Facing overwhelming odds
Psalm 3
Sometimes we face situations that are overwhelming. The opposition might be too numerous. The medical report might be too negative. The time you have to solve the problem might be hopelessly too short. Your lawyers want you to count your losses. Your family and friends tell you that you've done what you can, but you can't expect anything more. And it would seem to the natural mind that there is nothing that can be done. It is easy in times like these to lose hope.
But, beloved, in times like these you and I should remember that we are NEVER without hope, for we have Someone who is an ever present help in the time of trouble!
When Sarai was 90 and had passed the age of childbearing, and when Abram was 100 and too old to have children, God stepped into their seemingly hopeless situation and turned it around!
When Moses and the children of Israel were confronted with a threatening sea in front of them and an angry army behind them, when they thought all hope had gone, God stepped into their seemingly hopeless situation and turned it around!
David faced trying times too - on more than just a few occasions, and he records some of these incidents in the Psalms. In Psalm 3 for example he says: Oh Lord, how many are my foes...
Here he faced overwhelming odds. The enemy army was too big. In all probability they had more people, more artillery, more supplies of food and water. It would seem that David and his tiny army of frightened men had been heavily outnumbered and cleverly outmanoeuvred.
Even his enemies were saying his situation was hopeless. Even the Lord can not deliver him.
But David refused to agree with his enemy! He refused to give in, and he refused to cave in. He refused to concede defeat, and he refused to call it a day!
Instead, he looked beyond his problem to a Person who had never let him down before...
In his cave, he turned to The rock that was higher than I.
He says: But thou oh Lord...
In other words David is testifying to us today...that when things careen out of control and your circumstances seem too difficult to contend with...don't give up!
He would say to us today...The God who delivered me from the paw of the bear...and from the jaw of the lion...and from the claw of Saul...will not fail me now! Yeh, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
When you face overwhelming situations remember these things:
God is way bigger than your problem
God is willing to help you. He wants to show himself strong on your behalf
God is waiting for you to put your trust him. In fact, God is watching over His Word to perform it in your life!
Sometimes problems come our way to crush us, but God allows them nevertheless to get us to rely on him again.
In 2 Cor. 8, 9 we read of one such incident...Paul says we do not want you to be ignorant of our troubles in the province of Asia. Things became so bad, that we began to lose hope, and feared even for our lives. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.
...In other words, Paul says, we did not think we would make it out of that situation...we expected to die...
But this happened he says, so that we could learn to rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
2 Chron. 20... Records another event where Gods people seemed to be in a hopeless situation as they faced overwhelming odds.
In Verse 1-3, two vital things to do when facing overwhelming circumstances and crisis....
He resolves to enquire of the Lord
He proclaims a fast
Verse 4: the people of Judah did 3 important things
They Came...they responded. They stopped what they were doing. They realised the crisis they were in. And they realised the need to pitch up.
They Came together. They knew the importance of unity.
They came together to seek help from the Lord. They meant business. They were not there to socialise. Or to fellowship. There's a time and place for that! These people were determined to meet with God. indeed they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
Verse 5: Jehoshaphat stood up. And he begins to pray aloud in the temple before the Lord, and in the hearing of the people. He focuses on five important aspects in his prayer, that we'd do well to learn from.
First he focuses on Gods great Power. He acknowledges Gods Sovereignty and Power over all...are you not the God in heaven...you rule over all kingdoms...power and might are in your hand and no one can withstand you.
Second, he focuses on Gods great Mercy. He recounts Gods past favour upon them as a people, he recalls Gods promises, and remembers the covenant they have with him. Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
Third, he focuses on their faith and commitment. Your people have lived in this land and have built a sanctuary for your name, saying, if calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgement or plaque or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your name and will cry out to you in our distress and you will hear us abs save us.
Fourth, he focuses on the problem at hand. Men from Ammon...Moab...mount Seir...
Fifth, he focuses on the solution. He makes it clear that they have no ability to defeat their vast enemy, and that they were fully reliant on God. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you! And that's what the fasting is about too. It is about letting God know that we are facing a problem that physical strength will not get us through. We need spiritual strength on our side!
A bit of a touching scene: verse 13 says that All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.
They were all vulnerable
They were all facing a crisis
They all stood together .. They were all praying...fasting...
They all waited on the Lord
Verse 14: Then...praise God for the “then” here... Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly...
Two important principles are highlighted here:
Every puzzle we face in life, no matter how complex, can be unravelled. There is NOTHING too hard for the Lord. The Spirit of God can solve any riddle, move any mountain, rout any demon, conquer any Kingdom. God looks at the problem and simply says it's not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord!
Fasting makes a way for us to hear from God. That is one of the central values fasting! Hearing from God. Britain has an SIS. M16... Secret intelligence service. Well, we've also got a Spiritual intelligence service. We can get Spiritual Intel on any problem that arises in our lives. Isaiah 58.. Then you will be led by the Lord continually...
Verse 15 He said: listen king and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. That is, do not lose hope, banish fear and put your trust in Me.
For the battle is not yours but the Lords. In other words, God is saying, when your problem is too big, step aside, I'm going to take this one on myself!
V17 you will not have to fight this battle.
V16 tomorrow, March down against them. That is,
don't run away. Face the problem.
Trust in me. Realise that I'm for you.
But I'll be fighting this one.
V17 you just take up your positions, stand firm.
That is, Move forward like you are going to fight, and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.
V18 Jehoshaphat and the people acknowledge it as a word from the Lord. Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. V19 then some Levites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel in a very loud voice.
In other words, they believed the Word, and they started to rejoice before they saw the victory. That's what fasting does! It helps you to see beyond..it helps you to take God at his word!
V20 the next day they arose, Jehoshaphat stood up and said: listen to me, Judah and the people of Jerusalem, have faith in The Lord your God and you will be upheld. Have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.
V21 Jehoshaphat then appointed men to sing and praise the Lord and put them out ahead of the army and told them to sing!
V22 as they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah and were defeated. The enemies started to attack each other!
Praise confuses and terrifies the enemy!
V23 when the Israelites got to the place where the battle was supposed to take place...there were bodies lying all over the place...and then v24 they went to carry off the plunder. There was a great amount of equipment, and clothing, and articles of value, more than they could take away. There was so much it took them three days to collect all of it.
V26 on the fourth day they gathered together and praised the Lord.
Two important things the Lord wants to accomplish when he allows an overwhelming situation to come your way:
He wants you to rejoice in Him again! V27 then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the people returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. They went into the temple with harps, and lyres and trumpets.
He wants to use you to reach out to others for him. V29 the fear of the Lord came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
When you get victory, God gets the glory!
Put your hope in the Lord today.
God can help you too.
