Day 235

2 Chronicles 18:28-21:3, 1 Corinthians 15:35-49, Psalm 102:12-17

Nestled in the middle of the historical facts that might seem entirely irrelevant for today, you find the line “the battle is not yours, but God’s.” So why are we reading about Jehoshaphat and Ammon and Moab? Because when we feel as though life is throwing at us a vast army of Ammonites and Moabites, we can remember the words that Jehoshaphat heard, that the battle is not ours it is God’s.

It is sometimes hard, when you look out and there before you are the armies of Ammon and Moab (or whichever other big challenges you are facing at the moment) to give praise to God. We have said this before when looking at praise, but that is exactly what Jehoshaphat did. The text tells us that it was early and they were just setting out when the king consulted the people. He must have had the feeling that something was missing and the people said that God needed to be involved. With everything that God had said to the king and everything that the king had just said to the people, they could not go to battle unless God went with them, and so the surrounded the army with praise. Smart move!

And then to Paul … There are times at the moment when I am wondering what is actually harder to wade through, the history stuff or Paul. In the middle of this lot though we start to get an idea of resurrection and heaven. It does not quite offer a picture of what heaven actually is but it tells us what is next and speaks of what will happen to us after death. vv42-44 tells us how all that is rubbish in life, all our human weakness (both physical and spiritual) will go down to the grave and stay there, but after death our spiritual beings come to life in the full glory that God offers his followers. Now that is an offer. To be perfect in his sight.

So know that the fight is God’s and he is fighting it for you. Praise him and know that at Easter Christ fought the ultimate fight for you that you may be raised glorious and perfect.