HELP FOR THE POWERLESS

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men.

Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, You are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against You.”

The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the Lord and His forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror of the Lord had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there. They also attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 14:8-15

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever felt powerless in life? I could similarly ask if you have ever been helpless.

Many people have been and indeed many people are this very moment as I write. Consider who might qualify as being powerless:

- those who are dying.

An incredible 47 million people die each year from terminal illnesses.

- those who are impoverished.

More than a billion people in our world try to live on less than an hour a day.

- those who are orphaned and abandoned.

Over 201 million children in the world are orphans.

- those who are abused and/or neglected.

Worldwide, one billion women and forty million children are victims of abuse every year.

- those who are persecuted.

Approximately 165,000 Christians are killed annually because of their belief and faith in Jesus Christ.

The numbers here are mind boggling but they underscore one important point. There are countless people in our world today who are powerless in the grips of difficult circumstances. This is why the word of God from today’s scripture passage is so important for us to remember and share.

Let’s take a look at it now.

Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men.

Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, You are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against You.”

The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the Lord and His forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror of the Lord had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there. They also attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Imagine you are Asa and the Israelites. You are assembled for battle and although your forces number nearly 600,000, you are facing an enemy who is greater. If there were odds-makers in Old Testament times, they would not have recommended placing your money on an Israelite victory.

Yes, at face value, it looked like it was no contest. But when God is in the picture, the equation is changed drastically as we see in the outcome of the battle.

For before clashing with one Cushite warrior, we find Asa calling out to God in the midst of what appeared to be a hopeless and helpless situation. Look again at his words:

“Lord, there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, You are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against You.”

Asa knew that Israel had no chance on their own. They would be powerless before the Cushites. But he also knew that he and Israel would always have a chance, no matter the circumstances, if they just placed their reliance on the One who grants power to the powerless.

And so it was, for we read how Asa and his Israelite warriors from Judah and Benjamin routed the mightier Cushites, not because of their fighting prowess but because the Lord struck down their enemies before them. Against the Lord God Almighty, the Cushites didn’t stand a chance for victory.

Friends, this is good news for us today. This is especially good news for the powerless. For the God who created the heavens and earth is willing and ready to apply His massive power toward helping us when we place our faith, hope, and trust in Him. When we fully rely on God to help us, we move from being powerless to being powerful through His strength working in and through us. Paul, writing from prison, realized that he could do all things through the Lord’s strength (Philippians 4:13). So can any other believer.

In the end translation, no one can help the powerless like God. We need to always remember this.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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