How To See God Work: II Chron. 20:17

I. Don’t Fight the Battle vs. 17a

A. Jehoshaphat had an enemy attacking him on all sides, the natural response is to fight. (vs. 1-2)

B. In our lives we want to see God move, but we feel and/or think that if something is going to get done, we’ve got to do it! Pro. 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5–6 CSB

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.

C. Our fight isn’t against other people, it is against the corrupt world system, our own flesh, and the devil!

II. Position Yourself vs. 17b

A. The position Jehoshaphat took was one of humbling himself before God (vs. 3-16).

B. Our position is of protection. Eph. 6:10-17

Ephesians 6:10–17 NASB95

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

C. Our position is of prayer. Eph. 6:18-19

Ephesians 6:18–19 NASB95

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

D. Our position is of proclamation. Ezekiel 33:1-7

Ezekiel 33:1–7 NASB95

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.’ “Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me.

III. Stand Still and See vs. 17c

A. Don’t move until God tells you to, and don’t plan until God says plan. Jam. 4:13-17

James 4:13–17 NASB95

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

“God is the sovereign ruler of the universe. He has been working throughout history to accomplish His purposes. He does not ask us to dream our dreams for Him. He does not invite us to set magnificent goals and then pray that He will help us achieve them. He already has His own agenda when He approaches us. His desire is to get us from where we are to where He is working. He leads us from being self-centered to being God-centered. When God reveals to you where He is working, that becomes His invitation to join Him in His activity. When God reveals His work to you, that is the time to respond to Him”- Henry Blackaby.

B. Once we see where God is working then we move in accordance with His will. NOT BEFORE!

C. He is with us, but that doesn’t get us off the hook when we mess up!

D. Don’t be afraid! It’s scary to follow God, but work through the fear.

E. Don’t let people discourage you. (5 discouragers according to Thom Rainer: 1. The Deniers; 2. The Entitled; 3. The Blamers; 4. The Critics [PAST: People Are Saying That…]; 5. The Confused.

F. Go and keep going!