Today is the first post in a new category on this blog for the new year. It is entitled “The established Word.”

When Jesus speaks, His words are immediately established.

When a man speaks he needs two or three witnesses for his words to be established (Matthew 18:16).

Jesus Christ was the spoken Word from the mouth of God at the beginning of creation.

God said, ” Let there be light.” And there was light. The light was Jesus Christ who later said, “I am the light of the world.”

And the light shined in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:5)

To be established means to bring into being on a firm or stable position, to make permanent.

Thus, when Jesus speaks, His words immediately become alive and are made permanent.

As such, you can safely trust His Word to make it your daily food.

Jesus told the devil that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Therefore, only when we apply the spoken Word literally in our lives will we be able to overcome the devices of the enemy and live a victorious life.

Christ used His Word as food to comfort our souls and as a weapon to fight the enemy.

Because Jesus’ spoken Word is established, as long as you believe and obey His Word, you also will be established.

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. (2 Chronicles 20:20)

Since the start of the new year, I have heard two sermons on 2 Chronicles 20 so I have decided to take a closer look at it because I believe it has a message in it for us pertaining to the New Year.

King Jehoshaphat was surrounded by a large army from two different countries.

The king was terrified because his army was no match against the combined armies.

So what did the king do?

He decided to call on the entire nation to fast and pray.

As children of God, we are living in a world where the kingdom of darkness is reigning.

Therefore, we will be constantly under attack.

Similar to king Jehoshaphat, many of our enemies are from our family members or our tribe and kindred (children of Moab & Ammon) including our church brethren.

The Bible states that your enemies will be among your household. They are the worst because persons who are closer to you will strike a more vicious blow.

We do not know the plots that the enemy has in store for us this year but we do know that we have a God who knows all things and He is able to reveal to us the enemy’s plans so that we will know the way of escape that He provides.

When your enemies surround you, what do you do?

Follow the example of King Jehoshaphat when the enemies arrayed against him in great multitude.

Seek the Lord by fasting and praying. 

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. (2 Chronicles 20:3)

Praise the Lord for His power and might.

 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? (2 Chronicles 20:5-6)

Remind the Lord of the excellency of His past deeds.

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? (2 Chronicles 20:7)

Remind the Lord of His promises to hear and help.

And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. (2 Chronicles 20:8-9)

Keep your eyes steadfastly on the Lord.

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. (2 Chronicles 20:12)

Finally, be still and stand on the established Word of God.

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)

Rest assured that the Lord will not allow the enemies to triumph over you because He has overcome the world and claimed the victory.

This battle that has been raging since the beginning of time is not yours. It was never your battle neither will it ever be your battle.

The battle is the Lord’s.

Other references: Matthew 4; Matthew 10:36; Psalms 25; 35