At Your Wit's End (Part 9)

2 Chronicles 20:5  "Then Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court."

Standing up--it seems so simple, doesn’t it?  Simple, yet expectant with tremendous significance because it wasn’t a mere physical act but rather a spiritual declaration .

Look in the book!

-God told Abraham to arise, walk the length and width of the land promised to him, and claim it-Genesis 13:17.

-Moses was commanded to “rise up early in the morning” to stand before Pharaoh to plead Israel’s deliverance-Exodus 8:20.

-Joshua 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead,” God told Joshua. “Now therefore, arise, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them.”

-King David rose up from the ashes of defeat at Ziklag to retrieve from the enemy all that  was stolen from him -1 Samuel 30.

-Deborah challenged a hesitant Barak to “arise and lead captivity captive”-Judges 5:12.

-Gideon was told, “Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand”-Judges 7:15.

-The young man Samuel arose from his bed to deliver God’s message to Eli-1 Samuel 3:8.

-Elisha arose to follow Elijah and minister to him. He never regretted his decision, for eventually the mantle of the anointing slipped from his master’s shoulders to his own and he fulfilled God’s destiny for his life -1 Kings 19:21.

-Nehemiah rose up at midnight to survey the ruins of the Jerusalem walls, then he challenged the workers  to “rise up and build!”-Nehemiah 2:18-20.

-Esther arose from her couch of luxury to stand before the king and save an entire nation-Esther 8:4.

-Eleazor arose and attacked the Philistine enemy with such might that the sword stuck to his hand as he effected a major victory for God’s people-2 Samuel 23:9, 10.

-Saul the adversary became Paul the apostle when he responded to the directive,  "Arise and go into the city and you will be told what to do"-Acts 9:6.

-An angel told the Apostle Peter, “Stand up!” Peter could have said, “Why should I do that?  Here I am bound between guards in the maximum security section of the prison.  I’m not going anywhere. Stop disturbing my nap!” He could have remained sleeping right where he was--in prison--but Peter chose to stand up. As he did, the chains of bondage fell from his hands-Acts 12:7.

-“Arise and go down to the potter’s house,” God told Jeremiah.  “There you will hear my words”-Jeremiah 18:2.

-When Jonah obeyed God’s command to “arise and go to Ninevah,” the greatest revival in history occurred.  The entire city repented-Jonah 3:2.

-At the border of their promised land, the nation of Israel was challenged, “Arise...go up against them. For we have seen the land, and indeed it is very good. Would you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, and enter to possess the land”-Joshua 18:9.

These mighty men and women of faith didn’t just passively wait on God, nor did they  rush forward in aggressive confrontation or devise schemes to manipulate themselves out of their crisis. Instead, they rose up in faith to seize their God-given destinies. In so doing, they perpetuated miracles, conquered enemy armies, and saved entire nations.

 This “rising up” is more than a physical act. It is “standing up inside” and declaring that despite the fact you don’t know what to do about your problem, you are getting ready by faith to act!  If you are ever to fulfill your destiny, then you must take a strong spiritual stand and literally wrest your victory from the hands of the enemy.

Each person who arose in faith received divine revelation of what to do about his circumstances. Each plan of action was different, of course, because no two situations were identical, but each man or woman who rose up and declared their confidence in God received an answer and fulfilled their destiny.
 Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus continually called men and women to rise up in faith despite their circumstances...

-He said “Arise” to the man at the pool of Bethesda, and his crippled limbs were healed-John 5:8.

-Jesus took a dead child by the hand and commanded her to arise-Matthew 9:25.

-He passed a funeral procession and told the deceased man, “I say to you, arise!” The mourning turned to a celebration of life!-Luke 7:14.

-At Christ’s command, Matthew arose from the tax collector’s to fulfill his destiny-Matthew 9:9.
 
-The blind men by the side of the road were told, “Rise...He is calling you,” and as they stood they laid aside their beggar’s garments. They wouldn’t be needing them anymore-Mark 10:49.

To all of those blinded and crippled by negative circumstances, to those who sit in bondage by the side of life’s road, to those who feel dead spiritually, mentally, and emotionally Jesus commands, “Arise!”

When you don’t know what to do, do not succumb to passive waiting.  Do not attempt aggressive manipulation.  Simply take your stand for God.  Rise up spiritually and begin to do what you know to do. It may be a prayer. It may be a simple act of faith.  For each person who reads these pages, the response will be different because no two circumstances are identical, but take your stand and begin to act by faith!

If you arise spiritually and declare your faith in the face of adversity, the light of God will dispel the darkness:

Isaiah 60:1, 2 "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you."  

Let your spiritual man rise up and declare God’s Word in the face of the enemy forces aligned against you:

Jeremiah 1:17 "Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them." 

When you rise up in faith, it inspires others to do likewise. Jehoshaphat stood up, the Levites followed his example, and then the entire congregation of Israel stood. By the simple act of standing they declared,  “We don’t know what to do, but we won’t just sit here and do nothing. So here we are, God, trusting you to move in our behalf.”

Are you ready to take your stand and join them?  

Joshua 18:9 “Arise, let us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and indeed it is very good. Would you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, and enter to possess the land.”