Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
It is easy to say, “Praise God!” when times are good. It is easy to believe that God loves you and blesses you when you are on the mountaintop. But what happens when you are down in the valley surrounded by your enemies?
Maybe, you are in the valley of marital, financial or health trouble, and you are asking, “Where are you, Lord?”
God says to you, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
When King Jehoshaphat was surrounded by a multitude of armies and enemies, the Lord said to the king, “Don’t be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you. Don’t fear or be dismayed. Tomorrow, go out against them for the Lord is with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:14– 17)
What King Jehoshaphat did next was exactly what every New Testament Believer needs to learn. Instead of putting his best fighting soldiers in front, he put worshipers in front! And God utterly destroyed their enemies! (2 Chronicles 20:21–23)
What we all need to learn from King Jehoshaphat is to be “Restful” not “Restless”.
Being restless is stressing and striving to fight all the battles in your own strength. It is taking stock of all the resources that you have. Things that might bring you security - like my wealth, my networks, my knowledge, my intellect and then strategizing – waking up early, staying back late to solve the problems.
But being restful is being secure in God – it’s turning everything over to Him through prayer, worship and thanking Him that He fights our battles for us.
So whatever valley you are in today, don’t be afraid. God is there with you strengthening and upholding you. Just rejoice in His love for you and let Him fight your battles for you!