Unexpected Plunder

There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all!  
2 Chron. 20:25

Jim shook the bank statement at his wife. “How is this possible?” he asked. “We’ve both been out of work for nearly a year, but look at this. We’ve actually got money left over this month. In fact, our balance is higher than it was when we were working. How can that be?” Jena glanced at their balance and shrugged. “I don’t know. You lost your job when you wouldn’t lie for your boss, and my company folded. Since neither was our fault, maybe God is just taking care of us.” Jim nodded. “…and then your aunt died and left us a little money, and those odd jobs that came out of nowhere…” They stared at each other until Jena broke the silence. “Only God could do this! He has provided for us even better than we did when we were working!”

When God gave victory to His people, He wasn’t stingy with the profits. Not only did they defeat their enemies, but God heaped treasures on them as well. Since God owns everything (Ps. 50:9-11), provision is nothing for Him. He also loves to be generous with His children, when He knows we won’t make idols out of His gifts. His provision often comes in unexpected ways, because He enjoys reminding us that He is working on our behalf. Those “coincidences” that came along at just the right moment were not accidents: that opportunity to make extra money, the medical bill that registered an unexpected zero balance, the sudden change of heart in someone you were praying for. God is creative in the ways He provides, even working through what we consider “natural means.”  But when God gets involved, the natural becomes the supernatural. 

  

How has God provided supernaturally for you? Take time to remember and thank Him for it.

Praising Right Through It

 

At the very moment they began to sing…the LORD caused the armies... to fight among themselves.  2 Chron. 20: 22

The problem is overwhelming, more than you can handle. The bills are due. The relationship is over. The medical report looks grim. You don't see a way out, and that gleam in the enemy’s eye challenges your faith. Your frantic prayers seem like wasted breath, so they begin to sound like wasted breath. “Lord, if you can do anything...” “Oh Jesus, they're gonna get me…” “God, if you don’t come through, I’m gonna have to take matters into my own hands. Why won’t you help me?”

That heavy sigh coming from heaven is not your imagination. How the Lord must weary of our faithless prayers! Our problems are not frustrating to Him, but our lack of faith is. He did not need the Israelites’ weapons or their strength. He required their praise instead. Only when the people began to sing and praise God did He step in on their behalf. They never even broke a sweat, because God did the whole thing without them. When the Lord fights our battles, He rides in upon the winds of our worship. He is eager to show himself strong to those whose hearts are wholly His (2 Chron. 16:9). Darlene Zcheche, former lead singer with Hillsong, writes this: “Praise is the proclamation that the enemy’s intent to plunder you, won't rock you.”

What do you proclaim when you face your battles? 

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When It's Bigger Than You Are

“Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”  

2Chron. 20:15

“Dad?” Four-year-old Zac stood in the doorway of his father’s shop. His father welcomed him and then noticed the tears in his son’s eyes. Zac drew a shaky breath and opened his fist to reveal four sweaty pennies. "Dad, I heard you tell Mom that we can't pay the ‘lectric bill. I don't know what a ‘lectric bill is and I'm really scared. But I have these and maybe they can pay it.” Dad smiled and kissed his son’s bent head. “Well son, I do know what it is and how to pay it, and we won't even need to use your pennies. This is not your problem, it’s mine, okay? I'm the dad, and I will always take care of you. Trust me.” 

Sometimes we don't know how to pay the ‘lectric bill either. A problem bigger than us threatens our security, our reputations, or our future. We were trying to follow God, and then this happened. We often wear ourselves out because we think we have to pay the triple-digit ‘lectric bill with four sweaty pennies. It is those times that our Father offers to draw us to Him and whisper, “This is not your problem, it’s mine, okay? I’m the dad. I will always take care of you. Trust me.” God doesn't need our contribution. He requires our childlike faith. He reminds us that the battle is not ours, it is His. And we can trust him.

What battle are you trying to fight with your four pennies? Trust your Father. 

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Hearing God

As all the men of Judah stood before the LORD...the Spirit of the LORD came upon one of the men… 2 Chron. 20:13-14)

Beth's pastor finished speaking and she frowned at him. “You’ve said exactly what my mom and best friend said. But I've been praying and praying about my situation so long. Why won't God speak to me?” Her pastor smiled. “What would God’s answer look like? Skywriting? Registered letter? Angelic appearance?” Beth laughed. “I never thought about that. You mean maybe God is speaking to me through these other people? Just like he did in Second Chronicles? I guess I expected something else. Maybe I've missed a lot of His answers by expecting something else.”

The people of Israel may have expected something else, too, when they cried out to the Lord. They were all praying, all seeking God, but only one man received the answer. They may have wondered, as Beth did, why God wasn’t speaking to all of them. But God chooses His own mouthpieces. He knows which heart is pure enough to hear, which spirit knows Him well enough to recognize His voice, and who will be the most effective messenger. God will guide anyone who desires to follow His will, but He often does it ways we do not expect. He then confirms His answer through circumstances, His word, and godly people. Wise followers are those who have tuned their hearts to hear His voice, however it may arrive. We position ourselves to hear from God when we remain pure in heart and expect His answer to come in unexpected ways.

Recall some ways in which God has guided you. Did some of them come from unexpected avenues?

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Handling Fear

 

Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. 

2 Chron. 20: 3

What do you usually do when you are terrified? Do you call a friend? Kick the dog? Hide under the covers? Many people would say that they pray. But what do they pray? What we often call prayer could also be labeled “God’s Little Instruction List.” We explain our situation to the Lord, and then plead for more money, more time, more attention, or for the terrifying episode to end quickly. But notice what Jehoshaphat prayed when he was terrified. He asked God for guidance.

What we pray when we are terrified reveals a lot about our understanding of God. Take an inventory of your recent prayer life. What is the theme? Do you spend a lot of time asking for things? For blessing? For a better situation? None of those is wrong. God wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. But what if you began to pray daily for guidance? When we pray for guidance, we must abandon our own ideas and purpose to follow God’s. He does not want to vote on our choices; He wants to be in charge. Praying for guidance means we have set our hearts to obey whatever He says—even if we are still terrified.

Praying for guidance means we have tuned our hearts to heaven’s channel and are awaiting instruction. 
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What Have You Said Yes To?

 

The crowd roared as the popular worship band exited the stage. Hundreds had stood in response to the call to follow Jesus. They had come forward to thunderous applause, some weeping, some bewildered, and joined the throng at the foot of the stage. A member of the band led them in a group prayer and volunteers tossed handfuls of gospel tracts over their heads. What a night! Awesome music. Sensational testimonies. Hundreds responding to the message of the kingdom.

But then they all went home. The excitement fizzled. Rush hour traffic replaced the soaring harmonies. Overdue bills and hateful coworkers pushed the thrill of that night into a hazy memory. The craving for sensual pleasures overcame the flicker of spiritual longing, and many who had walked forward for change now walked back to the world. Belonging to Jesus had seemed so emotionally thrilling at the concert, but what was all this about obedience? Mountaintop expectations began to resemble humility and self-sacrifice. Disillusionment set in. They hadn’t really listened to the part about lordship, self-denial, or endurance, and after a few weeks it was clear that the response for many had been to the rush of adrenaline, not the Holy Spirit. Like seeds planted in rocky soil, they sprouted quickly but would never grow because there was no root to sustain them.

 Have you said “yes” to a rush of adrenaline or “yes” to the lordship of Jesus? 

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Will Your Faith Survive?

Josh slumped in the shadows, praying the school bell would ring. This school was not like his old one. He had spent the first fifteen years of his life in a small town, seeing the same people at school, church and the grocery store. It had been easy to be a leader, obey Christ, and stand for his convictions when almost everybody else felt the same way. 

But then his family moved and everything changed. The gang of thugs that owned the hallways of this mega high school had spotted him at once and the terrorizing began. "Is that a Bible?" one of them laughed when Josh's backpack spilled open. "Hey, preacher man, show us how you turn the other cheek!" After the first slap, the bullying never stopped.

At first, he tried to ignore it, but after a couple of weeks, he got angry. Why wasn’t God helping him? He began to reevaluate what he had always thought he believed. Acting like a Christian had never required anything from him back home. It was easy, even made him popular to be the leader of his youth group. But now he wondered: Was he truly committed to Christ or to an easy lifestyle?  Was his faith real or just a hand-me-down from his Christian family? 

The more he thought about it, the less he wanted it. By fall break, he had shoved the Bible into a bottom drawer, started partying, and did whatever necessary to be accepted by the cool crowd. The seed planted in his heart had fallen on the rocky soil of personal comfort, popularity, and fun. What he had called faith was only a reflection of the faith of others. When things got tough, it was not enough.

We are called to follow Christ, not an easy lifestyle. Will your faith survive when things get tough? 

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