Love Endures Forever

Love Endures Forever
In 2 chronicles 20 a story is told about King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. The King was told by some men that a huge army was on the way to attack his kingdom and apparently they weren’t to far away. Isn’t it interesting that the Lord didn’t think it important to give their names just some men? The bible says “alarmed King Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord; he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.” I think alarmed might have been an understatement. It goes on to say that the people came together to seek help from the Lord from every town in Judah. King Jehoshaphat stands in front of all the people, it doesn’t say how many but if they came from every town to Judah it must have been a lot. Let’s just use Florida for an example, if the people came from every town in Florida you can imagine there would be A LOT of people. The bible says that all the people were fasting and seeking God. The first thing King Jehoshaphat did was remind God and probably the group of all the things God had done for His people, he says “if calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress and you will hear us and save us.” Notice it doesn’t say God’s distress but our distress he then says we will cry out and you will hear us and most important HE will save them. What would be the sense of calling out for help if you don’t really believe the person you’re calling to is actually going to save you?
Apparently when the children of Israel were leaving Egypt the Lord would not allow them to invade the people from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir so they left them alone and these are the very people that are now getting ready to attack them. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth. Have you ever done a favor for someone or let them off the hook for something they did to you and they turn around and stab you in the back?
The King tells God that not only are these ungrateful men coming against us but their trying to take the very inheritance YOU GOD gave us. The king then asks “O our God will you not judge them?” That’s a hard lesson in life to let God judge and not us.
I think the next thing in this story is very important, the King says “we don’t know what to do but our eyes are upon you.” Have you ever been in a place where the battle is bigger than you and you have no idea what to do? When my son was a teenager he got arrested and there were more felony charges than I cared to count. His best friend called me to tell me that he was beat up in jail and I had to get him out of there. The law was after him and so were the drug dealers. If you don’t think I felt like one lonely king against a huge army, think again. I cried out to my God and reminded Him of His promise to me that he had a plan for my son and I had no idea what to do. My army consisted of myself a 17 year old a 7 year old and a 4 year old. Not very good odds in the natural.
The next thing that happened in our story is the spirit came upon a man named Jahaziel as he stood in the assembly. Gena translation, Jahaziel was praying and the Holy Spirit spoke to him, some call it intuition but we know better. Jahaziel said to the King and all who lived in Judah and Jerusalem. He said “Listen to me, this is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this huge army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”
I gotta tell you that night in my living room I would have loved for someone to say those words to me. I mean a person I could see and feel but I was alone in my living room. The spirit came over me too and I told myself that the Lord doesn’t lie and He made me a promise about my son and this battle wasn’t mine it was God’s. I had to tell myself not to be afraid or discouraged that God would be with me too. Sometimes you are the only one in your army and what you tell yourself can be the difference between victory and defeat.
The story says that Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord.
You know that night in my living room I put on praise music and just laid on my face before the Lord and worshiped Him. I did a bit of crying too, OK a lot, but I made myself worship. I didn’t feel like it but I knew it was the only thing that would get me through the night. This was long before I ever read this story. I guess a good plan doesn’t change 
The next day before they set out the King reminded the people to have faith in the Lord, he says two times, have faith and then you will be successful. Having faith is a crucial part, faith is believing in something unseen. They had no idea how God would handle this. Then he tells them to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of his Holiness as they went out at the head of the army saying “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever. “ Now you know where that song came from. Michael W. Smith must know this story too.
If you want all the details of this event you will have to read it, I’ll just give the readers digest version. Out story ends with the men of Judah getting to the battle ground to find all the men dead! Not one person escaped. It took them 3 days to gather all the plunder; actually it says there was more there than they could take away! Only God can win a battle for us without any lose ends and we do NOTHING but believe Him. They ended this battle the way they began praising the Lord and thanking Him for taking care of them.
I too continue to praise the Lord for bringing me through a very dark battle in my life and the life of my “kingdom”. Each new battle I face, I face with confidence and faith that God will get me through it. I pray you too will cry out to the Lord before you go to battle. Have faith that He not only hears you but will save you. Then praise God before and after the battle. Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever!


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