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Letting Go of Battles That Aren’t Mine

February 18, 2022 by samemac 142 Comments
‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Since 2001, my warrior verse has been Exodus 14:14. “The Lord will fight for you – you need only to be still.”

The passage was used by my youth pastor (heeey Kevin Cooper) in the days that followed 9/11. And, I’ve revisited the pages of my teenage Bible too many times to count in the past 21 years. It never fails to provide comfort during scenarios of uncertainty that plague my heart. It seems my 35-year-old heart has a hard time letting things go, worrying about the things I cannot control and sweating the small stuff just as much as my 14-year-old heart did.

Yesterday morning, my devotional recalled those words to me again – but in a different book of the Old Testament.

I can barely wrap my mind around the compassionate side of the Bible in the New Testament, let alone the very, very technical, law-driven world of the Old Testament. When it said we were taking a deep dive into 2 Chronicles, I felt a twinge of frustration. Honestly… Some mornings, I just want an easy word from God while we sit – not a suitcase to unpack. But, I’m trying to do the hard things even when my brain isn’t fully processing because coffee hasn’t kicked in. So, I dove in.

Deep into the weeds of 2 Chronicles, I found myself enthralled with the story of King Jehoshaphat and several other hard-to-pronounce names preparing for a battle where they were outnumbered… and there in the midst of it was a real-life moment representing what has always been metaphorical to me – “The Lord will fight for you – you need only to be still.”

It reads:

14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

Outside of all the words that are hard to sound out or places on a map you can’t find, it’s probably important to know that King Jehoshaphat was worried about a lot… as a leader, as a warrior, as a follower of God. But what stands out to me the most is his vulnerability to know where his team was weak, his obedience to God’s instruction and his ability to carry those who were following him into that obedience.  

How many times have I been discouraged and fearful because of what is ahead?

More than I can count.

It’s never been a real army that is bigger and stronger than me – but I know my overdramatic interpretation of things can make me feel like they are. 

The last several weeks have been filled with a good bit of worry – pointed in a lot of different directions. Some of it is mine to carry and some of it is on behalf of others I love and care for. 

Regardless of where the worry stems from, God deliberately reminds me: 

“Calm down. These battles aren’t yours to fight. You are here and you do play a role, but you won’t be the one swinging the sword. Your role is to stand firm and be still. Samantha, let me do my job.” 

(Obviously this is my interpretation and not His actual words… but I imagine it’s what He would say to me right after he popped a Tums for the 764th time I’ve questioned all the things.) 

This week specifically, He’s used overlapping messages from different sources to tackle the worries of my heart. Every day, I’ve read passages dealing with fear (Matthew 6:36), conquering anxiousness (1 Peter 3:13-17) and obediently praying through difficult moments (Acts 27:25). 

I wasn’t looking to unpack a whole lot when I sat down yesterday morning, but I’m grateful for the honesty and grace it presented before me. Everyone – EVERYONE – is carrying something these days and we all need the reminder to lay down the battles that aren’t ours to fight and to find rest in the relationship of the One who will always fight for us.