The Lord says:
"Whatever 'storm' you may be facing at the moment, be it in your workplace, in the ministry, or in any area of your life, look to Me and find your rest in Me. Be at rest in the midst of all these 'storms'. Fear not and be anxious not. For I am the Lord who watches over you, and I am the Lord who knows how to defend you and fight for you. The battle is not yours, but the battle is Mine. I see differently from how this world sees, and I am causing you to see how I see in this time and season. My ways are higher. Declare and receive your victory by faith right now. You shall see this come to pass."
Beloved, whatever 'storm' or situation you may be facing at the moment, the Lord wants you to see yourself not as a victim, but a victor!
Let's go to 2 Chronicles 20 now. This is regarding Jehoshaphat, and how he saw a victory, a restful victory, in line with what the Lord has spoken today.
At that time, the people of Ammon, Moab, and Edom came to battle against Jehoshaphat and the nation of Judah. You can say the enemies 'ganged up' against Jehoshaphat.
We have talked about Jehoshaphat not too long ago. But today we shall focus on this person named Jahaziel. Who was Jahaziel? What is the significance of this name 'Jahaziel' in Jehoshaphat's time? How does it relate to your situation now? This is what we are going to look at today.
To start off with, let's go to 2 Chronicles 20:5-6. Here, Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem, and he prayed, "O Lord, God of our ancestors, You alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty. No one can stand against You!"
In 2 Chronicles 20:10-12, Jehoshaphat prayed further, "Now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing... For they have come to throw us out of Your land, which You gave us as an inheritance. O our God, won't You stop them? We do not know what to do, but we are looking to You for help."
Here, you see the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the Edomites all 'ganged up' against Jehoshaphat and the people of the Lord. By the way, Mount Seir was part of the kingdom of Edom at that time.
What did Jehoshaphat do? Jehoshaphat looked to the Lord for help. He did not turn to the left or to the right, but he turned to the Lord.
Now, here is our focus today: Jahaziel.
As Jehoshaphat and the people of the Lord began to seek the Lord and look to the Lord, the Lord used this person named Jahaziel in their midst to speak to them.
2 Chronicles 20:13-15 says, 'As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children, the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel... He said, "Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's."'
In 2 Chronicles 20:16-17, Jahaziel said further, "Tomorrow march out against them... But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. He is with you... Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!"
Notice the word 'still' here? Yes, indeed, be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). The word 'still' in the context here can mean 'to cease (from anxiety or worry)', or 'to let (God be God)'. In other words, to allow Him to take over, and to find your rest in Him.
Now, this is not about defeatism. In fact, it's the opposite. This is not about being lazy. But it's about letting God take over. This is not about not doing anything. But it's about trusting the Lord. And you know what? The rest is history. All these words spoken by Jahaziel came to pass. Jehoshaphat saw a great victory right before his eyes. Not in the ways of man, of course. But in God's supernatural ways. Even in ways human minds cannot conceive.
The name 'Jahaziel' is interesting. It is 'Yakhaz El' in Hebrew. It can mean 'God sees, God looks, God beholds'. Hallelujah! In other words, God is looking at you, God is watching over you, and God is overseeing your situation. In fact, God is beholding you!
Just like in the days of Jehoshaphat, the Lord is still in control in your situation right now. He will never be out of control in your life. Always remember this. He has done it before. He will do it again. As long as you keep looking to Him and putting your trust in Him, and as long as you do not walk out on Him, you shall see your victory and breakthrough!
Therefore, let go of whatever restlessness, anxiety, worry, or struggle to the Lord. He understands what you are going through, and He cares for you.
Maybe you are facing a difficult situation in your workplace right now. Maybe it is in your organization. Maybe it is in the ministry. Maybe some people try to smear your reputation and good name. Maybe you have been falsely accused of something. Whatever it may be, surrender your situation to the Lord.
Even if no one on earth understands you, the Lord understands exactly and knows exactly what you are going through at the moment. He will know how to stand up for you, defend you, and even fight for you. That's exactly what He did for Jehoshaphat those days. Watch how the Lord 'set ambushes' against all those who 'gang up' against you. Watch how the Lord 'undo' those who seek your downfall. Watch how the Lord 'undo' those who seek to destroy you or destroy your reputation.
Let's move on to the New Testament now, and look at Jesus Himself.
The truth is if you have Jesus, you have this rest and shalom peace inside you, no matter what 'storm' or challenge you may be facing at the moment. Do you notice Jesus never panicked while He was on earth? He never panicked or get anxious even when faced with the fiercest resistance or opposition. You know why? Because He is the Yahweh Shalom. He is The Lord Who Is Peace. And if you have Him in your life, this peace lives in you.
What's your part? Your part is to allow Him to take over those 'storms'. Your part is to let Him keep filling you with His shalom peace. With this shalom peace in you, I tell you what, the enemy cannot touch you. Where's the proof?
1 John 5:18 says so. I read from New Living Translation here. 'We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.'
Notice "God's Son" here. That's Jesus. God manifested in the flesh. He holds you securely, and you are safe in His hands. In fact, your future is safe in His hands. No matter what the 'storm' may be around you, or whatever happens in this world, in Christ, you are deeply and firmly secured in Him. He is the One who covers you. He is the One who protects you. He is the One who watches over you. Amen!
The word 'touch' here in 1 John 5:18 is interesting. It is 'haptomai' in Greek. It can mean 'to set fire on something' or 'to deliberately cause something to burn'.
Maybe the enemy is trying to "set fire" on your works. Maybe the enemy is trying to "deliberately cause the works of your hands to be burned". The enemy doesn't want you to see good success. The enemy doesn't want you to rise up to be who God wants you to be. Now, we are not fighting flesh and blood. But these may be spiritual forces of darkness. And sometimes these spiritual forces of darkness can use human beings to do that against you.
The word 'touch' or 'haptomai' here can also mean 'to drive a wedge in your life'. What is 'to drive a wedge'? 'To drive a wedge' in this context is 'to cause your life or your situation to fall apart', or 'to cause your good relationship with someone important in your life to fall apart'.
The word 'touch' can also mean 'to cause a fight or trouble in your life'. When the Lord is causing you to rise up, or when you are on the way to fulfill your destiny, the enemy may try to cause trouble. But fear not, beloved. You know why? Because 1 John 5:18 says, 'The evil one cannot touch you'. But you've got to believe this. Believing, you shall receive.
Always remember that the Lord who is in you is greater than he that is in this world (1 John 4:4). As I was praying for someone recently, I saw a shield, a light shining over the person. And the arrows sent by the enemy cannot touch that person. So, I want to believe the same for you too. There's a shield over you. The arrows or the darts of the enemy cannot touch you. Because the Lord is with you. As long as you keep looking to the Lord, He will be with you.
We shall end this message with Luke 10:19. Jesus says, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
Serpents and scorpions here are 'pictures' of the power of the enemy (or the work of the enemy) against you. This can bite. This can sting. This can poison you. But because you have the authority from the Lord, and because you have this anointing from the Lord, nothing shall by any means hurt you.
What are the enemies in your life? Whatever these are, Jesus has promised that He has given you this authority over all the power of the enemy. Not 'some' of the power. But 'all' the power of the enemy. 'All' means 'all' here. He means what He says. Let's take Him at His Word.
The Lord says, "Release this message in this time and season." Because He wants to release His anointing and authority upon you. Yes, even the anointing for the supernatural. Receive by faith. Amen!
