When Abijah assumes the throne of Judah at his father Rehoboam’s death, he pleads for a reunification of the two divided nations. Jeroboam, the King of the North rejected all overtures. This resulted in war! What a shame! The United Kingdom under David & Solomon is divided once again and now we have brother against brother!
The Northern Kingdom, which tremendously outnumbered its opponent to the south, became the aggressor! Yet verse 18 of chapter 13 gives us the report of Judah’s victory along with the reason for it: “Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers.”
It’s not easy to rely on God when you’re out numbered and out manned. But for the believer, that’s the best strategy in life. We often want to throw in the towel. We want to give up the battle. We want to wave the white flag. Corrie ten Boom used to say, “When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not. You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through.”
Remember God’s promise in Isaiah 43. He says, “I have called you by name, and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. This is because I, the Lord, am your God…your savior.”
Chuck
“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NLT)