His name was Jahaziel. He appears on the pages of Scripture but once, and that briefly, yet his message impacts the destiny of an entire nation. His words were alive with the potential of a turning point in Israel's circumstances, but to accept his message God's people must reject carnal reasoning for divine revelation.
In every situation you face for which you have no answer there comes a turning point, a moment in time when all of a sudden, in answer to your perplexities and prayers, God reveals His plan. The details vary according to each dilemma because no two sets of circumstances are identical, but there are common elements evident in divine revelation. These are noted in the words of Jahaziel which marked Israel's turning point.
Carnal reasoning generates fear. Divine revelation, however, empowers you to face the enemy unafraid.
Many years previously, when Israel stood at the border of their promised land, God warned them:
Numbers 14:9 "Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them."
The inhabitants of Canaan were labeled "bread," meaning that Israel's encounter with their enemies would actually result in spiritual strengthening. The Lord is with you and there is no need to fear. When you face your circumstances in His strength, your problems become as "bread" to you and result in spiritual strengthening.
Israel refused to heed God's command and wandered for 40 years in a desert wilderness. Years later Moses sadly reminded them:
Deuteronomy 1:29, 30 "Then I said to you, Do not be terrified, or be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes."
Carnal reasoning says to "retreat" from threatening circumstances. Rationalization dictates that you must learn to co-exist with an enemy because you aren't strong enough to conquer him. God says He will fight for you, but He can only go before you if you are advancing against the enemy and facing each challenge in His strength. God cannot go before you if you are retreating.
Prior to his death, Moses gave a similar admonition to his successor:
Deuteronomy 31:7, 8 "Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed. "
Do you know why the enemy wants to keep you in the valley of indecision not knowing what to do? He knows God has a divine destiny for you. If you are strong, of good courage, and advance with God leading the way, you will fulfill it.
The next portion of Jahaziel's message to Israel was, "Do not be dismayed." Dismay means "alarm, apprehension, anxiety, and dread."
"Be careful," advises the voice of alarm. "I just don't feel right about this," suggests the voice of apprehension. "This just won't work for me," cautions anxiety. "You never were good at confrontation," dictates dread.
When you are trapped in any of these cycles you will not advance in faith to conquer your problem.
You become fearful and dismayed when you face the battles of life armed with your limited human resources. You must always remember that the battle is not yours, but God's. The ministry is not yours; it is the Lord's. The problem is not yours; it is God's problem. The church you pastor is not yours because Jesus said, "I will build my church."
"Tomorrow go down against them," instructed Jahaziel. When you don't know what to do, don't do anything until you do know what to do and then act in God's timing.
-Noah shut the door of the ark at the specific time commanded by God.
-The death angel passed over Egypt at the set time.
-Esther waited until the perfect timing of God to appear before the King with her request, and she saved an entire nation.
-Jesus was born in the "fullness of time" and rose from the dead on the third day, the exact time that was predicted.
Carnal reasoning always dictates haste: "You better do something now--tomorrow may be too late!" God's Word indicates, however, that spiritual victories come to those who learn to wait:
Psalm 27:4 "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!"
Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 49:23 "...Then you will know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me."
PsaIms 130:5 "Wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope."
"You will not need to fight," instructed Jahaziel. "Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord."
Christ's Disciples went fishing one night and caught nothing. At Jesus' command, however, they rejected carnal reasoning and threw their nets into the water one more time. They responded in faith and hauled in the catch of a lifetime! Who knows what rich bounty lies beneath the empty boat of your own failures?
The turning point in every dilemma of life comes when human reasoning is rejected and divine revelation is embraced:
-Noah rejected reason, built an ark on dry ground, and his family was saved.
-Moses rejected reason and led the Israelites across the Red Sea.
-Joshua rejected reason and conquered Jericho with shouts and blasts of rams' horns.
-A poor widow rejected selfish reasoning, baked a cake for the prophet from the last of her meal and oil, and her supply of staples was replenished continually for the duration of the famine.
-At the prophet's word, a debt-ridden widow borrowed vessels from her neighbors and began to pour from a single container of oil. The oil continued to flow until every vessel was filled, then she sold the oil and paid her debts.
-The project Elijah prepared a sacrifice, drenched it in water, and then called for the fire of God to fall. Against all human reasoning, the flames consumed both sacrifice and water.
-The prophet Ezekiel rejected human reasoning and, at God's command, paraded through the streets with his dirty underwear on a stick!
-A little boy rejected reason, offered his lunch to Jesus, and a multitude was fed.
-The Apostle Peter rejected reason when he heard Jesus say, "Come." In the strength of that one word he got out of the boat and walked on water.
You must learn to reject the voice of human reasoning when you face situations for which there seems to be no answer. Do not listen to education, tradition, religion or experience. Listen to God. One word from God is more powerful in your circumstances than an entire discourse emanating from human reasoning.
God's plan for Jehoshaphat defied human reasoning. Instead of calling Israel to arms, teaching them how to keep ranks, training them to follow orders and fight valiantly, Jehoshaphat told Israel two things: "Believe in the Lord God. Believe in His prophets."
-Jesus was born in the "fullness of time" and rose from the dead on the third day, the exact time that was predicted.
Carnal reasoning always dictates haste: "You better do something now--tomorrow may be too late!" God's Word indicates, however, that spiritual victories come to those who learn to wait:
Psalm 27:4 "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!"
Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 49:23 "...Then you will know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me."
PsaIms 130:5 "Wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope."
"You will not need to fight," instructed Jahaziel. "Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord."
Christ's Disciples went fishing one night and caught nothing. At Jesus' command, however, they rejected carnal reasoning and threw their nets into the water one more time. They responded in faith and hauled in the catch of a lifetime! Who knows what rich bounty lies beneath the empty boat of your own failures?
The turning point in every dilemma of life comes when human reasoning is rejected and divine revelation is embraced:
-Noah rejected reason, built an ark on dry ground, and his family was saved.
-Moses rejected reason and led the Israelites across the Red Sea.
-Joshua rejected reason and conquered Jericho with shouts and blasts of rams' horns.
-A poor widow rejected selfish reasoning, baked a cake for the prophet from the last of her meal and oil, and her supply of staples was replenished continually for the duration of the famine.
-At the prophet's word, a debt-ridden widow borrowed vessels from her neighbors and began to pour from a single container of oil. The oil continued to flow until every vessel was filled, then she sold the oil and paid her debts.
-The project Elijah prepared a sacrifice, drenched it in water, and then called for the fire of God to fall. Against all human reasoning, the flames consumed both sacrifice and water.
-The prophet Ezekiel rejected human reasoning and, at God's command, paraded through the streets with his dirty underwear on a stick!
-A little boy rejected reason, offered his lunch to Jesus, and a multitude was fed.
-The Apostle Peter rejected reason when he heard Jesus say, "Come." In the strength of that one word he got out of the boat and walked on water.
You must learn to reject the voice of human reasoning when you face situations for which there seems to be no answer. Do not listen to education, tradition, religion or experience. Listen to God. One word from God is more powerful in your circumstances than an entire discourse emanating from human reasoning.
God's plan for Jehoshaphat defied human reasoning. Instead of calling Israel to arms, teaching them how to keep ranks, training them to follow orders and fight valiantly, Jehoshaphat told Israel two things: "Believe in the Lord God. Believe in His prophets."
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