He Listened - 1 Chronicles 5:20

And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him. I Chronicles 5:20

Trust and Prayer

Believers fight a battle. I am a warrior. I forget this, but it is true.

• I battle my own inner lying thoughts that tell me that I really don’t belong to Jesus.
• I battle temptations, the snares that Satan’s dark world has designed to trap me.
• I battle a culture that tells me to go along to get along. And more.

So far, I haven’t been in a real physical battle for my life (thank You Lord). May it stay that way!

All the battles, the ones in my head and the ones against outside forces need the same defense.

Trust in the Lord and prayer.

And guess what? Trust and prayer require patience.

What is patience? The Dictionary.com definition goes like this: an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.

I can say I trust the Lord all I want, but I don’t really know until I have been tested. And that test usually involves perceived delay. And in that delay, it’s easy to think, “The Lord isn’t interested in answering my prayer. I’m too far gone. I’m too much of a mess. I can’t depend on Him.”

Test score - fail. Ouch.

Seeds of Success

Yet, here’s the beautiful thing: even when I think that I have failed the test, God is planting seeds of success in my heart. He knew how I would respond. It’s all part of my training. I am a warrior after all. Warrior get bruised and banged up in their training but it turns them into fighters.

So what exactly is being tested?

How about this: Do I believe Him; do I trust Him?

Job gives a potent example. In his great distress, He said about God, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

I want that faithful attitude applied to my much easier tests. Though He embarrass me, yet will I serve Him. Though He try my patience, yet will I listen, be kind, be loving.

See, the tests will come. God knows exactly which ones I need. He sends them right to my doorstep, better than Amazon.

So what’s His will in the test? Depend on Him. Trust Him. Pray. Be patient. Is there more to the test? Maybe. But I know I’m still working on getting that one right.

I notice that the verse says that they cried out to God in the battle. There they are swinging swords around and things aren’t looking too good. They are scared. They don’t wait to get it all together before they cry out to him. They cry out in the messy battle.

I know I often miss that. I trudge. I try to fight it out on my own. I even hide. Then, I finally realize - I have the Lord! I want to cry out and trust Him in every battle. That’s my birthright.

The verse says, “He heeded their prayer because they put their trust in Him.” That’s humble power.

May you and I trust Him. Today.

Lord, I love you. You test me. Show me how to patiently wait on you in the valley. May I trust you. For your word shows me over and over again that I can and I must. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.