Let me hear your Battle Cry!

Throughout the bible there are lots of battles, fought by lots of nations, for lots of different reasons. There are battles for land, beliefs, opposing ideas and control. In our lives we face battles for just as many different sorts of things. We face problems with our families, times when we think everything is falling apart. We face battles with friends, friends who let us down, others who care less than we think they should. We face trouble in relationships, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives. We even face internal battles of our own, things like struggling with self-image, eating dissorders, even addictions. Each of these kinds of battles has a way of leaving us hurting, and searching for answers.

Yesterday I was reading about a particular battle found in 2 Chronicles 13. In this chapter, Abijah, ruler of Judah goes in to battle against Rehoboam, ruler of Israel. The Army of Judah believed that God was with them, they trusted him as their leader. But, while they were getting a little pep-talk from their ruler Abijah, Rehoboam and his army surrounded them, from the front and from the back.

As Christians, we can't spend our whole lives talking ourselves in to doing great things for God. We can be told over and over again that God is with us, that he has our back, that he has incredible plans for us. All of those things are wonderful, but if you don't make a move they are just words. God has called us to be the kind of people who take action. He hasn't called us to be the kind of people who stop paying attention while our enemy rises up in front of and behind us.

2 Chronicles 13:14-15 goes on to say:
When Judah realized that they were being attacked from the front and the rear, they cried out to the LORD for help. Then the priests blew the trumpets, and the men of Judah began to shout. At the sound of their battle cry, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah.

Maybe today you are feeling a little overwhelmed and surrounded by everything coming up against you, or maybe you just haven't been paying attention and the enemy has you surrounded on every side. Today, I want you to know that if you are serving a God that can defeat Jeroboam and his 800,000 troops, he can defeat whatever you are facing just as quickly. But, you have to be willing to fight for it. When Judah realized they were being attacked, they cried out to God and then... they yelled out their battle cry. They weren't going down without a fight.

A battle cry isn't just a little squeek, or a whine, it is a determined yell that shows your enemy you know you will be triumphant. It looks a little something like this:

Now that is a look of determination, a choice to be victorious!

Let God hear your battle cry today, cry out to him through whatever you are going through and he will defeat it and change your course.

-Pastor Kayla