AGAINST ALL ODDS

2 chronicles 20:15
And he said: "Pay no attention,all of Judah, and you king Jehoshaphat. Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid. Neither should you be dismayed by this multitude. For the fight is not yours, but Gods.

The Spirit of the Lord gave a prophetic message to king Jehoshaphat when a vast army had gathered together and was on the way to invade Jerusalem. Though they were greatly outnumbered, the Lord told Judah were to find the enemy and told them to go out the next morning, take their position, and watch. I don't know about you but that is not exactly an assignment I would be delighted to receive. Leave your fortified city, find the army that is coming to attack you, and then wait and watch. To make it even more difficult, while there were waiting and watching, they were supposed to sing aloud and declare the praises of God. With the odds stacked against them,Judah put its confidence in God and choose to follow His plan. As they obeyed His commands, the enemy armies battled against each other and destroyed each. This principle is illustrated well in the capture of Jericho in Joshua 6. In those days, Jericho was probably the most well-fortified city on the face of the earth. No walled city had such a mighty defence. It was believed that no army could ever storm this city and take it. This, of course, made it the perfect place for God to lead His people as they began to take possession of the promised Land.

In light of facing such a daunting task, Joshua asked the Lord what israel's battle plan should be. No secret weakness in the wall was exposed. No unknown ally was about to come to their assistance. They were to march around the city for several days. Finally, on the last day they were to blow their trumpets seven times and shout. Once again the formula was clear: what God was calling His people to do was definitely beyond their abilities, and His solution had no worldly way of bringing success. Yet once again the inability, and when they followed His plan, the unimaginable happened. The walls of Jericho collapsed.

Brethren, in the face of overwhelming odds against you, if you can trust God and stick only to His plan and word, with the weapon of obedience and praise, you shall be victorious. Here, the strength and power of faith are demonstrated by praising God in songs in the face of battle. Hence, St. Paul says in Ephisians 6:10,

"Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might as we fight against the power and spiritual forces of Satan"