Fighting the Wrong Battle

2 Chronicles 25: ⁶ He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents of silver.

⁷ But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim.⁸ Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.”

⁹ Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.”

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I finally got time on the agenda after making a few calls. With presentation in hand I entered the stage. I had my facts ready and the information was set. I also had my local board prepped, but the usual suspects seemed very confident.

As I entered the stage I could tell something was different this time. When the barrage of poison questions hit me, I noticed my local board remaining silent as if to say “you are on your own.” I wasn’t supposed to be in that battle and I got pummeled.

·         There have been times where I jumped into battle when I should not have been fighting.

·         There have been times when I felt confident in my capabilities when I actually was not ready.

·         There have been times where I was blind to what was actually going on because of over confidence.

Confidence is a great quality to have but it can blind me if it is only coupled to my abilities. I can get puffed up by “my” success, thinking “I” accomplished whatever I accomplished. BUT GOD says different.

·         GOD says to me “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to.”

·         GOD says to me “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”

·         GOD says to me “Humble yourself before me and I will lift you up.”

My confidence has to be in the LORD not in my abilities. I can do nothing without HIM and I certainly cannot accomplish anything HE has not ordained. GOD has a plan that includes HIS prosperity, but it is in HIS time, HIS method and HIS style. Success to GOD may look very different to the world but HE never lets me down when I am humble before HIM.

·         Are you demanding GOD of something?

·         Do you feel you have the right to tell HIM what you need?

·         Can you stop complaining about HIM and humble yourself to HIS power and will?

·         Will you stop squirming out of your troubles and wait on the LORD for direction?