This Great Company

 

“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”-2 Chronicles 20:12

 

Have you ever felt sacred, anxious, or overwhelmed?  If you have not, keep on living; it’s coming.  That feeling a terror deep within your trying to hide.  Where you know without a shadow of a doubt that you are outnumbered, and in over your head.  The cause of this could be any number of factors and situations, often it is many different factors and situations that combine at a single time to produce a company of issues.  Issues that we must face, problems that are bigger than us and we need the Lord’s help.  We need our eyes on Him.

 

There are many things about serving God and His Christ that are hard to articulate.  Among them is the overwhelming and amazing peace, help, and care that God can offer in times of trouble.  This cannot be understood by those who do not believe, and it cannot be manufactured.  King Jehoshaphat was facing an army that was bigger and better than his own.  This great company grouped together and came to battle against Jehoshaphat.  He was not out there looking for trouble, but trouble found him.  So often in life this is the case.  We are just going about our day to day, trying to keep everything on the tracks when tragedy strikes, or circumstances line up to create a cornucopia of issues that converge on you.  The flood gates open and as you stand in the valley looking up, the mountain that you were prepared to climb now has a flood tide raging down its steep slope; carrying with it the fear and despair that mirrors the selfsame emotion that grips your own heart.  It is paralyzing.  It makes you second guess everything.  While it is not true that everything was orchestrated by the devil, one can be certain that he will take this opportunity to capitalize.  In this, we find great hope, because while the devil uses this company to try to invoke fear and doubt, the selfsame company can be a launch pad to bring you to a higher plain of faith and trust in the Almighty.  Moses could not part the water, if there was no water.  Joshua could not conquer Jericho, if there was no Jericho.  David could not have slain Goliath if there was no Goliath.  We must never forget that the “company” in our lives that come against us are opportunities in our lives to see God’s power.  To be a part of His story.  Jehoshaphat knew this, he understood it; and prayed to the Father, with his eyes on Him.

 

Personally, the older I get the more I must realize that it is OK to say: “we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”  In other words, “I don’t know what to do, I am not strong enough, and I need your help, Lord!”  God wants us to need Him!  This works out pretty good for us because we do need him.  One of the greatest lies that the devil tells us is that we are sufficient of ourselves.  That we can take on the companies of life that come against us.  When we are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God (2 Cor 3:5).  We need God in our lives, and we need to rely on God in our lives, and when we do; there is an amazing, overwhelming peace.  We find help and support that comes from God the Father.  May God shelter in his loving arms those who are facing the companies of life right now.