And the headline reads, "God wins! Against the odds, God wins!"

And the headline reads, "God wins! 
Against the odds, God wins!"

O, I love a good story! 2 Chronicles 20, Acts 12
And this is a story which we all need to apply to our lives.

Let's call this guy Joe.
Joe was a prominent, influential leader to many, many people.
Come to find out, there were those who were looking to oust him and do a great deal of damage in the process, (perhaps these guys had failed to read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team1). Either way, Joe was in great peril and he knew it. He considered his options: >call his mentor and meet her for lunch, 
>call together his top guys and get their assessment 
of the situation, their suggestions for strategy-
>just let things take their course...which would not be good- 
Wait! 
>perhaps, there was another option: Joe was a 
strong Christian guy (whatever that means), but he wasn't a 
big touchy-feely guy. What if he tried what his preacher
had been talking about?
>ask God what he thinks about his situation...

Well okay, here goes-he decides to take a leap of faith:
'Hey God, it's me Joe. I'm kinda in some trouble here, and I 
know you are fully aware; I know you are keenly aware of all the players here. You see around corners that I cannot,
because you see the future as you view the present - all one
piece. So, what would you have me do? I'm listening, God - 'got anything for me?'

'Yes, Joe... I respond to hearts devoted to me. Ask your
people/your posse, whoever they are, to fast and pray, to get
serious about invoking my help. When my people cry out, I come and answer, Joe - you know what I'm saying?'

This is my modern-day fable of the story of King Jehoshaphat whose people were surrounded on all sides, about to be annihilated-2 Chronicles 20.1-30. Joe, a.k.a. Jehoshaphat, realizes his dire situation and calls on God, saying, 'we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; we know not what to do, but our eyes are on You.'2 I believe God is most glorified when we recognize our own inability to save ourselves from ourselves and our situations, and turn to him! Thus, Jehoshaphat did.
And so because of this, God showed up.

God, as he is wont to do, hears Jehoshaphat, and answers ... mightily, that is to say, in a big, decisive way! He orchestrates things in such a way that Jehoshaphat's enemies come up and fight each other; Joe and his men never have to take up arms! Okay, that is good stuff. In fact, I like to use little green army men to illustrate this story as I teach it.

So, what battle are you fighting? O, I know you're determined, I know you're strong, and of course, you are very smart and have surrounded yourself with good people, right? But none of them are as wise and all-knowing and good as God - so why don't you stop and drop? Why don't you stop, drop to your knees and invoke God the Father to come and rescue and exact a victory on your behalf?

Go ahead - he is big enough. 
 Go ahead - what's more, he's good enough.
Go ahead - he loves you more than you can fathom.

Here's the thing, Christian - the battle is not yours; 
the battle is the Lord's. 
 You are not meant to fight it. See here's the thing-if God is in the fight, He always wins.

Christine Todd

1 - Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni
2 - 2 Chronicles 20.12