Dear Beachside Family and Friends;
There are times in life when we encounter problems that seem to have no solution. We spend hours thinking and praying, trying to figure things out. After all this effort, we may find ourselves in the same place we started from, still dealing with the same challenges. In times like these, we need God and His Word more than ever!
Jehoshaphat, King of Judah was a righteous man. The Bible records that he served God with all his heart, like his ancestor David. He was prosperous in every way, and God blessed the nation of Judah because of his obedience. His success in God attracted the attention of a number of neighboring nations, who allied themselves together to attack and destroy Judah. The enemies' armies were far greater in number and power than the army of Judah, and they faced an impossible situation. In the midst of this very serious problem, they made a very important decision. Jehoshaphat, whose name means "God is my Judge", made this statement to God and the nation: "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chr 20:12)
Instead of trying to figure everything out on their own, the nation of Judah took their eyes off the problem, and turned their eyes upon God. They stopped focusing on the challenge, and focused on God and His Word. When they did so, God granted them incredible deliverance from their enemies. They didn't even have to fight. God fought for them, and all they had to do was pick up the riches their enemies left when they destroyed each other. (2 Chr 20:24-25). Not having to fight, the army of Judah spent three days carrying off all the riches abandoned by the enemy.
Life serves up challenges where the resistance seems too great and our enemies too strong. Surrounded by visions of defeat and bombarded by thoughts of surrender, we face an life-altering choice. Will we quit of march out to face the enemy? Like King Jehoshaphat, Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller, the most decorated Marine in history, faced a similar situation. During the Korean War campaign of the Chosin Resevoit in 1950, he said "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." Staring down certain defeat and destruction, the Marines faced the enemy and fought their way out of the encirclement, ultimately chasing the North Korean Army all the way to China.
If General Puller and King Jehoshaphat could endure incredible challenges and win, we can as well. The victory in any battle can always be found in God and the Bible. We need to avoid the temptation to become so focused on solving our problems that we become controlled by them. Like the nation of Judah, we must focus on God and His Word. He is bigger than any problem! When our eyes are on Him, we can march forward in life, knowing that God is working for us and with us, making us victorious in every situation. When we take stock of every battle with confidence in His Word, facing them head on, victory is ours. To quote General Puller "that simplifies things!"
Pastor Ramon
