Daily Manna 15 August
KEY VERSE: “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” – (2 Chronicles 20:15)
TEXT: 2 Chronicles 20:1-19
1. It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.
3. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
5. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
6. And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
7. Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
8. And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
9. If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.
10. And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
11. Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
12. O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
13. And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14. Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;
15. And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
16. To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
18. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.
19. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
We live in a world that is opposed to God. It despises everything He has ordained for His children and is pitched in a life-long battle with believers for taking sides with God. Most times, the battle is so fierce that hard-pressed believers no longer feel the nearness of God. As a result, they begin to doubt their chance of triumphing over the devil, their implacable enemy.
It is only human to be scared in the face of danger, especially through the onslaught of the devil, as it happened to Jehoshaphat. What set him apart from many others is that he knew how to respond to such a frightening situation: he took the case directly to God. Once he learnt that a confederation of enemy nations had come in full force and with great numbers against Judah, King Jehoshaphat, though frightened, turned to the Lord in prayers and proclaimed a fast in his nation.
Gathered with his people in the house of the Lord, Jehoshaphat reminded God about His sovereignty in heaven and on earth, His power and might that no one can withstand, His previous conquest for Israel, giving the land of Canaan as inheritance to the children of Abraham. He confessed they did not know what to do, but their eyes were on Him. God in turn responded promptly through the assuring prophecy of Jahaziel. Judah should not be afraid nor would they need to fight because the battle was God’s and He would be with them and grant them victory.
In times of trials and troubles, we should learn not to trust in our own devices or allow fear to freeze our faith. Instead, we should put our trust in God and turn to Him in prayers. As His children, He would not abandon us to face the struggles alone nor allow the enemy to triumph over us. He does not hesitate to fight for us. We should confidently trust Him to intervene on our behalf and grant us victory.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When battles arise, stand still; hold your peace and see the glory of the Lord.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 15-18
Thanks for reading Today’s Daily Manna – God Will Fight For You – by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi.
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Daily Manna 15 August 2020 Devotional
