2024 Fasting Devotional

By Sabrina Botts

“O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

2 Chronicles 20:13

I think you would agree that the last two years have been nothing short of tumultuous.  We have the COVID 19 pandemic, an economic depression, rising crime, emotional frustrations, continued political division, even the weather has been chaotic. After some time, the constant turmoil and negative reports can start to take a toll on our faith, causing us to wonder just what is going on? Where is God?  Is he indeed still in control? Can we trust him to take care of us?  In short, sometimes, our hearts and minds can get so overwhelmed that we simply don’t know who to look at.  We don’t know who to fix our eyes on for answers to the insurmountable challenges that we face.

For me, it’s like we went to bed and woke up, and our lives will never be the same. What’s worse is that no solution that the world has tried is working to fix our problems.  Not the vaccines, not the economic stimulus, not the recommendations from the government or health agencies.  So much feels so out of control.  We are surrounded by these things, and every day it’s like waiting for the next proverbial ‘shoe to drop’. 

In the passage that we are looking at today, King Jehoshaphat and the southern tribe of Israel found themselves in a situation where they were surrounded by a problem that they were powerless to fix. Overnight, without any warning, a coalition of enemies quickly advanced towards them, and they were not prepared to defend themselves. But, instead of them looking to themselves or their allies to assist, they turned to God, acknowledging that his solution was the only one that could truly save them.

See, they understood that the covenant promises of God went beyond just what he did for them, but rather, these promises really demonstrated who He was as their God. He had established them as his people and provided a land for their heritage, solidifying his commitment and love for them.  So, no matter what they faced, they were convinced that their God would be who He had always been. He was committed to them and everything that he had promised them. I believe this is the strength and confidence that drove their response in the face of such odds.  Instead of being paralyzed by fear, they chose to worship.

If you read further in chapter 20, you will see that they worshipped all the way to the battlefield, and when they arrived, their enemies had been destroyed.  They never had to lift a sword or a spear.  Praise was their weapon against this formidable foe, and God fought for them.

We can learn from this pattern as we face the multifaceted foes that stand against us today.  Our 'praise' fights the foes of discouragement, hopelessness, fear, and despair.  I am not promising that when we praise God, we will miraculously heal our land of COVID, cause inflation to decrease, or make the streets safer, but He is absolutely able to.  And even better, He is able to keep us in peace while He works all things for His good pleasure.  He is able to keep us, encourage us, and provide for us in ways that we can’t even imagine because His grace and power absolutely know no limitations.  The scriptures are trustworthy when it says that “He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think”. (Ephesians 3:20)

Let’s take the example set for us in this scripture and choose to set our faces to seek the Lord and praise our way through. Indeed He is our God, and He will fight for us.

PRAYER

Dear God, we need You.  This battle in my life, and in our world today, is just too much for me to face alone.  I don’t have the resources of strength, faith or hope to fight it. I need you to provide     [fill in the blank here]      for me and my household.  Just like You fought for the children of Israel I am choosing to trust You to do the same for me. Today, I choose to focus on Your character and Your eternal promises found in Your Word.  Instead of being afraid, I will set my face to seek You and worship with expectation.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

Choose at least 3 of the toughest battles that you are facing right now.  It may a physical ailment, a financial dilemma, or even an unsolvable family crisis.  Whatever your biggest challenges are right now, write them down in a notepad or journal.  Then one by one, each day actively pray and give each one to God.  Declare that God is fighting the battle for you, and refuse to allow worry about that particular challenge to enter your heart.