168 - "Rely on the Lord in Your Battles" 1 Kings 15:1-24; 2 Chronicles 13-16

There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
Abijah - 400,000 able fighting men against 
Jeroboam - 800,000 able troops. 

No match!

But God's Hand was in this.

He routed the armies so that Abijah inflicted 500,000 casualties among Israel's able men. How can you see this and not believe that it was impossible!

The people of Judah were victorious because:

"They relied on the LORD, 
the God of their ancestors." 2 Chron 13: 18

And Abijah grew in strength. 
And he took courage.  
And his son, Asa, did what was good and right in the eyes of his God. 

Meanwhile, a prophet leads another prophet astray.  

Come home with me and eat bread, says the old prophet.  

What?! He leads the brand new prophet down the wrong road.  He wanted the prophet to do what was right and called him on it---it's just, he trapped him in it.  Not a good friend.  Not a great method.  Not a speck of holiness there.  And the brand new prophet, well, it costs him his life in I Kings 15.  And the old prophet, well, doesn't cost him any punishment that we see---he's still alive in his lie.  So, what's the point here?  The judgment of God is beyond us.  Yes, God has prohibited this new prophet not to eat or drink to show how he detested idolatry.  Yet, he slips by the invitation of a supposedly good old prophet.  Let's stay the course in our interior world and not listen to those outside voices.  What is God saying? How can we rely on the Lord in the midst of all that is going on in our lives.

PHOTO:  Sunrise on a modern-day war.  It is so scary to fight knowing you could lose your life.  Asa went against all the war odds.