Word of Encouragement (01/16/2025)
“If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause. (2 Chron. 6:34-35)
Solomon is praying for Israel’s victory in times of war. Let us observe a few things.
The first is the unavoidability of war. Israel was surrounded by enemy nations and there was constant threat of their invasion: “If your people go out to battle against their enemy....” Even though Israel experienced a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity under Solomon’s reign, Solomon found it necessary to offer this petition to God. This reflects our spiritual reality—the unavoidability of spiritual battle in our Christian life. Even though Christ has already defeated Satan and set us free from the dominion of sin, Satan still “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8) and we can, and do, sin. So, we must pray for victory.
The second is God’s involvement: “...whatever way you shall send them....” The LORD was Israel’s true King, her Defender and Fortress. So, when enemies attacked, Israel was supposed to seek God’s help and direction, and God would respond with His directions and show them what they needed to do, including which way to march and where to fight. As a covenantal God, He was intimately involved in the affairs of His people because He cared for them. This is true of us even more. For He purchased us with His own blood and made us His treasured possession. He is always mindful of us and will never forget us or abandon us. We, too, should be mindful of Him at all times, both in times of trouble and tranquility.
The third is the necessity of prayer: “...and they pray to the Lord....” Israel was not to trust in herself but in the LORD of hosts. So, when she went out to battle with all her men and weapons, they had to pray for God’s protection and strength. Their battle cry was, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Ps. 20:7). That was the spirit in which David faced Goliath: “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Sam. 17:45). God honored David’s unwavering trust in Him and gave him victory. We, too, must rely on the Lord if we want to share in the victory of Christ. “Did we in our own strength confide / Our striving would be losing / Were not the right Man on our side / The Man of God's own choosing / Dost ask who that may be? / Christ Jesus, it is He / Lord Sabaoth His Name....”
What is the struggle you are facing these days? Do not be surprised as though something strange was happening (1 Pet. 4:12); it is unavoidable in this life. But know that God is not unaware of your troubles; He is intimately involved. So, instead of suffering alone, cry out to God and ask for His help and guidance. And face the trouble in the name of the Lord and expect His deliverance.