“And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them; because they put their trust in him” (1 Chronicles 5:20).
TEXT — 1 Chronicles 5:14-22
Message
In Bits & Pieces, January 9, 1992, we find this story: “When Jan Paderewski was to leave his native Poland to play his first recital in London, he asked an influential compatriot to give him a letter of introduction to a leading figure in Britain’s musical world, who might be of assistance should anything go amiss. The letter was handed to him in a sealed envelope. He hoped that everything would proceed smoothly and he would not have to use it. He did not; his debut was a success, and no snags developed. Some years later, while going through his papers, he came upon the letter and opened it. It read: “This will introduce Jan Paderewski, who plays the piano, for which he demonstrates no conspicuous talent.” If Jan had depended on the introduction letter, he would have failed.
In a sense, life is a battlefield where contending ideas and forces compete for supremacy. What we often rely on for victory, is hardly enough to give us an edge, except we enlist the support of God. In our text, we see how the sons of Reuben, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh mobilised a large body of “valiant men” (44,760 in number), armed with the best weapons of the age – “buckler and sword” and bows and arrows. However, though they prevailed, it was not because of their valour, weapons, tactics or numbers. They only prevailed with divine help – “they were helped against …the Hagarites (who) were delivered into their hand.”
We should prepare for battle every day because the devil never ceases to wage war against believers. Furthermore, the war was against familiar foes, in this instance descendants of Ishmael, the half-brother of Isaac by the bondwoman, Hagar. Similarly, believers are in unending conflict with Satan because he envies us for enjoying the privilege that he lost forever. He is, therefore, committed, albeit vainly, to our destruction. Believers must be watchful and prayerful to avoid being ambushed by the adversary. In addition, we must seek divine intervention in all situations. In our passage, divine help came after “they cried to God in the battle.” We should not wait for the battle to intensify before we cry to the Lord but pray without ceasing before, during and after the battle. We also give thanks and praises after victory is won. Those who put all their trust in the Lord and make Him their refuge and strength cannot be defeated in battle.
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Thought for the day
God is trustworthy, stop worrying and start trusting
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
