2 Chronicles 20:13-17: a reflection

13All Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14Then the LORD’s Spirit came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, in the middle of the assembly; 15and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat. The LORD says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”

When a vast enemy army comes against Judah and King Jehoshaphat, and the people stand before God not knowing what to do, God sends a word that lifts the burden from their shoulders. Don't be afraid, he says, and don't be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD. The battle that overwhelmed them was not theirs to win but God's; their part was to stand still and see his deliverance. When they were outmatched and afraid, God took the battle as his own, and called them not to fight in their own strength but to stand and watch him save. The battle belonged to God, not to them.

Notice what God tells the overwhelmed people: the battle is not yours, but God's. They were outmatched, afraid, not knowing what to do; and God did not simply tell them to fight harder. He told them the battle was his, not theirs; they would not need to fight it in their own strength, but to stand still and see the salvation of the LORD. Their part was not to win by their own power, which they did not have, but to trust and to watch God deliver. When the battle is too great for us, God can take it as his own; and our part becomes to stand still, trust him, and see his salvation. The battle they faced was beyond them, but it was not beyond God, who took it as his own.

That is worth resting in, for when we are overwhelmed, the battle is not ours but God's, and we can stand still and see his deliverance. We face battles too great for us, and can feel we must win them by our own strength, and despair when we cannot; but God told his overwhelmed people, the battle is not yours, but God's. When the battle is beyond us, God can take it as his own, and our part becomes to stand still, trust him, and see his salvation. Do not despair when the battle is too great for your strength; the battle can be God's, not yours, and your part to stand still and see his deliverance. Trust that when you are overwhelmed, the battle is not yours but God's, and stand still to see his salvation, as God told Judah, the battle is not yours, but God's, and called them to see the salvation of the LORD; for there are battles too great for our own strength, and when we face them God can take them as his own, so that our part is not to win by our own power but to trust him and watch him deliver.

Lord, when a vast enemy army comes against Judah and King Jehoshaphat, and the people stand before you not knowing what to do, you send a word that lifts the burden from their shoulders. Don't be afraid, you say, and don't be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD. The battle that overwhelmed them was not theirs to win but yours; their part was to stand still and see your deliverance. When they were outmatched and afraid, you took the battle as your own. Show me what you tell the overwhelmed people: the battle is not yours, but God's. They were outmatched, afraid, not knowing what to do; and you did not simply tell them to fight harder. You told them the battle was yours, not theirs; they would not need to fight it in their own strength, but to stand still and see your salvation. Their part was not to win by their own power, but to trust and to watch you deliver. Let me rest in that, for when I am overwhelmed, the battle is not mine but yours, and I can stand still and see your deliverance. I face battles too great for me, and can feel I must win them by my own strength, and despair when I cannot; but you told your overwhelmed people, the battle is not yours, but God's. When the battle is beyond me, you can take it as your own. Keep me from despairing when the battle is too great for my strength; help me trust that the battle is yours, not mine, Lord, and stand still to see your salvation, as you told Judah, the battle is not yours, but God's.