It's Not MY Battle

I have really been struggling to write this month as you can see by my shortage of blog posts (only 1 in the whole month of April!) I guess that there are two reasons for that.

1. I have been really busy doing everything that I can think of  to get my daycare business up and running at this new house. I have been on the phone, on the computer, and on the run - all over the county. Since I have mentioned this before, you are aware of this struggle.

2. I hate whining. I don't like to see it in my children, and I don't like to see it in me - even though I am plenty good at it! I really wish that I were not. (Besides, you don't want to read whining! At least I wouldn't if I were you! You are too precious to me, dear friends, for me to annoy you with my whining.)

I sat down last week and started to write about how I feel that I am sitting in God's "waiting room" and how frustrating that it feels.

My writing was disjointed.

It was incomplete.

It was depressing.

I did not finish it and post it (obviously).

Although I probably will finish it and post it later because it still has some value (and which of us has not been in God's waiting room at one time or another), today I want to tell a different story.

This Sunday my wonderful husband stayed home with Tiny so that I could go to church. I have missed a lot of church this winter because of all of our illness so I was glad to get back. It  was a good thing that I was there, too, because the pastor was preaching right to me!*wink*

Our pastor can preach on a passage of scripture for weeks, squeezing every ounce of value out of each word and phrase in the passage and applying it to our everyday lives. This month he is in 2 Chronicles 20.

Jehoshaphat is one of the kings of Judah who loved God. At this time in his life, everything is going his way. It's all good. One day he finds out that the country will be attacked from a direction that is completely unexpected.

"Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek Him." (vs. 3)

The king had gotten bad advice before so he took this opportunity to re- solve that problem by going directly to God.

He begins to pray in the assembly, " O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might  are in your hand, and no one can withstand you...(he "reminds" God of some of His history, then says)...We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (vs 6, 12)

Suddenly, "...the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel...a Levite...as he stood in the assembly. He said: 'Listen, King Jehoshaphat... This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them...You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you... Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord." (vs. 14-18)

The next morning, they got ready to head into battle. Jehoshaphat rallied the troops and gave this speech, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld..."
Then he "...appointed men 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.'"  (vs. 20-21)

Yes, I said singing.

Yes, I said in front of the army.

Then scripture tells us the most surprising thing:
"As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men...who were invading Judah, and they were defeated... When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground." (vs. 22, 24)

"Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to
Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies...and the kingdom of
Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side." (vs. 27,30)

How does this apply to my situation?

I have been feeling as though we are in an unexpected battle. When we moved here, we had been given the idea that there was a NEED for daycare in this area. The last thing that we expected was to struggle with this. We are certain that God prepared this home for us and lined everything up for our move. He clearly has a plan for us here, but after six months of waiting we are also saying, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." 

Pastor John said, "This is not your battle, but you still have to put your armor on and show up." I feel like that is what I have done with my advertising, calling and posting.

But I am still waiting.

"I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on You."

Praying.

Suiting up and marching.

Now it is time to sing!

"Give thanks to the Lord,
for His love endures forever."

Who knows? Maybe as I SING the Lord will bring my deliverance...

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