Just Stand Still

Have you ever been in a season in life where you needed to stand in order to see a breakthrough?  I personally have been in such a season and God has been teaching me so much.   He took me to the passage of scripture in 2 Chronicles 20 where He takes Jehoshaphat on a journey of trust.  If you haven’t read this story, take a moment to read it. What do you do when you feel your back is against the wall and the enemy is pressing in?  

Let’s take a look at the story of Jehoshaphat.  The enemies joined forces to call war on Jehoshaphat.  When the enemy calls war He will use every tactic to surprise us.  He will come at us from every angle laced with lies that can trip us up. 

The first thing that caught my attention was Jehoshaphat’s response, it says He became afraid but as soon as the fear hit him, He went straight to the Lord to seek help.  The Lord tells him to not be afraid, He often says this because we have a good reason to be afraid. The way He resources a life is through words He releases.  So when He says don’t be afraid the power to do it is to do what He commanded to do.  Jehoshaphat made a choice to do as he commanded, he  had a bold confidence in what the Lord would do and their only answer was to trust God.  I want that to be my first response too.  So many times I have been hit with fear about a situation and my first response is to text a friend before I run to the Lord.   

Recently I found myself in a very dark season that came very unexpectedly.  I felt pinned against the wall, my heart was broken, and in a moment my whole world fell apart. I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath and the weight of the circumstances was crushing me so much that I physically felt the anguish.  I went straight to the Lord and began finding scriptures to speak over my circumstances. 

I lay on my couch sobbing so much I could barely whisper but I put my Bible in front of me and I started speaking the Word of God over myself.  I declared His promises, I reminded the devil that He has no authority over me or my family.

  I knew it was time to get serious and not back down until my soul knew that God was with me and that I was not alone. 

For days I spent several hours speaking out the scriptures.  Days turned into weeks and every time I felt overwhelmed I ran to His word.  I started a log of scripture that I could refer to quickly to seek Him. 

The men of Judah and Jerusalem stood with their families petitioning God to move on their behalf.  Jehoshaphat spoke over the people. In verses 15-17, it says.  “The Lord says this to you: Don’t be afraid or worry about this large army, because the battle is not your battle.  It is God’s battle. Tomorrow, they will come up through the Ziz pass.  You must go down to them. You will find them at the end of the valley on the other side of the desert of Jeruel.  You will not have to fight this battle. Just stand there and watch the Lord save you.  Judah and Jerusalem, don’t be afraid. Don’t worry, because the Lord is with you. So go out to stand against those people tomorrow. “

Jehoshaphat’s posture at this point was to bow down with His face to the ground, the people followed His lead and bowed down and worshiped before the Lord.  The best posture we can take in moments where we are standing against the enemy is on our faces before Him.  I have experienced this at a whole new level over the past several months.  There were days I didn’t know if I had the strength to stand or even get out of bed for that matter.  In the toughest moments, it took every ounce of energy and courage I had to get down on my knees and fully pour out my heartfelt cries and prayers to the Lord.  I stayed there until His peace surrounded me and I felt the strength to stand and trust that God will do what He says He will do. 

When you feel overwhelmed by what you are facing I want to remind you that you are not alone, seek the Lord. He is fighting the battle for you and you only need to seek Him. 

After they had been on their faces before the Lord they stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel.  It says they sang very loudly.  They had spent time with the Lord and were encouraged in the Lord.  The response of praise is not stroking the ego of God so He will work on our behalf, there is something in the unseen realm that is a connection to the nature of God and the confession of the human. 

As they went to the battleground they began to worship, they marched in front of the army and sang, “Give thanks to the Lord! His faithful love will last forever.”   This is the moment they opened the door for God to move because their eyes were fixed on Him!  It says, as they began to sing and praise God, the Lord set an ambush for the army who had come to attack them.  The enemy was defeated! The enemy turned on itself and began to fight each other.  

This is encouragement for you and me, friend.   When we come before Him, seek His face, and worship Him in the midst of our battles He will move on our behalf.  We don’t have to be the ones to do the fighting or take control of the situation.  The battle is not ours, but God’s. In Ephesians 6:12 it says, “Our fight is not against people on earth.  We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness.  We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong.  And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.” 

When the men from Judah arrived at the lookout point in the desert they saw what God had done.  Not only had he turned their enemies on themselves but they were blessed with the plunders of war.  There were many animals, riches, clothes, and valuable things waiting for them. There was more than they could possibly carry, so much that it took three days for them to gather the abundant blessings.  

The enemy can never really steal from us because God will also bless us with more. Are you fighting for a broken relationship today, with a son or daughter? Or a spouse or other family member?  If you are standing to see a broken relationship restored, know that God wants to give you not only a restored relationship but also wants it to be better than it was before.  

I haven’t reached my victory yet but I am writing this from a place of praise, a place where I am putting God in remembrance of His words and His promises.   You may be in the same place as me. Can I encourage you to keep standing, arms raised,  praising your way through?  Remember it is not your battle but His battle and He has already won.  All you have to do is stand and He will move on your behalf.