2 Chronicles 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.
May these words of the Lord comfort all who abide in Christ, so that we may position ourselves and stand firm in faith upon His Word, just like Judah had to do years and years ago during the reign of King Jehoshaphat, despite being surrounded with enemies all around.
Most of us may feel like Judah of old, constantly surrounded by our enemy and things coming against us, but then we are blessed to read a verse like 2 Chronicles 20:17, a word from the Lord that positioned a nation as He called them to stand firm and not be moved and to behold their salvation.
Jehoshaphat and his people were literally surrounded by their enemy, just like many people wake up each morning, surrounded by their problems and challenges, often making them feel like they are fighting a losing battle, a sinking ship, trying to keep head above water.
So what do you do?
Well, King Jehosaphat sought the Lord and called a fast over the whole nation in order to turn their attention away from the enemy and their own strength and strategies to seek the Lord. And that's when the answer from the Lord came: You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you.
I want to encourage you this morning: stop making your own plans and behold how we too are called to keep our eyes on Jesus and not our enemy or the things against us, and also called to stand firm in faith in Him and refuse to take another step out of fear.
In a way the Apostle Paul reminded us to position ourselves in the following way upon the Word of Christ in Ephesians chapter 6:11, where he wrote, 'Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.'
By faith in Christ, we position ourselves by putting on God’s armour, His salvation, Righteousness, Truth, Faith, Peace, His Word, and stand firm, meaning we stand still, in the strength of His might.
Oh, and like King Jehoshaphat, we don't focus on our strength and strategies that gave us victories in the past, but we focus upon God's Word and stand firm in Christ as we position ourselves in Him by abiding in Him no matter what we face or what often may seem to surround us, because we know this: The Holy Spirit is with us!
Amen