Yesterday, I stood in church and I sang the words, “Oh God, the battle belongs to you.” As those words passed my lips, I felt the Holy Spirit say, “Do you really believe that?” Sometimes we can sing songs or even quote scripture, and we don’t even realize what we’re saying. Do you really believe this battle belongs to God? Is he fighting here? Is he promising victory?

What battle are you currently facing? What is your real life situation of stress, uncertainty and threat? Think about that relationship right now. Think about that circumstance. Think about that worry you’ve been carrying around and fear of what may happen next. Is there a sickness? Is there a problem with someone you love? Is there a divide that seems to only be getting bigger? Is there a hurt? An injustice?

Is it your marriage? Is it your child? Is it your family? Is it you?

Is it your home? Is it your job? Is it your future? Is it your health?

Where’s your battle? Is that really God’s battle? Is God in this? Can his power be at work here? Could he change it all around? Could he do the impossible?

David was the one who first spoke those words, “This is the Lord’s battle.” Do you know when he spoke it? When he was staring up at a skilled giant enemy warrior named Goliath. Goliath was in full armor, holding a sword and a spear, ready to crush little shepherd boy David who stood there in his shepherd clothes, holding nothing but a slingshot and 5 smooth stones from the river.

David responded to the threats of the giant with absolute confidence – not in himself – but in his God. 1 Samuel 17:47, “This is the Lord’s battle!” You see David never declared this battle as his own, this battle belonged to God. And when the battle belongs to God, first it’s not about you and what you can do, and second it’s already won.

David knew something – he knew the stories of God’s power. He knew the battles God had won before with the most impossible odds, and he knew when he sought the Lord for his battle plan, the ultimate victory would be claimed.

Now back to your battle. The situation that threatens or worries you. The thing that has been causing pain in your life. Does this battle belong to God? What I’m asking is, will you let God be in charge of this and trust his plan? Or will you opt for your own ways of worry and stew in the questions, the hurt and the anger? Girl, you can make yourself absolutely sick over this – or you can let God have this battle.

What’s your choice?

I bet right now you have something going on in your life or in your family that is worthy of a full blown breakdown. Something that frustrates you, stresses you, or hurts you. Something you so want to change, but you are powerless to change it. May I remind you once again that you are not Jesus. You cannot save them – you cannot fix them – you cannot change them. That’s God’s job. It’s his battle.

Does that mean we sit back and do nothing? Oh absolutely not. David did not see the giant fall by doing nothing. David let the battle be God’s battle and he let God give him the battle plan. All he had to do was walk it out in faith because it was already guaranteed to work.

Wow – how about that? God has a battle plan and your only job is to walk it out in faith. If you will, it’s already guaranteed to work. Now, here’s what that does NOT guaranteed. It doesn’t guarantee it will always be easy, and it doesn’t guarantee it will always make sense.

In your Bible there are hundreds of stories of battles. None of those battles were easy. Sacrifices had to be made, training had to be given, and long journeys had to be taken. Battles meant some losses. And in these stories of battles within our Bible, we find battle plans. And quite honestly, these battle plans do not make sense. But, when the battle belongs to to God, you have to trust his battle plan.

My sister, have you asked God for his battle plan for you today? What should you do? What should you say? What’s your next move? And don’t count on it making sense or even feeling right – remember, God’s ways are not your ways. They are higher, better and bigger. But if the battle belongs to God, then you must trust his battle plan!

Think about Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. We’re talking about 2 to 3 million people fleeing and they’re being chased by an Egyptian army. Then they come to the banks of the Red Sea. It was a dead end. Crossing the sea with all these people was not an option. They would drown. Fighting the Egyptians was not an option, they had no weapons, no training and no plan. So, they were stuck. The Egyptians would soon find them stuck on the shores of the sea and kill them all.

But Moses sought the Lord for his battle plan. God, what do we do? Where do we go? What do I say?

The Lord said to Moses in Exodus 14: 15-16, “Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.”

Let’s be honest – that makes absolutely no sense. Pick up a stick and raise your hand to divide the entire sea, then walk through on dry ground. Uhmmmmm, say what God?

That was the battle plan. Moses had a choice – trust in the battle plan and raise his hand in obedience, or don’t. We always have a choice.

Verses 21-22, “Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!”

The battle belonged to God. The battle plan didn’t make sense, but when it was followed in faith, a way was made.

What if God is making a way through the battle you’re facing, but he’s not going to force you to go his way? What if it’s now up to you – it’s up to you to seek his battle plan and follow it in faith. It’s up to you to be quiet when he says to be quiet, even when you’re bursting at the seams to say something. It’s up to you to be still when he says to be still, even when that little fighter within you is trying to throw punches and gang signs. It’s up to you to speak in love when he prompts you, even when everything inside of you wants to lash out and hurt them back.

Lord, if this battle belongs to you, then I have to trust you for the battle plan. Guide my steps today. Guard my mouth today. Quiet my mind today. I submit my will to yours.

The absolute coolest story of God’s battle plan is found in 2 Chronicles 20: 1-26. I encourage you to grab your Bible and read this true story today. It will take you less than 5 minutes.

Jehoshaphat was the King of Judah. His people were facing a gathering of enemy armies who had all come against them at once. Verse 3, “Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help.”

Notice he didn’t pretend to not be bothered by what was happening. No, be real with God. Bring your real fears and your real emotions to God. Beg the Lord for guidance. Yes, fast and pray! Ask everyone to fast and pray with you. Faith doesn’t mean you won’t feel fear. Faith means you can have fear, but fear doesn’t have you.

Now, here’s what happened. The Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men and said in verse 17, 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. 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!”

There’s their battle plan against a unified enemy army that far outnumbered them. March out against them, take your positions, stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. And don’t let fear have you! Don’t let fear make you hide. Don’t let fear make you so sick you can’t march forward.

Now it’s up to them to either follow the battle plan in faith, or not. It’s always our choice.

They chose to trust God’s battle plan. The next morning they got up and walked towards their enemies. They put singers in front of them as they marched. Singers that sang praises to God. Singers singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, his faithful love endures forever!”

Verse 22, “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies to start fighting among themselves!” When Jehoshaphat and the army of Judah arrive, they find all of their enemies had killed one another. Not a single one of their enemies still stood.

That’s what happens when you let the battle really belong to God. That’s what happens when you seek God for the battle plan every single day, and you obediently trust it in faith. That’s what happens when you trust God enough to deny what your human tendencies want to do, and instead listen for his direction. That’s what happens when you have fear, but you don’t let fear have you because your faith in God is bigger than your circumstances.

You don’t have to have confidence in you – you have to have confidence in God. This battle belongs to him! Seek his battle plan.

What is God telling you to do today?

God, this battle belongs to you. I’m trusting you with this. Now, I’m begging you to guide me in what to do today. Do I go or do I stay? Do I say something or do I be quiet? If I am to speak, what do I say? Show me the way. Which way do I turn? I’m trusting you.

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