"Put your trust in the Lord your God and you will stand your ground. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you will succeed." (2 Chronicles 20:20b GNT)

The biggest mistake people make when we're overwhelmed is focusing on the problem. We don't look to God. We put our eyes on the problem instead of God. 

When you ask many people, "How are you doing?" they say, "I'm doing OK - under the circumstances." What are you doing under the circumstances? Who put you there? Why don't you get on top of the circumstances? Circumstances are like the mattress on your bed. Get on top of them, and you'll rest easy. Get underneath them, and you're going to suffocate.

What are you focusing on right now? If you're discouraged, it's not God. You can't be discouraged and focus on God at the same time. If you turn to God first, talk to him about your problem, and trust him to help you, God will respond: "The Lord says you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this vast army. The battle depends on God, not you" (2 Chronicles 20:15b GNT).

The reason why you're so tired all the time is because you're trying to fight battles that belong to God. We try really hard and give it our best shot. Inevitably, we fail and we're disappointed in ourselves and we come back with our tail between our legs and say, "God, I'm so sorry. I've really let you down." Guess what? You cannot disappoint God. This is what grace is all about! You don't earn God's pleasure or approval. It is a free gift when you trust in his Son, Jesus Christ.

What does God want you to do if he doesn't want you to fight in the battle? What are you supposed to do when you're facing an overwhelming situation? 

Two words: "Stand strong." What does it mean to stand strong? It is a mental attitude. It's an attitude of quiet confidence. You're not getting ahead of God, but you're not backing up, either. You're going to stay put and watch God work. You're going to stand strong.

One of the most important truths you have to learn in life is it is never God's will for you to run from a difficult situation. If you do, he's going to bring it up again. He wants you to learn that he is sufficient in every situation, and if you don't learn it here, he'll just provide the opportunity again.

What do you stand firm on? "Put your trust in the Lord your God, and you will stand your ground. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you will succeed" (2 Chronicles 20:20b GNT).

Do you want to be successful? Then stand on two things: the character of God and the Word of God. Have faith in the character of God and what his prophets have said.

Talk It Over

• What has been your focus lately? Has it kept you from turning to God for help with whatever difficult situation you are facing?
• What does it look like to be confident in the character and Word of God?

"We are helpless in the face of this large army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you for help." (2 Chronicles 20:12 GNT)

When you feel overwhelmed, it's important to go to God in prayer and confess your inability and inadequacy. You need to be honest if you're afraid and tell God exactly how you feel.

In 2 Chronicles 20:12, Jehoshaphat says to God in prayer, "We are helpless in the face of this large army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you for help" (GNT). Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like there was a problem in your marriage, your career, or somewhere in your life that you thought was overwhelming? You start at the beginning of the week thinking maybe you can handle it, but by Wednesday you're out of power.

Maybe you've felt like the author of this poem:

"The world had a hopeful beginning
But man spoiled it all by sinning
We trust that the story
Will end in God's glory
But right now the other side's winning."

Have you ever felt like that? You pick up the newspaper, and it looks like the bad guys are winning. There are kids killing other kids in our schools! The moral and spiritual climate of our society is collapsing. It looks like the bad guys are winning in many ways.

So what do you do? You say, "God, we're powerless, and we don't know what to do." You tell God exactly how you feel. 

It's interesting when you compare verse 12, where it says we're powerless, to verse 6, where Jehoshaphat says, "God, you have all the power in the world." It doesn't matter if you're powerless if God has power. If you put your trust in him, he'll take care of you.

I don't have to have power. You don't, either. And you don't have to pretend that you do. All you have to do is trust in God, who's got all the power that you need.

Talk It Over

• How were you taught to handle weakness when you were growing up?
• Why do you think it is so difficult to express our inadequacy to anyone, including God?