1 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 13-16 / June 24 (Day 176)

Sometime the only way out is “PRAISE!”

 2 Chronicles 13:13-15 says, “But Jeroboam caused an ambush to go around behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.  14)  And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear; and they cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets.  15)  Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.”

They had no way to escape; they were before them and behind. Whenever we are in a situation where is “no way out,” when we give God praise, He will make a way!

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I’ve been amazed by the story of King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14-16 for a long time. He started off by doing what was right in the LORD’s eyes, bringing in the dedicated utensils of silver and gold into the house of the LORD. He trusted God and was saved from the huge Ethiopian army, but his trust began to shift over the years. When the Israelites came against him, he contracted Syria to fight with him using the dedicated silver and gold from the LORD’s house. (It’s sad when “dedicated” people shift their trust off of the LORD to what they think they can make happen with their wisdom or their resources.) The result for Asa was the LORD said, “Syria has escaped from your hand;” God wanted to give Asa another great victory, but Asa got his eyes off of the LORD. I think the LORD’s heart is summed up well in 2 Chronicles 16:9: “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” Oh, how God wants to show Himself strong (He wants to show-off) through the person whose heart is completely God’s.  Help us to be those people LORD.