DAY 166 Read 2 Chronicles 19 through 21; Psalm 83.
Today's reading: We return to Judah under Jehoshaphat. Notice particularly the unusual battle plan Jehoshaphat used.
Memory gem: "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper" (2 Chronicles 20:20).
Thought for today:
We should notice especially here that when Israel began to sing and to praise, the Lord began to work. This proves that their faith was real. They believed that the promises of God were as good as the actual accomplishments of the promises. They believed the Lord or, as more literally translated, "they built upon the Lord," and so they were established or built up. They proved the truth of the scripture which says, "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).
They began to praise God for the victory which they expected.
Now, let us apply this principle to our own lives so that we may live above defeat. Here comes a strong temptation to do wrong. The strength of temptation is in our weakness to overcome, as we have often proved to our sorrow. We have been vanquished and have fallen into sin. Now we turn to God. Our eyes are upon Him, and we begin to pray. What do we say first? Do we begin to talk about the great temptation and our weakness? Do we begin with a mournful statement of the hopeless situation in which we find ourselves? No. If we follow the example of Jehoshaphat, we will begin first with a joyful acknowledgment of God's mighty power. We will remind Him of His power before our weakness. We are not to put our weakness before God's power, but His power before our weakness. The contrast will bring us courage.
Then as we pray, God's promises come to our minds, brought there by the Holy Spirit. We can begin to praise God for the victory that has not yet come, because it is already in His promise. By faith we can see God's hand already bringing us victory.
Today's reading: We return to Judah under Jehoshaphat. Notice particularly the unusual battle plan Jehoshaphat used.
Memory gem: "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper" (2 Chronicles 20:20).
Thought for today:
We should notice especially here that when Israel began to sing and to praise, the Lord began to work. This proves that their faith was real. They believed that the promises of God were as good as the actual accomplishments of the promises. They believed the Lord or, as more literally translated, "they built upon the Lord," and so they were established or built up. They proved the truth of the scripture which says, "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).
They began to praise God for the victory which they expected.
Now, let us apply this principle to our own lives so that we may live above defeat. Here comes a strong temptation to do wrong. The strength of temptation is in our weakness to overcome, as we have often proved to our sorrow. We have been vanquished and have fallen into sin. Now we turn to God. Our eyes are upon Him, and we begin to pray. What do we say first? Do we begin to talk about the great temptation and our weakness? Do we begin with a mournful statement of the hopeless situation in which we find ourselves? No. If we follow the example of Jehoshaphat, we will begin first with a joyful acknowledgment of God's mighty power. We will remind Him of His power before our weakness. We are not to put our weakness before God's power, but His power before our weakness. The contrast will bring us courage.
Then as we pray, God's promises come to our minds, brought there by the Holy Spirit. We can begin to praise God for the victory that has not yet come, because it is already in His promise. By faith we can see God's hand already bringing us victory.
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