Morning by Morning, December 3 - “Setting” Ourselves to Seek the Lord for Our Nation
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Arise in my heart, Holy Spirit of God, as I entrust my life and my day completely to You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirt of God. ...
“After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; already they are at Hazazon-tamar’ (that is, En-gedi). Jehoshaphat was afraid; he set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the towns of Judah they came to seek the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20:1-4).
When the king was afraid, “he set himself to seek the Lord.” And all Judah “assembled” with him “to seek the Lord.”
How did he “set” himself in seeking You? ...
Your Word says he “stood in the assembly ... in the house of the Lord” (v. 5). Then he declared Your authority and power to prevail over the enemies coming against their nation (v. 6-7).
He remembered and proclaimed Your promise that You would “hear and save” whenever Your people would turn to You in times of “disaster, sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine” (v. 8-9). And in humility he acknowledged the honest facts before him that the enemies of the nation would surely prevail if You Yourself did not intervene and act on their behalf, crying out, “O our God, will You not execute judgement upon them? For we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against us” v. 12). Finally, he committed it all into Your hands in trusting faith and confident surrender, declaring, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (v. 12).
With their eyes on You, coming together in prayer in the house of the Lord, You heard and You answered. “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel (saying) ‘Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God’s.... This battle is not for you to fight; take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you!’” (v. 13-17)
As they “rose early in the morning and went out” against them, those appointed to go “before the army” declared Your goodness with thanksgiving and praise (v. 20-21). “As they began to sing and praise (You) set an ambush against (the enemies of their nation)” (v. 22). At Your hand, the enemies of their land were “routed” and even began “to destroy one another” (v. 23).
The people of God “returned to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord hand enabled them to rejoice over their enemies!” (v. 27) Then “the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel!” (v. 29).
Our battle in our nation is not against flesh and blood, but the spiritual forces of darkness, always seeking to steal, kill, and destroy our calling and destiny as a people of God and a nation under God (Ephesians 6:12; John 10:10). And Your Spirit is stirring in our hearts to keep worshipping You, in prayer and praise, rising early every morning and going out to battle to take our position, to stand firm, and to see the victory of the Lord on our behalf.
Right now, we “see the victory of the Lord” by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). But we believe with expectant faith You have hear our prayers, You have seen our hearts turn, and You are setting ambushes against the spiritual enemies of our nation to route them and destroy them in ways that only You can do. And when You do what only You can do, so that all will see the miraculous intervention of God, the fear of God will come upon this nation and all the nations of the world who look and see what You have done. In the great “harvest” of revival and awakening to come, we will rejoice with great joy over Your great victory! (Matthew 13:39) In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
