Psalm 60:12 encourages us, “With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.” As long as we keep close to Him, He is ALL we need. Too many times in our lives as Christians, we get discouraged, we take our eyes off of Jesus Christ, and we become anxious about seemingly impossible situations.
Read with me a story from 2 Chronicles. The nation of Israel is divided into two kingdoms, the northern and the southern. “Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors.” (2 Chronicles 13: 2-3). Abijah was the king of Judah, the southern kingdom, and Jeroboam was king of Israel, the northern kingdom. Abijah had 400,000 men and Jeroboam had 800,000.
Abijah told Jeroboam, “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods. But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him…” (vs. 8-10) Jeroboam, like many of the people, had forsaken God, where Abijah had not.
So, we find that as the war between them progressed, it began to look bad for the southern kingdom, but God was in control! “Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men. Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.” (vs. 13-18)
God took care of Abijah and his people, because they had not forsaken Him! Later, in 2 Chronicles we read this promise, “The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” (2 Chronicles 15:2)
Jeroboam was deceived and drawn away from God by the lusts of the flesh, and he forsook God and began to make his own gods. That never works! There is only ONE true God and that is Lord Jehovah! His actions brought about his defeat, and the slaughter of thousands! When we forsake God, we do the same…our actions affect us and those around us. However, if we seek God ALONE, we have nothing to fear…even when things seem hopeless! After all – He is in complete control of everything!