Scripture Passage: 2 Chronicles 20:1-25
Praise is a powerful thing, in times of joy and in times of help, but especially in times of trouble.
2 Chronicles 20:1-25 shows us how to praise our way to victory in times of opposition.
In this passage, King Jehoshaphat faced fierce opposition on all sides. Likewise, every Christian will encounter problems in the form of sin, sorrow, or death.
As King Jehoshaphat brought his people together to focus on God through fasting, we must also establish our purpose in times of opposition and seek Him.
Third, the King examined his past; in verse 7, he asks God, “Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?”
In times of trouble, we must look back at the times when God was with us. He will never fail; what He has done before, He will do again.
The King embraced God’s promise, that this land was given to Abraham before him as a place for his people to dwell. God has given us something better than the land of Canaan; He has given us victory in Jesus. We have that promise to stand on in times of defeat.
In humility, Jehoshaphat kept his eyes fixed on God and not on himself. The battle belonged to God; the King’s only responsibility was to depend upon Him.
To prepare for battle, King Jehoshaphat worshiped God and expressed his praise. Adrian Rogers says, “Praise infuses the energy of God and praise confuses the enemies of God.”
Because of the praise, the King had victory over his enemy and inherited all his enemies’ possessions; his people enjoyed the provision of God. Adrian Rogers says, “God brings us these problems to bring us to Him; the very things we dread are those things that break with blessings on our heads.”
Learn to see opposition as an opportunity. Seek God before taking action and consider fasting. Remember that God has been faithful in the past; go to His Word, stand on a promise, then ask the Holy Spirit to make that promise a reality in your heart. Refuse to act in the flesh, and instead worship and praise God. Expect Him to send confusion to the enemy and get ready for a blessing.
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