse 4 shows the concern of the citizens by them assembling in Jerusalem at the temple to seek the face of the LORD, together.  They understood the gravity of the situation and knew, as did their king, that they as a nation could not overcome this combined foe alone.  They needed help and it was not coming from any other source.

The Prayer of Confidence

            Jehoshaphat’s prayer is intriguing.  He is not ignorant of his history, the scriptures, the character of God, or his position in this time of difficulty.  His prayer shows depth of knowledge from the Scripture and humility.  He proclaims who God is, who they are in His sight, and what He has done for them.  With no restraint they beg for help from Him. (vv. 5-13)

God’s Revelation

            This time of prayer and humility brings revelation from Jahaziel a prophet of God and family of the Levitical order.  The word of God to the people is three fold:  1) the enemy is not to be feared (v. 15a), which was a promise made to Joshua in Joshua 1:7-9 when he was preparing the nation of Israel to take the land; 2) the battle belongs to the Lord (v. 15b); and 3) they needed to go out and face the enemy in order to see what God was about to do for them (vv. 16-17). 

The Correct Response

            If this moment were to be Americanized on film there would be a great uprising and call to arms.  But, this is not America, it is Judah and their response was as it should be, an act of deep worship of this great God.  Verses 18-19 bring out that they worshiped in prayer and in song.  They had sought God, God had answered, and now they were thankful for His grace shown to them.

Lessons

·         Great enemies will raise up against us and often in great number from unexpected sources.

·         We should seek God when our enemies stand against us.

·         We should be prepared to hear a word from God when we seek Him.

·         When we hear from God we should worship Him for His great word.

·         God will do the fighting for us.

·         Extra thought:  Maybe if we followed this way of living and worship in our churches we would hear more from God.

Please contact me with any speaking engagements please contact me contact me at:

StevenSwaim@Bedevotedministries.com

For more insight from the Bible pleased visit http://www.xulonpress.com/bookstore to order my book Walking Faith:  A Journey from Then to Now through James

to purchase my book

EXCERPTS FROM WALKING FAITH: A JOURNEY FROM THEN TO NOW THROUGH JAMES

Part 3

In the introduction of my book Walking Faith I discuss four major views of dealing with suffering.  Here is an excerpt from my book dealing with the third view.

“The third school of thought is called hedonism.  Hedonism means to disregard any and all forms of misery.  This is done by ignoring it through complete pleasure.  This pleasure is sought through a variety of outlets, such as alcohol, recreational use of illegal drugs, or illegitimate forms of sexual activity.  It can also appear through other forms of passing the time, both those that are considered socially acceptable and unacceptable.  The idea is simple:  don’t worry, be happy.”—Pg. xviii-xix

My question to you today is, what are you doing to relieve yourself of the issues at hand?  Are you using alcohol, sex or drugs?  Maybe you have a tendency to work into the night hoping to get a head financially?  Or you might watch more entertainment then what may be considered healthy?  Have you ever stopped to think that what you need is someone to walk with through the pain?  Take a moment, open your Bible and pray.  While it may not change the circumstances, it may change your perspective.  Please check out my book Walking Faith:  A Journey from Then to Now through James for helpful insights from God’s truth.  You can find my book at xulonpress.com or the kindle version at amazon.com.

His Servant,

Steven Swaim

President/Founder, Be Devoted Ministries

I can be reached at StevenSwaim@BeDevotedMinistries.com for speaking engagements or book signings.  Please place speaking engagement or book signing in the subject line.  In the body give the date, location, and a phone number to reach you.

EXCERPTS FROM WALKING FAITH: A JOURNEY FROM THEN TO NOW THROUGH JAMES

Part 2

In the introduction of my book Walking Faith I discuss four major views of dealing with suffering.  Here is an excerpt from my book dealing with the second view.

“The second school of thinking concerning suffering is that nothing can be done about it; therefore, we should not attempt to help those who are suffering.  This can be a form of nihilism.  Nihilism is a philosophy that is so negative that it encourages suicide if the situation appears to be inescapable…life and suffering are meaningless…The first school of thinking (socialism) is so outward focused that it ignores the inward condition of humanity, this thinking discounts any outward focus at all.  Some forms of Hinduism fall into this particular perspective.”—Pg. xviii

My question to you today is, are you allowing your situation run, and therefore ruin your life?  Where is your focus?  Are you focused on yourself and what you can do?  Or are you focused on the God of eternity who, through Jesus Christ will walk with you in your difficulties?  Please check out my book Walking Faith:  A Journey from Then to Now through James for helpful insights from God’s truth.  You can find my book at xulonpress.com or the kindle version at amazon.com.

His Servant,

Steven Swaim

President/Founder, Be Devoted Ministries

I can be reached at StevenSwaim@BeDevotedMinistries.com for speaking engagements or book signings.  Please place speaking engagement or book signing in the subject line.  In the body give the date, location, and a phone number to reach you.

EXCERPTS FROM WALKING FAITH: A JOURNEY FROM THEN TO NOW THROUGH JAMES

Part 1

In the introduction of my book Walking Faith I discuss four major views of dealing with suffering.  Here is an excerpt from my book dealing with one of those views.

"There are four schools that often permeate our culture regarding suffering.  The first is socialism, which seeks to end suffering.  Buddhism also teaches this perspective.  Socialism presents the idea that suffering can be – and eventually will be – eliminated.  The general conviction of socialism is that this will be accomplished in time through science, art, philosophy, politics, and human nature.  Socialists believe these things will meld together to erase the troubling problems of life.  Social programs are created within the idea of abolishing suffering…Though they may help good people, the do not truly equip the individual to properly deal with life’s issues.”—Pg. xvii-xviii

The question I have for you is what are you trusting in when you go through hardships?  God and His word, the Bible, gives us deep insights regarding our lives on Earth and in eternity.  Please check out my book Walking Faith:  A Journey from Then to Now through James for helpful insights from God’s truth.  You can find my book at xulonpress.com or the kindle version at amazon.com.

His Servant,

Steven Swaim

President/Founder, Be Devoted Ministries

I can be reached at StevenSwaim@BeDevotedMinistries.com for speaking engagements or book signings.  Please place speaking engagement or book signing in the subject line.  In the body give the date, location, and a phone number to reach you.

NEW BOOK-WALKING FAITH

News On "Walking Faith"

Headline:  Dallas, TX

March 7, 2017

My book Walking Faith:  A Journey From Then to Now Through James has been handed to the publishers, Xulon Press, for work on the cover.  It is expected to take two weeks then will be handed to me for review.  After that it will begin to go into production.  It appears to be on the march toward sometime around June for publication.  There are several organizations that will benefit from this publication, they will be announced later.  Please, keep an eye out for this insightful book.

Thank you,

Steven Swaim

President & Founder, Be Devoted Ministries

I can be contacted for pulpit supply, revivals, or speaking engagements at StevenSwaim@BeDevotedMinistries.com.  Please place "Speaking Engagement" in the subject line.  Your number, the date of event, and the purpose of the event should be in the body of the e-mail.  I will contact you to discuss payment for event.

BEING GLAD IN THE LORD

Introduction

Orson Well’s movie Citizen Kane is a story about a man who climbs the ladder of upper society.  His search is always for happiness.  At the very end, despite all of his gain in wealth, he leaves behind everything and nobody to give his possession to.  What he did leave behind were ruined relationships, angry people, and a world full of stuff that is of no use to anybody.  So what or who is it that gave Citizen Kane the greatest happiness?  What or who is it that made him glad?  In this story of tragedy only one person or thing gave him gladness…Rosebud.  I will not tell you who or what Rosebud was, because I want you to see this movie, but it (or they) were the only thing that gave him any happiness.

We all have Rosebuds in our lives.  A moment that we look back at that brings a smile.  That thing that we may even still have in our possession that reminds us of a happy moment in life.  Or a person who knew how to bring a smile to our face.  We all have Rosebuds.  However according to this Psalm there is only One who can bring real gladness to our hearts.

Review

Last week we answered the question, “What do you meditate on?”  In that brief discussion we saw that the meditation was filling our lives with thoughts on the scriptures and how that God could use it to work in our lives.  It was something that pleased Him because it was committed to Him in thought and life.  Today I want to look at this continuation of the four things we can do to make 2017 a much richer year.

There is Nothing Wrong with Being Glad

We live in a society of extremes.  On the one hand there is the more liberal influence that does not want any of us happy.  From their view if we are glad then we are artificial and uncaring.  On the other hand there are those of a more materialistic finding that feel there things and people should bring us the needed contentment.  The extreme of this is called hedonism where pleasure is sought after for exhilaration.  But is it wrong to be glad about something?

If it were wrong to be glad about things then the Bible would not mention it in a positive light.  However this gladness is viewed in a different way than the world may view it.  There is something else that is communicated.

The KJV and NIV both translate the word glad as “rejoice.”  In the Hebrew the word being used אֶשְׂמַח (asmh) which can also mean “to be merry.”[1]  As it was in the first half of this verse regarding meditation, there is something or someone with whom this glad rejoicing of merriment is to occur.  It is the Lord in whom this happens.  The idea of “in the” is that of a relationship.  If someone does not belong to the Lord they cannot rejoice in Him.  Without a personal connection of knowing what pleases Him in our meditations there is no true rejoicing.  

What Are We To Show Gladness For?

The short answer to this question can be found in Philippians 4:4-8.  Paul encouraged the Philippian believers in Philippians 4:4 to, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”  Paul’s admonition mirrors that of the psalmist.  This rejoicing is to be done always, it is an expression of joy over and over.  Again it is to be done “in the Lord” meaning that a relationship is necessary in order of this to happen.  That relationship can only come through Jesus Christ.

The second thing we see is from verse 5.  We are to rejoice in light of the fact that the Lord is present in our situation, “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.”  The idea of a gentle or spirit controlled person who rejoices is done because of the assurance of God’s involvement in our lives.

The third thing is seen in verses 6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  We are to rejoice in prayer despite what is going on around us.  We can do this because in confidence we can take our concerns to the very Lord who is involved in our lives.  Gladness does not ignore the circumstances, rather it acknowledges God’s intervening power.  Regardless of how He intervenes, gladness is matched with peace which guard’s the heart during the time of difficulty.

Finally, we see from verses 8-9 that gladness in the Lord is found in what we think about.  Or better what we meditate up on, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.  The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”  Paul states that the key is to keep our minds on things that honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good report and that encourages praise toward the Lord.

Charles Spurgeon put it best, “Live in the light of your Lord, and let your soul always be ravished with His love.  Take in the nourishment which this portion yields you.  Live up to your privileges, and rejoice with unspeakable joy.”[2]

I think that quote sums up being “glad in the Lord!”

NEXT WEEK:  LIVING A LIFE OF BLESSING THE LORD DAILY

His Servant with You,

Steven Swaim

President & Founder, Be Devoted Ministries

If you have any speaking engagements in which you would like for me to speak, feel free and contact me at StevenSwaim@BeDevotedMinistries.com.  Please place “Speaking Engagement” in the subject line.  I will need a contact phone number, date of the event, and the place in which I will be speaking.  All other arrangements will be made when contact is initiated by me.  

Look for my book Walking Faith

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[1] http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26a4.htm

[2] Charles Spurgeon, Mornings and Evenings- Evening, "Serve the Lord with gladness” Psalm 100:2