Obedience

There was a word given by Lorilei Cooley that I went to the Lord and asked for confirmation for. It is linked here. The next morning I randomly opened my Bible to 2 Chronicles 20:20.

"²⁰ So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”

I couldn't believe my eyes how the Lord had responded and confirmed Lorilei's word. The following day, today, I decided to read more into that chapter as I've done many times in the past. I stopped at verse 10.

¹⁰ And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— ¹¹ here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

Jehoshaphat remembered a time accounted for in Deuteronomy 2 verses 8-9 and 19. The Lord told Israel not to harass or contend with Moab in battle. Israel was obedient. Fast forward to this time in 2 Chronicles 20, and Jeshoshaphat is frustrated with God. The very people God told Israel not to conquer were coming to take them out? Why was God allowing Israel to be defeated like this? What Jehoshaphat nor anyone else saw however, was one of the greatest battle victories ever accounted for in the Bible was at hand.

⁷ You will not need to fight in this battle.Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

Israel didn't have to fight. In fact, verse 24 says noone escaped. Additionally, Israel spent three days carrying off the spoil. It was more than they could carry.

Sometimes in life the Lord asks us to be obedient. In the case of Israel, it almost felt like the Lord was elevating a people who didn't know God and treating Israel as a humble traveler. What Israel didn't know was that there would be a time where there would be a battle. In their obedience in the past (that didn't necessarily make sense), they unknowingly set themselves up for a victory they didn't even have to fight in the future. God not only gave them victory but gave Israel all the wealth of those that came against them.

We may not see the fruit of our obedience in the short-term. Maybe it has been years since you followed through on a Word from the Lord. It can be easy to wonder if God noticed or maybe if you missed the mark somehow. I want to encourage you with Jehoshaphat's story. HE REMEMBERED. Jehoshaphat reminded God of Israel's obedience (not that God forgot). The Lord was orchestrating events all those years under the radar without any one knowing it. The key that unlocked this supernatural victory in 2 Chronicles 20 was humble obedience to God wandering through the desert. As many time as I've studied this chapter, this supernatural praise-filled victory, I never understood the obedience that laid the foundation for this to take place.

God has not forgotten your obedience. He will bring His Word to pass in your life. What an overwhelming victory we have to look forward to!