Scripture:

2 Chronicles 25:7-8

7 But a man of God came to him, saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the children of Ephraim. 8 But if you go, be gone! Be strong in battle! Even so, God shall make you fall before the enemy; for God has power to help and to overthrow.” 9 Then Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.

"With God"

I know when you read this, you think Lord that's pretty harsh. But the reality is the LORD is telling King Amaziah and us today that there is a cost for being self-reliant, making all your decisions without God, without help; for Amaziah, it would have cost him his life.  For you and me, it may not cost us our physical life, but it is killing our time (which is life), our energy, and our victories.   

There is a cost for self-reliance, and that is what the Lord was getting across to King Amaziah and us today.  That by excluding God, we exclude

• His Power
• His Wisdom
• The Victory He Brings
• His Protection

Today's God-Shot is that we would become more God-Reliant and less Self-Reliant, that our lives would become shaped by His presence in all that we do.   Proverbs 16:3 says that if we commit even our plans to the Lord, He will bring success.   What I can do alone might be amazing, but what I can do with God is so much more..

Lord, forgive us when we have been stuck in our ways, self-reliant, depending on our strength, our power; help us to trust, to depend, to lean on you for our wisdom, understanding, our strength; help us to learn to include you in our plans, commit them to you that they may be successful, in Jesus' name, Amen! 

Scripture:

Obadiah 1:1-4

1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom (We have heard a report from the Lord, And a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying, “Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle.”): 2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You shall be greatly despised. 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’ 4 Though you ascend as high as the eagle, And though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down,” says the Lord.

"He Will Fight For You"

The Edomites were bullies; their transgressions went from initially refusing the Israelites passage during the Exodus to bitter exploitation and violence when Judah was being overrun by foreign empires. And here in our portion today, their pride was the end of it; they thought they were indestructible. God sees you, your struggle, the fight you are fighting, the enemy you face; you and I cannot imagine the forces that God is resisting, keeping them from attacking your life.

God is fighting battles for you that you have been completely unaware of. He is just, and He will fight on our behalf.

Ways the Lord is Fighting for You Now:

• Unseen Battles in the Spiritual Realm: 2 Kings 6: 16-17
• Unseen Battles in the Natural: Exodus 14:14
• Known Enemies Deuteronomy 3:22
• With You in the Battle Joshua 23:10

Today's God Shot: You're not alone in the battle. The troubles you have faced have never gone unseen by the Lord; He has never left you or abandoned you. He is our defender, you are His child, and He will not let injustice stand. He will fight on your behalf, He will deal with evil, He will humble the proud.

Remember today and praise Him for:

• The Unseen Victories He Has Won For You
• The Battles You Didn't Have to Fight
• The Attacks He Has Kept/Keeping From You
• The Battles that are Before You

"If God is for us, who can be against us."

Lord, thank you for the silent victories, the things I have been unaware of, but you have rescued me from. Lord, bring down any evil force that would come against us and your plan for our lives, and keep us from the hand of the enemy. Lord, we thank you for your protection and your powerful hand; we thank you for your constant presence in our lives, and for your mighty hand that has rescued us from the enemy's hand, in Jesus' name, Amen!

--

Scripture:

1 Chronicles 20:1-6,15,16,17,19

1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites,[a] came to battle against Jehoshaphat 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from [a]Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set [b]himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 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.” 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.

"Not Your Battle"

Ever notice that trouble never waits for us to be ready? The truth is, we must always be ready for trouble.  We know that Jesus said we will have it, so don't wait until it hits you to be prepared.   And I think we see a little of that in today's portion, King Jehoshaphat.   

I want you to notice a few things:

Vv. 1 

"It happened after this."   

This tells us that it was something they did not see coming.  That is the way life is, it hits in the middle of the night, it hits with a diagnosis from the doctor, it hits with a phone call, it doesn't wait for you to be ready.

Vv. 3

"And Jehoshaphat feared"

You may feel some sort of way about Jehoshaphat's first response, but most of us when we hear bad news we have this response, shock, worry, a little fear that we are unable to handle the situation.   

But what I want to point you to is what he did afterward: "set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."  When things turned upside down, he knew what to do: "Seek the Lord" to seek out a power greater than himself, and even more, he brought others into the situation.   One of the chief plans of any enemy, even in nature, is to divide and conquer, to isolate you in your troubles, so that you are not only weak, but not even you believe you can overcome the situation. 

Vv. 5

 “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?"

He reminds God who He is to them, and He reminds himself who God is, and of His promise.   He remembers that there is no one like God and no one who can withstand Him; this problem is not too big for God; it's too big for me, but not Him. 

You have something giant in your life, tell it about the Bigness of Your God, and remind yourself that nothing can withstand Him.

Vv. 15 "‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s."

Remember who you are, whose you are, you are a child of the King, straighten your crown.   Your battles belong to the Lord, it is not that you should not do you part, you must, you must seek Him in every situation, seek His presence, His power, you must TRUST Him in it, but REMEMBER whose battle it is...

RECAP: 

Today's God Shot is:

1. It's not that you fear, its what you do after you're afraid that matters.   

• Seek the Lord
• Don't Isolate Yourself
• Draw on the strength and prayers of others, rally together to seek the Lord

2. Remember Who You Are and Who God Is

• Remember your identity in Christ (This is strength)
• Remember, His power is the deciding factor in everything you face

3. Surrender Your Battles/Fights to Him

• The Battle belongs to the Lord
• He will bring the victory
• Trust Him

Lord, thank you for the reminder that even when life is a struggle, and the situations and the struggle are real, they are overwhelming, they are not too big for you, you are able, your power is endless, your strength unmatchable, the things that we cannot overcome, or accomplish, we ask Father that you would do them, in the matchless name of Jesus, Amen!