DCLM Daily Manna 29 September 2026: If God Be For Us
KEY VERSE: “And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper” (2 Chronicles 13:12).
TEXT: 2 Chronicles 13:1-12
In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah set the battle in order with an army of valiant warriors, four hundred thousand choice men. Jeroboam also drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor.
4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5 Should you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. 7 Then worthless rogues gathered to him, and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced and could not withstand them. 8 And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the gold calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods. 9 Have you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of other lands, so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of things that are not gods? 10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to the Lord are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties. 11 And they burn to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense; they also set the showbread in order on the pure gold table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps to burn every evening; for we keep the command of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. 12 Now look, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!”
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James McGranahan’s hymn, If God Be for Us, always comes in handy when we are pitted against formidable adversaries in life. The song, which derives from the rhetorical question raised in Romans 8:31, reminds us that if God is with us, we do not need to worry because no opposition can successfully overcome us. In any battle, if God fights on your side, your weaknesses and deficiencies don’t count. God loses no battles.
Abijah, king of Judah, in our text, armed himself with this consciousness when he went out against the army of Israel under Jeroboam with an army of four hundred thousand soldiers as against Israel’s eight hundred thousand soldiers. Although he was not altogether balanced in his assertions about Jeroboam’s coming to power in Israel, he nonetheless capitalised on the backsliding and idolatry of Jeroboam and Israel in his address. He talked proudly about Judah’s pure worship and faithfulness to the Mosaic Law. This way, he identified with the Almighty God and emphatically appealed to his opponents thus: “O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper” (2 Chronicles 13:12).
The outcome of the war was a clear victory for Abijah despite Jeroboam’s superior army and tactics. The presence of God with us should afford us comfort, courage, and rest, as well as terrify our enemies. If we have made Jehovah the Captain of our host, there is no need to live in fear. With Him on our side, we can pass through waters and fire and come out unscathed; surmount the most difficult challenge and fight every battle with confidence.
Truly, if God is on your side, you have the greatest possible advantage. His power and love far exceed whatever force any potential opposition can muster against you. As you step out today into a world full of uncertainties, have you made the Lord your own Captain? Are you at peace with God? If not, why not humbly go to Him in penitent prayer and by faith accept His provision of salvation and restoration through Jesus Christ, His Son?
The Bible in One Year: 1 John 1–5
Thought for the Day: God’s presence with us is a powerful quit notice to our enemies.
DCLM Daily Manna 29 September 2026
