The Lord has been waking me in the middle of the night for a couple weeks now. This is a new phenomenon for me, the 8 hour girl, but I'm OK with it; I don't mind missing losing sleep if it means gaining precious alone time with my Father. Last night, He woke me out of a sound sleep and I checked my phone: 1:00. I called to check in on Alder. Everything's fine; up on blood gases, lowered blood sugar; he's a happier boy after his lung injection. All praises! So I picked up my phone to see notifications, and opened a message from a friend. It was short and sweet, containing a single verse on water colored background:
"Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the battle is not yours, but God's." 2 Chronicles 20:15
Chronicles isn't the typical go-to book for wallpaper texts. Intrigued, I looked up the chapter and the Word of God spoke so clearly that I could hardly breathe. Here is chapter 20:1-31 of 2 Chronicles 20:15. (I'm aware it's a long read. But trust me. It's worth it. Plus, I've included it all here so you don't even have to do any searching/flipping around for it.):
"After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea;and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying,"If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment,or pestilence,or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy—behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
Meanwhile all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah,son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midstof the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them.Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley,east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm,hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”
Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants ofJerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
“Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.
When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Beracah to this day. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head,returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies. They came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the LORD. And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. He walked in the way of Asa his father and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD."
While this story seemed vaguely familiar, the contents leaped off the page and held new life for me last night. A new promise, and, dare I say? A personal promise. Last night, in the middle of the darkness, God whispered light into my heart. A promise that not only will He never leave us, but that He will deliver us from the very present evil which we now face. A promise that one day, He will bring our Alder into our home. For the very first time since this ordeal first began, I felt a sense of reassurance from the Lord, that His will IS for our littlest one to be under a roof with us, to live together as a family of five. I don't know when that day will be, and I don't claim that the path to get there will feel certain or speedy. But I know that the Lord always keeps His Word, and last night He spoke one into the depths of my heart.
The people of Israel, God's chosen beloved, were in distress. Enemy armies were encamped around them and they were in extreme danger. Not just their soldiers, but also their little ones, their wives, and their children. They were afraid and they "did not know what to do." So they ran to God. They prayed and fasted. And the Lord met them there, promising to fight their battle for them.
Then? Then, they worship Him. And they send at the forefront not their strongest warriors, but their singers, (!?!?) to declare the glory of the one true God, the God who is faithful, the God of love. And then they wait. And they watch. And God works. Their enemies destroy one another, and in the morning, they are utterly decimated without a single Israelite having lifted a finger against them. The Israelites lifted not their swords but their prayers, and prayers are powerful, powerful weapons.
Not only did God defeat their enemies for them, but then He gifts them with the spoils. Abundant spoils, so much so that they could not carry them all in one trip, or even two! Not only does He meet their needs, but He blesses them richly and beyond their hopes or expectations.
So many glorious gifts in which I've reveled all day. And All from this one seemingly random, Old Testament passage.
Last night, through His Holy word, the Lord spoke a promise, and He gifted me with a "to do' list during these tumultuous days: Pray. Fast. Worship. Sing. Wait. Watch.
And He will bring our Alder home to us. And the spoils of that provision will be far richer than what we could possibly imagine or conceive.