May the mumbling commence!
Our resources do not matter when we know that our
greatest resource is walking with the Lord – humbly and peacefully. But what about bullies – those people who are
stronger than we are and who pick without mercy on us? God will provide. Read from Second Chronicles chapter thirteen:
“Do you really think you can stand against the kingdom of
the Lord that is led by the
descendants of David? Your army is vast indeed, but with you are those gold calves that Jeroboam made as your gods! And you have chased away the priests of the Lord and the Levites and have appointed
your own priests, just like the pagan
nations. You let anyone become a priest these days! Whoever comes to be
dedicated with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of these
so-called gods of yours!
But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not abandoned him. Only the
descendants of Aaron serve the Lord
as priests, and the Levites alone may help them in their work. They present burnt offerings and fragrant
incense to the Lord every morning
and evening. They place the Bread of the Presence on the holy table, and they
light the gold lampstand every evening. We are following the instructions of
the Lord our God, but you have
abandoned him. So you see, God
is with us. He is our leader. His priests blow their trumpets and
lead us into battle against you. O people of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you
will not succeed!"
Meanwhile, Jeroboam had secretly sent part
of his army around behind the men of Judah to ambush them. When Judah
realized that they were being attacked from the front and the rear, they cried
out to the Lord for help. Then the
priests blew the trumpets, and the men of Judah began to shout. At the sound of
their battle cry, God defeated Jeroboam and the Israelite army and routed
them before Abijah and the army of Judah.
The Israelite army fled from Judah, and God handed them over to Judah in
defeat. Abijah and his army inflicted
heavy losses on them; there were 500,000 casualties among Israel's finest
troops that day. So Judah defeated
Israel because they trusted in the Lord,
the God of their ancestors. (Verses 8-18)
Judah was outnumbered two to one. Human wisdom would tell you to tuck tail and
run or sue for mercy. But Abijah, the
King of Judah, knew something much more powerful was at work.
The Lord God fights the battles of those who walk with
Him. I know that Abijah says that “God
is with us”, but that is almost always a misstatement. Judah was with the Lord because they were
faithful to the covenant and the Law of the Lord. For that reason, Abijah could be confident
that they would win out – the Lord of Hosts would fight for them.
Even when the armies of Israel surrounded them, Judah
did not despair. They cried out to the Lord
for help and sounded the battle cry. And
the Lord aided them – not because they were righteous but because the actions
of Israel were unrighteous. Israel had
abandoned the Lord, so the Lord abandoned them.
Human wisdom pales before the power of the Lord. It’s that simple. Read from First Corinthians chapter two:
Dear brothers and sisters, when I first came to you I
didn't use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God's message. For I decided to concentrate
only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. I came to you in weakness – timid and trembling.
And my message and my preaching were very plain. I did not use wise and persuasive speeches, but the Holy Spirit was powerful among
you. I did this so that you might trust
the power of God rather than human wisdom. (Verses 1-5)
Keep it simple, stupid.
It’s the K.I.S.S. principle. We
need nothing more than the power of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Wisdom can be deceptive in our world. Trust the power of God. Allow the Holy Spirit of the living God guide
you.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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