Ambushed and Overwhelmed
2 Chronicles 13:14 When Judah was surrounded by Israel, they cried to the Lord and He saved them.
5/27/20261 min read
And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear; and they cried out to the Lord, and the priests sounded the trumpets. 2 Chronicles 13:14 (NKJV)
Jeroboam went to war against Abijah, king of Judah with an army of 1.2 million soldiers, and Abijah warned him that he would lose because Israel had forsaken God, whereas Judah followed God wholly. As Judah came out to battle against Israel, Jeroboam set an ambush and a battle line was formed in front and behind Israel, surrounding them. Jeroboam was sure to have the victory when all of Judah cried out to the Lord and the priests blew the battle trumpets. The Lord struck Jeroboam's army, and they lost half a million soldiers eliminating them as a foe for the rest of Abijah's days.
Just like Judah, we can feel ambushed and overwhelmed by life's problems, but we don't have to let them defeat us. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28–30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus took on the sins and weight of the world, offering redemption and reconciliation with God and when we trust in Him, we are not left to carry our problems alone. He shares in our struggles and lifts us up. Our burdens come from overthinking, overplanning, and self-imposed expectations and Jesus calls us to release these worries, trusting that He will provide what we need.
Choose to lay your burdens on Jesus and let God defeat the army of problems that have ambushed and overwhelmed you. Prepare yourself for battle by praying to the Lord daily, bible reading, and joining with other Christians who have a fire for the Lord. Cry out to the Lord in your times of trouble and trust that He will bring you through them and have a victory in Him. Focus on the battles that the Lord has already won for you, so that when the big ones come, you will know that He will be faithful and win those for you too. When you are on God's side there is no power that can ambush and overwhelm you.