2 Chronicles 13:18: “Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God of their fathers.”

September 30th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Jeroboam, king of Israel, and Abijah, king of Judah, went to battle against each other. Judah was greatly outnumbered, but God gave them the victory “because they relied on the LORD God.” This is a truth that all who call God, Lord, should embrace. When we rely on Him, we are able to survive this life.

All of us who have walked with the Lord for more than a few weeks have had those days when it seems like the enemy is going to overrun our position and win the war against us. We have experienced that feeing of pressure or darkness or maybe even despair that comes when we are on the battlefields of life. The uncomplicated yet profound answer to this difficulty is found here in this simple verse about the people of God putting their total reliance in Him. Regardless of how it sometimes feels, God never loses control of the universe or the events happening so rapid fire in our lives. God our Father is able to sustain, stabilize, and even bless our lives in the middle of seeming chaos and pandemonium.

Several years ago, while visiting Israel, one of the guys in our group went into the Dead Sea to swim. We laughed as he kicked and waved his arms, trying to keep himself above water; but the more he struggled the more he sank. The tour guide yelled to him, “Stop fighting it, just lean back and relax. The heavy salt water will more than support you, but you will sink if you keep thrashing around. Trust me!” When he relaxed and stopped kicking, the high salt content in the water popped him up to the top. Relying on God works in much the same way. When we rely on ourselves, we get what we can do; but when we rely on God, we get what He can do.

“LORD, we rely on and look to You today to be our resource in every situation.”