It seems like every time I read or look at current events, I am asking: “Lord, what is your will for my life, what do you want me to do? Where do you want me?”
I am in full commitment to serve the Lord our God, what I sometimes don’t know is the ‘what’ He wants for such a time as this, for I clearly am convinced that all of us are born exactly in the time that He intended us to be born. Every one of us, without question, and in the body, we have a role.
There are times regardless of our positions we don’t know what to do. I find myself returning to this section in the bible lately, actually I have been camping here. For simplicity of reading, I am condensing it (to not have all those wonderful names), but all of it is good.
2 Chronicles 20:3,5-9,12-24
The background is when Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir are invading Judah so King Jehoshaphat had called his people to fast and pray. The king is calling out to God.
12 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 on you.”
13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon the son of Zachariah:
15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat 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. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
When we seek Him He encourages us, and reminds us He is in full control, and we are to take our positions. We are to stand firm and look to Him for our deliverance. Now they go on and the King calls some people in his army to praise the LORD, literally they are an army and they are setting apart some to praise and sing to the LORD. The king has taken God completely at His word. Such an example in faith.
I write this for encouragement. There are some of us who are physically out on the streets; leading worship, sharing the Word, protecting physically, feeding others, teaching and healing, you may be there too, or your ‘street’ may be Costco, your home, small group…. Your role may be, to pray, praise, support financially, and however else the LORD may lead you, and be sure it will never be in contradiction to His Word. Please know, praying and praising is never something to be thought of as not enough! It is always a part of serving God. Battles are won by praising the LORD.
Remember Moses in Exodus 17:12-14? He held up his arms in praise to God Almighty, and they were winning and when he lowered his arms, the other army was winning, so Aaron and Hur helped by holding up Moses’ arms, even giving him a stone to sit on. Can you imagine if Aaron said, “no this is not enough, I am going down to fight with Joshua”. Thankfully he held his position.
Do what the LORD has called you to do. If you are not certain, ask, be in His Word, continue to pray and praise Him, we worship a living God. In His perfect timing He will let you know what else to do.
Have you noticed how we seek out step- by- step directions when we are lost or concerned of being lost? Even our devices we use for directions between locations are silent till it’s time to make a change. You are where you are supposed to be until God tells you otherwise, be present and be in the LORD.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
1 Corinthians 12: 14, 18-20 (NIV)
14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
So encouraging!