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.”

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2 Chronicles 13 KJV

¹ Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. ² He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. ³ And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour. ⁴ And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which isin mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel; ⁵ Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? ⁶ Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord. ⁷ And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them. ⁸ And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. ⁹ Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.  ¹⁰ But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business: ¹¹ And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him. ¹² And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. ¹³ But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. ¹⁴ And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. ¹⁵ Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶ And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand. ¹⁷ And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. ¹⁸ Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers. ¹⁹ And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof. ²⁰ Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died. ²¹ But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters. ²²And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.