2 Chronicles 20:1-18 KJV
1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.
10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
13 And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;
15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

Give me that old time religion it good enough for me, off of an old song, but what does it mean to have religion of Old, to have faith in what God says he will do. As a Christian today do we believe in the Father and the Son. We must ask what? if they are one and the same then how are they different. They are not different, yet to believe there is a Son there must be a first part it almost like which came first the chicken or the egg. Most will say either why because simply a chicken can not hatch without an shell and shell can not be produced without a chicken, but God is the only creator that knows which came first. God word came second in the creation of the world as we know it, yet God's Spirit hovered over the earth. When we begin to discuss the beginning of faith and the Old Time faith we must examine Old and New Testament but to begin with Old is not to take away from Jesus, but to see Christ as the word of God at that time. God's word was saving grace and still is today. What do I have to do to have faith, only believe, but our ability to believe is always a work in progress. It begins with obedience to God design on how he operates. People built the tower of Babel without the okay from God and God confounded the languages of disobedient children who want to find their own ways to God. Children of obedience a child must first be willing to first listen to the ways of God. As believers as new born babies we must learn second to be obedient to what God says and to trust solely on him.

How can we obey without instruction, that is where prayer to God and obedience ot Jesus and the instruction by the Spirit must be taken on faith as we learn to hear and obey, not any Spirit but our Heavenly Father. How do we know what is the right instructor. It must be based on truth of his word. It is hard to grasp all God says to our heart by his word. It easy to walk away and not listen, but obedience teaches us something that when we obey he not only instructs our own soul but he leads us in the pathway of faith, because to trust requires truthfulness, wisdom, and even protection. Memories of what God has already done for you is important from salvation of your soul to even deliverances in times of trouble and remembering even the blessings of God of his provision even without a storm. Israel had an enemy coming to rob them of the land of Israel. This military force greater then their own, man power, but not great then their God's power. What God's power is greater then man and do not forget it. Man can do alot of evil and conquer on their own many things. Yet when their strength becomes unmatch the possibility of winning odds just decrease to a very little chance. I have watch very few sports like baseball, tennis and football. Never watched a soccer game, maybe I will sooner or later. When the game is unmatched and it obvious from the plays on the field the odds of winning are near zero, yet every now and then when a game is unmatched in opponents there comes this underdog that wins the game and no one really knows how, but the skills in which is shown took mastery.

What is skill the human ability to achieve when the battle is won hands down when the game is not equal match as far as strength. Yet a skill person can take those odds and change the power of the game. God is not the equal match player but the player with all the skills, knowledge and wisdom to win the game. You can be unmatch but put God in the quarter back or coaching position and I will guarantee that game will be won. In battle for life, for land, for peace and even protection must come from God's ability not man's. We can lock doors, have all the military equipment we need but without God we running a military and a home with little true protection and ability but what another team might have without God has well. God is like having the extra advantage in the game of life. When our country claims under God they do so for a purpose. Yet often in the world we live in many religions and faiths are looked upon as power in one's life. America it time to wake up to there is only one God. Elijah power or wisdom but the battle was won by God and his people. Who first provide God was real when the fire fell from above and burned up all the wet wood on the altar to God. II Kings is where the story I think is. Look it up skim your Bible. Learn to skim and hunt for things. I will not always be around to do it for you. True believers will want to look things up, don't have time now one can do it later or on a day off, go back and say i want to find this story, make a note of it.

Jehoshaphat stood in the presence of the congregation in the temple and declare who God is, a form of praise and acknowledgement of the victory before when going into battle. Jehoshaphat ask are you not the God who delivered Israel out of all sort of situations from plagues, famine, war and so forth. God begins to speak, and he says to take the people down and be still. Now If there a war before you, the last thing you want to do if you out flanked in battle is high tale it out of their or fight tell either dead or still alive. God tells Jehoshaphat to be still and to have the congregation to be still and he going to fight for them. I be honest how still can you be when the battle is waging. When the enemy is before you. Natural instincts is to fight. The power to obey God when the battle is going to be won by him, means we must obey him. To trust and obey God. Our obedience to God is to put our trust in him and to do as he commands us to do. I be understand I can not think but not one Israelite listen to Jehoshaphat tell what God would do was feeling much like a lemming but they obeyed. Soldiers go into battle they must obey their leaders, however in truth must leaders have no clue if they will come out alive or not. However Prayer is on the battle field of faith. Prayer is the often the shield of faith. Meaning not our words but God's response to us when we pray. There times we are still and times we are ready to hop out of our seat and maybe do. Whether in rejoicing and praise or whether in quiet submission to God his will, will be done. Then they are told when they will not need this battle the Lord God will be with them. King Jehoshaphat bowed and postrated himself before the Lord and worshipped him and so did all of Israel along with the King.

Part of being a team of warriors one learns to be in submission to leaders. In the battle we wage with God, we must be in submission to his will. What is the battle every believer is fighting with God to spread the good news of faith, to help others to come and know God. This one battle tells us we need to be still and let God fight, we must remember people might share the Gospel with you, but it will always be God speaking to your heart to convert you to believe in him. Many people lead people to Christ open door for salvation and many have turned away when all they need to do is open the door of faith to Jesus and allow him in to prove not only his reality, but to help in their unbelief and faith. We need to pray for the lost souls and for our own self for we are always standing in the need of prayer to be a good people of faith and obedience to God when the battle is waging before us. When the enemy seems more powerful then ourselves, when we know without God the battle that needs to be won can not be done with out God the Father and Jesus. That the battle must be won by the Spirit.

The battle not ours it belongs to God, we are just his people that are to trust and obey God Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, even when the oppositiion seems unbeatable. Let us press on for Jesus, to rest in the words of prophesy spoken even in our day. Let us have faith to praise him before the battle, in the middle of the battles and after the battle.

Dear Heavenly Father we give you the battle for we are unable to fight in our stength, help us Lord to be trust and obey your will and be still when you are fighting for us knowing you always win, That your will will be accomplished. We give you the praise, in Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Psalm 34:1-9 KJV
1 A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.