2 Chronicles 13:14
“And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.”
It would be very easy to look at the conditions of society and think that there is no way out. You can listen to the news on a daily basis and hear the continual demise of our Christian society. If you are not careful, you can almost throw your hands up in the air and think that there is no way out.
I imagine this is what Judah felt like when they were surrounded by Jeroboam and his forces. They knew that Jeroboam had left the LORD and set up idols in Israel. In his pride, he came and surrounded Judah intending to take it for himself. He even launched the battle and thought he won when he had them surrounded, but we find that Judah took some steps that opened a way for them to get out. That way out was the LORD. Let me show you what Judah did that caused the LORD to step in and deliver them.
First, “they cried unto the LORD.” Their first reaction was not to run to the most popular TV psychologist and try to get advice on what to do. They didn’t forsake the old paths to look for a new path that might give them deliverance. They didn’t gripe and complain about their situation, because they had no time to do this. Their first reaction was to cry to the LORD. They understood that only He could deliver them.
You may feel like you are surrounded by the world’s push to destroy Christianity, but let me remind you that your first reaction should be to cry unto the LORD. Griping about everything that is going on around you will not help, but crying unto the LORD will. He is the only One Who can deliver you and your nation from the grips of those who want to destroy every part of its Christian heritage.
Second, the priests sounded with the trumpets. This would be symbolic of getting back to old paths preaching. It is always through the foolishness of preaching that nations are turned back to God. The answer for this nation is old paths preaching. This is why you need to be in church regularly so you can get the preaching that will teach and encourage you on what to do when surrounded.
Third, the men led in the shout. No deliverance will ever come until the men step up and start leading. We live in a society where the men have taken a back seat, and what they need to do is step up and start leading spiritually. God will not deliver a nation that is surrounded by the enemy until the men rise up and start leading.
Fourth, they totally relied upon the LORD. It is so important that we don’t try our own methods and the LORD, but that we totally rely upon the LORD. Only the LORD can deliver. Trusting what the LORD tells you to do is important if you want to be delivered when there seems to be no way out.
Friend, I truly believe we serve a God Who can still deliver a nation from the grips of those who want to destroy its Christian heritage. Are you following these four things? It’s not going to help for you to look around at others, for everyone must look at themselves to determine if they are following these four steps. If you will follow these four steps, then there is hope for your nation because personal responsibility from every individual in these areas is what will cause God to deliver a nation.