Not Everything is a Fight

“4  And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. 5  Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. 6  And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.” (2Ch 14:4-6 AV)

 

Not everything is about fighting a big battle.  Asa, king of Judah, had learned this early on in his reign.  Very early in his reign, he decided to go up against his brethren to the north.  Asa set himself against Jeroboam of the north.  The numbers were most definitely not in his favor.  Outnumbered 800,000 to 400,000, he was surrounded and facing all but certain defeat.  When Asa realized he was in a predicament, he and the leadership cried out to the LORD.  The LORD gave him deliverance to the toon of 500,000 dead.  Now, Judah outnumbered Israel and the chase was on.  The thing about this battle was that it was not of the LORD.  God had broken up the kingdom of Israel and gave ten tribes to Jeroboam while two went to Asa.  The LORD did not tell Asa to reunite the kingdom.  Separating the tribes was a chastisement on Solomon and his descendants. Through this, Asa learned that warfare is not the only objective of a kingdom.  There are times for war.  But there are times to concentrate on the nation’s walk with God.  The same is true for us.  There are times to battle, but there are times to rest in our personal relationship with God.

Having ministry with our United States Servicemen and Women, I learned quite a bit about how things work.  One constant across military branches is the practice of shore leave, furlough, or whatever each branch might call their time off.  Even in times of war, the soldier or sailor is given leave.  I had a pastor friend of mine who was a submariner.  He loved it.  He was a sonar tech.  He loved his duty because it meant a rotation of six months on, six months off.  He served on his boat for a total of six months.  Then, they would dock at their base and they would be onshore for six months.  During those six months, they may perform routine training or maintenance, but by and large, they spent a good deal of time with their families.  The six months on, they were underwater exercising repeated war drills, time checks, and drills to be battle-ready.  Those six months on meant battle scenarios.  Those six months on could mean encounters with enemy ships or other subs.  The mind was totally tuned to the possibility of conflict.  When they came ashore, the mindset changed.  The war bonnet came off.  The spirit and demeanor changed.  The family became very important.  There was a time to fight.  But there was also a time to rest.  Without the rest, they wouldn’t be ready for the fight.

I know saints who are in constant fight mode.  If there isn’t a fight to fight, they will create one.  If there isn’t a battle to be waged, they will make one.  They are not happy unless there is some weapon wielded for the glory of God.  Consequently, relationships are not nearly as deep as they could be.  Fighting the good fight of faith seems to be nobler than strengthening relationships.  Asa was told to put the sword down.  When he did, good things happened.  Judah cleaned up the sin that had accumulated by neglect during wartime.  They rededicated their lives to the commandments of God.  They got rid of the idols and hindrances to walking with God.  As the sword was laid aside, the word of God was picked up.  There is a time to fight.  There is a time to resist.  There is a time to stand for one’s principles.  But there is also a time to get alone with God.  There is a time to read the word of God and dedicate oneself to prayer.  There is a time when we must walk with our General because if we try to wage warfare without Him, we will lose.  Such is a time now.  How long have we spent reading and studying the word of God today?  This month?  This past year?  How much time have we spent in prayer?  These things go neglected because we think the battle is nobler.  It is not.  Our walk with God is the most essential of all we pursue.