"They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed," 2 Chronicles 20:20.


The word of the Lord and faith in God are an unbeatable combination. Here is the background for the above verse. Judah is facing an invasion from the sons of Moab, the sons of Ammon, and others from the Meunites. Jehoshaphat received word of the impending invasion which produced fear. However, in the midst of this crisis and the initial fear that he felt, Jehoshaphat "turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah." I am certain that everyone can relate to experiencing moments of facing difficult and trying circumstances. Your initial response may have been like King Jehoshaphat. One of fear. Don't be alarm, it's only "normal." The initial response of fear can be seen in many biblical situations and circumstances. From King David to the twelve Apostles we read of moments of fear in their lives. As we are learning faith, our response is on occasion fear. When we face seemingly insurmountable odds, we must be like Judah, keep our eyes on Him and wait to hear His voice. As the nation fasted and prayed, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he prophesied to them the following, "Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but the Lord's."
When God speaks a word, it must come to pass. He is not a man that He should lie. We only need to put our trust in Him and what He has said. It really is that simply. When we read the Word, we can count on, be assured, and take refuge in what God has said.
Faith in God and His Word are essential. After Judah hears the word of the Lord from Jahaziel, on the next morning Jehoshaphat makes the following exhortation, "Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed." What words of encouragement and admonition. The word of the Lord should always be followed by faith declarations. The analogy goes something like this, the Word is spoken or released. The Word is watered by faith declarations. The end result is God will cause it to produce. Putting our trust in God will cause us to be established. When our trust is in God our lives will be firm and stable. We will not sink under the pressures of difficult circumstances nor melt under the scorching heat of trials and tribulations. Our God will keep us on top and provide refreshing and comfort that will conquer our test and confrontations form the enemy. To be established also means to cause to grow and multiply. The end result of negative circumstances, trials, and test is increase in some way. They all bring glory to God. When you find yourself facing obstacles you can rejoice because God will glorified and you will grow and increase.
As we trust our God we will be established. As we put our trust in His prophets we will succeed. The word for succeed means to profit and prosper. The Word of the Lord as spoken by the prophet is given so that we will profit and prosper. This is the gospel in short form. Jesus Christ came so that we will profit and prosper. It means that God's ultimate end for His children is to live victoriously and win on every level of life. The prophets have spoken to our house both corporately and individually. Now we must believe and move towards the spoken word. When Judah heard the words of Jehoshaphat they began to sing and praise the Lord. This was an immediate demonstration of their faith. As they did the Lord set ambushes against the enemy and they turned against one another. Our God is magnificent and glorious. He did it for Judah and He's doing it for us and you. When the defeat was completed, Judah collected the spoils of their victory. Their reward was such that it took them three days to collect it. What battles have you been facing and what has been your response? No matter the size of the battle, always keep these three words in your heart and on your lips, "I believe God." It's that simple. Someone in time past gave this acronym  for faith, forsaking all, I trust Him.