II Chronicles 20:17b
“Fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.”
Suggested Scripture reading: Psalm 83:1-18
Confrontation is never easy. It always involves accusation, rebuke and conflict. We shy away from it. We try to avoid it. Jehosaphat and the people of Judah in II Chronicles 20 were being attacked by a host of enemies. God had told them that he would defend them and fight their battle but in verse 16 and 17 he tells them, “go ye down against them: . . . for the LORD will be with you.” They were to go and confront their enemy.
The delegation had arrived at the pastor’s study to deliver their message. They were opposed to the direction he was taking their church and were going to do what ever was necessary to stop his work and see him resign as the pastor of that church. He was stunned by their words and sought the Will of God in prayer to know just how to deal with this problem. For three days he worked and prayed but he knew that there must be a point of confrontation. The church business meeting opened as a closed-door meeting. Only the members of the church were in attendance. The pastor knew that he had done nothing worthy of dismissal. The direction he was taking the church was Biblical and Christ honoring. With the peace of God in his heart, yet, with no small misgiving he stood to confront his accusers. To his amazement, they were not in the meeting. Over the next few months the pastor confronted each one of the delegation that had come to his study that night. He was able to win some of them back into the church. Others of them would not be reasoned with. The Lord had told him that He would be with him in the meeting. Yet, the Lord wanted the pastor to confront his accusers. He expected that they would be successful in ousting him, yet he had to face them anyway.
We may be called upon to face those who would oppose us. At these times you must assure yourself of the presence of God in your life and then,
“Fear not to face your foes, because you know “the Lord will be with you.”
II Chronicles 32:8
“With him [Sennacherib] is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of
Hezekiah king of Judah.”
