fighting fear with faith

Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.

1 Chronicles 19:13

 

Joab was David’s fighting general. As commander of Israel’s army, he always led from the thick of the battle. And this is an epic fight. Israel is fighting two different armies, sandwiched between them and outnumbered. The Syrians are at the front. The Ammonites are behind them. And Joab is ready to charge ahead.

 

Joab’s faith is part of his resolve to fight. His speech to rally the troops is punctuated with his trust in God. He appeals to the troops to be strong, to fight for Israel’s people and the cities of their God. His courage is shown in the teeth of battle that was ALWAYS hand to hand combat. His final resolve was to trust the outcome of the battle to the Lord’s hands.

 

So in the faith of the fighting forces of Israel there is an encouragement to trust God. And Joab would face swords and spears with confidence that God’s sovereign hand would not let them down. That kind of courageous faith is inspiring. It moves men to face the impossible for the sake of God’s mercies on which they can confidently rely.