A Daily Devotional for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek
2 August 2024
Reading From II Chronicles 32-33
“He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.”
–II Chronicles 32:6-8
King Hezekiah was wise, brave, and bold. His wisdom and courage came from his fear of the Lord and this allowed him to lead his people with confidence. This confidence came not from military strength or economic advantage, it came from the spiritual knowledge that “greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world.”[1] The battle belongs to the Lord.
Because we are limited by time, space and our finite minds, it is so easy for us to be distracted by the ways of the world and influenced by what we see more than divine revelation. This leads to fear and anxiety. Time and time again the tribes of Israel had to rely upon God because if they had trusted in their own power they would have failed as their foes had larger, better prepared armies.
This is also part of why miracles are seen more often in the third world than in more developed nations. Those who only have God to rely on must put all their trust in Him alone. In many places around the globe there is little to no access to medical care, so when sudden illness or injury strikes, believers have to call on Jehovah Rapha.
While His visible, supernatural intervention is more prevalent in impoverished nations, God moves in power whenever and wherever His people reach out to Him in faith. We live in a world that looks for political and financial solutions for spiritual problems that can only be solved by the intervention of Almighty God and whole-hearted surrender of men and women to His ways and His will.
“God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, strengthen the faith of Your children. I pray that You would be our first resort and not our last. Help us to understand that no matter what challenge we face in this life, You are greater by far and able, more than able, to bring victory in every circumstance for Your glory and honor. Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon Your sons and daughters in abundance. Increase our faith from glory to glory. Open our spiritual eyes to the reality of our dependence upon You for everything we need. Even the very breath in our lungs comes from You and we are only alive today because of Your sustaining hand. Help us, Lord Jesus. Amen.”
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
–Ephesians 6:10-12
[1] I John 4:4
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