Back in the late 70s I was in a Christian band called Resurrection, not to be confused with the more popular REZ band. We played venues that included churches, schools, parks and special events. One of our more requested songs was one titled Jehoshaphat. According to the story recorded in the Bible, Jehoshaphat was King of Judah during a time when all the people were faithful and obedient to God. Word came to the King that a mighty army was coming from the East with the intention of raiding the city and looting it of its gold and treasures. This troubled the people greatly as they were outnumbered. So the King and all the people did what they needed to do, pray to God and seek his direction. God answered them in no uncertain terms. He spoke through a man in the crowd named Jahaziel as recorded in 2 Chronicles 20:15;

“Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of their vast army. This battle is not yours, it’s Mine”

I’ll be turning 60 years old soon, and I look back on my life at all the times I chose to fight battles that weren’t mine to fight and I realize how foolish I’ve been. I have a losing record while God stands undefeated. Why are we such a stubborn people when it comes to taking up our own battles when the Lord of Heaven’s armies is waiting on us to give Him the go-ahead? I believe this is especially true of men. We have this hunter-gatherer-conqueror mentality that gives us a false sense of confidence to wage war against enemies God never intended us to battle. It is not natural for us to admit weakness or vulnerability when faced with life altering situations, and so we take on our various enemies time and time again while we put God on the bench. How foolish can we be.

God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. It is only when we are desperately out of options and totally dependent upon Him that we too can stand back and watch what God will do and how convincingly He will destroy any enemy that comes up against us. As it reads in Romans, if God is standing for us, who could ever come against us. I’m reminded of Elisha’s servant as he expressed his fear at the surrounding army. Elisha asked God to open his spiritual eyes to reveal the flaming chariots of Heaven which far outmatched the opposition. I’m embarrassed as a long-time believer that it took me so long to learn this lesson or how many times I had to retake the test. I still have a lot to learn, I’m far from where I expect to end up.

It’s easy to get caught up in our surrounding circumstances and forget what we know to be true, that God is always faithful. This is the simple truth that I must rely on. God is sovereign over all. God is not limited to time and space. I don’t know what tomorrow holds but God is already there and He knows what I will need when I get there, so equips me today. the processes are often painful and confusing, and to be honest, sometimes unwanted, because we only see through our natural eyes. tomorrow is a piece of a puzzle that God has already completed. It all makes sense when the process is completed and the battles are won.

Let me close with this simple analogy. We are playing for the NBA Championship. We are down by a single point with 5 seconds to go. The ball is in my hand and the pressure is on, when all of a sudden my teammate, Michael Jordan has an open lane. Do I take the shot or give it up to the Greatest of All Time for the guaranteed win? Why take up battles with a losing record when God stands wide open and has NEVER missed?