Have you ever had a day when everyone and everything seemed to conspire against you? What do you do when everything is against you? Many people today are feeling overwhelmed by the build-up of things they are facing. You may be among those who feel overwhelmed by everything that is happening in our world and in our lives. The Bible gives us Good News for times of testing like this.
1 Corinthians 10:13 GNB Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps His promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.
You need an encounter with the God who defends His people.
Often in the Bible, God’s people had moments when they were overwhelmed. Adversaries, troubles and trials came against them on every side. Jehoshaphat faced one of those times in 2 Chronicles 20.
2 Chronicles 20:1-4 NKJV It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
Shortly after the battle at Ramoth Gilead, a great multitude attacked Jehoshaphat from across the Jordan. That great army was on the west shore of the Dead Sea and was headed for Jerusalem.
We need to see how Jehovah Nissi intervenes in our lives to defend His people. Throughout the Bible we are given examples of God defending His people. When we come up against overwhelming odds, we need to see these examples of God defending His people.
Here in 2 Chronicles, Israel’s enemies outnumbered them three to one.
Have you ever felt that there was so much against you that you were destined to lose?Sometimes we just feel like everything is against us. What do you do when it seems that everything is against you?
We need to see what Jehovah Nissi does when we face problems we cannot solve. This story provides principles by which we can live when we seem to be fighting for survival.
It can help us when we are battling sickness or struggling with our finances. It shows us how God comes through when we are contending with people, fighting against unrelenting tests, and when the enemy continues to battle our body and mind. This is where we live, study, or work.
When things are against you — turn to God first. We must learn to go directly to God. Most people turn to God after they have tried everything else. We try every remedy we can find. We go to parents, our friends, and then the specialist. We seek advice, and then better advice. When we exhaust all of our options, we turn to God. When we are at our wits end, we start praying.
We need to turn to God first.
2 Chronicles 20 begins by looking back to what had just happened. 2 Chronicles 19 tells of a great national revival. The whole nation had returned to God. “After that great multitude declared war on Jehoshaphat. He was afraid, so he decided to ask the Lord what to do.” It appears that these events came as a result of what had happened. After the blessing, there was a great battle.
Have you ever faced that yourself? After the good report, you begin facing new battles. After the mountain top comes the valley. This may sound fatalistic, but it happens in most of our lives. Most of us will face situations that will terrify us.
What did Jehoshaphat do when he was terrified? 2 Chronicles 20: 3 tells us he asked the Lord what to do. We can learn how to respond by observing what someone else does when trouble comes. Everyone does not respond the same way.
What do you do when the situations and circumstances are against you? Many people react with fear and despair.
What do we do when fear arises because we are facing overwhelming situations?When Jehoshaphat feared, he set himself to seek the Lord, (2 Chronicles 20:3). When we are overwhelmed, we should let that fear drive us to God and give it all over to Jehovah Nissi.
The next time you face overwhelming situations and circumstances let your fear motivate you to go to God. When the enemy comes in to steal, kill, and destroy, turn it over to Jesus. Let your situation be the incentive to expect more from God.
Jehoshaphat turned to God… then he talked to God.
When the situations and circumstances are against you…
- Turn to God first.
- Talk to God about your situation.
Jehoshaphat talked to God about his situation. One thing I notice is that he called everyone together to ask the Lord for help. This is a good practice for everyone of us. When you are facing situations and circumstances that are overwhelming, pull all of your friends and people of faith together and pray.
2 Chronicles 20:5 CEV After everyone from Judah and Jerusalem had come together at the LORD’s temple, Jehoshaphat stood in front of the new courtyard and prayed:
Jehoshaphat’s prayer is a model prayer for us when the situations and circumstances are against us.
Listen to the three questions he asks God when he prays.
2 Chronicles 20:6 NKJV and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?
Jehoshaphat begins by asking God: “Are you not?”
Whenever we are overwhelmed remember who God is. Before focusing on the problem, turn your focus on God.
Psalm 24:8 NKJV Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.
Who is the Lord our God? Get your eyes off your problems and see that the Lord your God is the Almighty God. All things are possible with Him.
Then Jehoshaphat asked “Did you not?”
2 Chronicles 20:7 NLT O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham?
We need to remember what God has said and done. Start focusing on the miracles God has already performed in your life and what He has promised. Remember what He did on the cross when God provided full and free forgiveness. Remember His miracle in the grave when life conquered death. Don’t forget the many times He has come through for us.
Then Jehoshaphat asked God: “Will you not?”
2 Chronicles 20:12 ESV O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”
When the situations and circumstances are against you, turn to God for help. He was asking God to do it again! You are facing different situations and circumstances, but God is able to help. We need to remember what God did the last time.
Do it again, Lord!
God has been our help in the past, and we need His help one more time.
When situations and circumstances are against you, turn to God first, then talk to Him about your situation and tell Him exactly how you feel. This is exactly what Jehoshaphat did. Everyone felt powerless against that great and mighty army. They did not know what to do. Have you felt like that? You just don’t know what to do.
Turn it over to Jesus!
Tell God what you see, feel and need. When it seems that the situations and circumstances are winning, we can tell God. Tell God that we feel powerless. We can tell God our honest heartfelt feelings. We don’t need to pretend that we have power and that we know what to do. Turn your eyes to the Lord and trust in His mighty power.
After you turn it over to the Lord, trust God to help you.
Jehoshaphat said: “We are powerless… We do not know what to do… but our eyes are upon you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)
The biggest mistake that we can make is to focus on the problem. Keep your eyes on God. We need to confess that the Lord is our help. He is a strong and mighty tower. He is our rock and defense. He is greater than our situations and circumstances. Someone said: “Circumstances are like a mattress. Get on top of them and you’ll rest. Get underneath and you’ll suffocate.” After they prayed, the Spirit of the Lord came with the answer that everyone needed to hear.
2 Chronicles 20:15 NKJV Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Turn your focus on the God who cannot fail.
Jehovah Nissi is the God who fights for you. We are busy fighting battles that belong to God. We summon all our willpower and energy. We tell ourselves we are going to make this work. We say we are going to conquer and overcome this time. We keep telling ourselves this isn’t going to get the best of me.
God says: “This is my battle, not yours!” God says: “You are the child; I’m the Father. God says: “I have already invested all of My family resources. “I have already invested my Son and my Spirit.” God is telling you: “I will take care of your needs.” “I will make this work out.”
We still don’t get it! We keep making the same mistakes our ancestors made. We think we can fight God’s battles. We have to understand the “Battle is the Lord’s.”
What does that mean? He holds us up. He is God and we are His people. Martin Luther said: “Let God be God!” We need to learn to trust God to be God.
Listen to what God told Jehoshaphat.
2 Chronicles 20:17 ESV You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
When we put our trust in God, we must learn to stand firm and hold our position, and watch what the Lord will do.Don’t try to get ahead of God and don’t get behind. When the situations and circumstances are against you, “Just stand strong in faith in God.”
This is what the Lord says for you to do.
2 Chronicles 20:20 NCV “Have faith in the Lord your God, and you will stand strong. Have faith in his prophets, and you will succeed.”
When situations and circumstances are against you, stand strong with faith in God and what He has said. Stand on the 7,000 promises God has made.
When situations and circumstances are against you:
- Turn to God first
- Talk to Him about the situation
- Tell Him exactly how you feel
- Trust that He will help you
- Then… Thank God in advance.
Before anything happened, Jehoshaphat told his army to start singing and praising God.
2 Chronicles 20:21 NIV84 Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.”
While Jerusalem and Judah were surrounded by three great enemies, Jehoshaphat told his people to start singing praise to God.
2 Chronicles 20:22 NIV84 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
The moment they began their singing, shouts and praises, their enemies were defeated. One translation says, “They began fighting among themselves.” God knows how to turn the scheming and devices of the adversary around.
Jehovah Nissi can bring a blessing instead of a curse. There is power in praise and worship. There is power in expecting faith and trust in God. Before anything happens, we can sing and shout and give praise to God.
If you are facing impossible situations and circumstances that are against you, start praising God, praise Him in faith and watch God be God.
