MEMORISE:
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12:19
READ: 2 Chronicles 20:22-27
22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.
24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.
26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.
27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
MESSAGE
There is a reason and a great blessing for living life with the attitude that the Holy Spirit recommends in today’s memory verse. Without a doubt, victory won after tough fight is sweet. The Israelites experienced this when they encountered the Amalekites in Exodus 17:8-15. The Amalekites waged war against the Israelites and Moses commission Joshua to fight them, but not without the help of the Lord of Hosts. While Joshua led the physical fight, Moses, assisted by Aaron and Hur, handled the spiritual fight in prayers. In the end, the battle was won to the glory of God. As sweet as this victory was, there is another type of victory that is even sweeter – victory obtained without a fight! Victory in which the victor did not need to fight can only happen when God is involved. A great example is found in today’s Bible reading, when three powerful kings gathered against King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. A Levite named Jahaziel, moved by the Holy Spirit told the people that they need not fight in the battle ahead, because the battle was not theirs but God’s (2 Chronicles 20:14-17). In this instance, the Lord Himself was set to do battle with the enemies of His people. The good news is that what Jehoshaphat and his people experienced is still possible in the life of God’s children today. However, for this to happen there is one factor that must be in place, which Jehoshaphat proclaimed in 2 Chronicles 20:20, saying:
“Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”
Beloved, if you want victory without a fight, you must believe that God is more than able to fight your battles for you and demonstrate this faith by letting Him take charge of your battles. Some of us insist on fighting for ourselves and are yet defeated on daily basis. Some people asked me why I don’t fight those who are maliciously working against me. I told them that I have no strength of my own to fight, and so I have handed over to God. Sometimes when God deals with such people, I end up begging Him too have mercy on them. Vengeance is God’s prerogative, and we must not usurp His divine will if we would make Him happy. As the Lord o Hosts, He specializes in fighting the most terrible of battles. His faithfulness will not allow Him renege on His promise to fight on your behalf. So, trust Him for the victory that you so desire over the enemies of your destiny today. You will obtain victory without a fight as the Lord goes to battle for you.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please fight the battles of my life for me today, and give me rest all around.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Romans 9-10
Isaiah 59
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 13: I AM A VICTOR
1. Yes, I know I am a victor
For the Bible tells me so
God made me more than a conqueror
Much stronger than all my foes
CHORUS
Jesus loves me and I love Him
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word
2. Yes, I know I am a victor
Stronger than demons I am
To Satan I am a terror
I am free, o yes, I am
3. Yes, I know I am a victor
Stronger than lack, poverty
All my needs Jesus provides for
I have life abundantly
4. Yes, I know I am a victor
Barrenness no more indeed
Fruitful is the God I live for
All my dreams shall be fulfilled
5. Yes, I know I am a victor
By His strength I shall succeed
No more loss and no more failure
Glory to glory proceed
6. Yes, I know I am a victor
No more sorrow, no despair
Jesus Christ is my own Succour
Tomorrow is joy and cheer
7. Yes, I know I am a victor
Very soon I’ll reign with Him
His promise is my sure anchor
He’s coming to take me home
8. Jesus loves me and I love Him
We rule this world together
As He is so right now I am
Hear me shout Halleluyah
9. Jesus loves me Halleluyah
Hear me shout Halleluyah
Halleluyah, Halleluyah
Glory be to God on high
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