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February 24, 2019

365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 86: Divine Presence


Divine Presence

"'You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'" (2 Chronicles 20:17 NIV)

"You will not have to fight this battle." 

Of all the divine declarations in Scripture, this has to be one of the most glorious.

"You will not have to fight this battle."

There are indeed battles God calls us to fight—with His help, of course. But this example is proof that not every battle we face is for our fighting. Sometimes, we just have to take the steps God lays out for us leading up to the battle and then stand still in His presence and watch Him do the fighting, watch Him hand us the victory.

To be sure, King Jehoshaphat and his troops had a job to do, and it might have been a harder job than all-out fighting in the first place: they had to show up, stand firm...and then wait to see God do His thing. Divine Presence was promised to them—"the LORD will be with you," not "the Lord might be with you"—but they had to "go out to face" the enemy first.

At the risk of sounding like a greeting card, God's presence is a present. It is a gift we receive, not a paycheck we have to earn. But God often overlays His presence atop our show of faith and obedience. 

Sweet friends, are you staring down a battle today? If so, is it one God wants to fight with you or one He wants to fight for you? Either way, "go out" and face what needs facing with this assurance: "the LORD will be with you."

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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!