2 Chronicles 32:7 “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! 8 He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people.

I have noticed that I have a tendency to diminish God’s power to a size just below the size of my current enemy. I often have to remind myself that 1 John 4:4 says, “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” The enemy brings discouragement to your life by trying to overwhelm your faith. He tries to get you to focus on the size of the problem he is bringing against you. Hezekiah gave his people a few simple instructions to find encouragement in the midst of an overwhelming problem. If you are facing an overwhelming problem today, apply the following principles to your life:

• Don’t let your fear override your faith. The reason Hezekiah gave the command to be courageous is because he knew that the circumstances would encourage them to fear. Faith is not the result of smooth sailing but instead is a choice we make in the middle of the storm.

• Realize that the power of God is always greater than the power of the enemy. This scripture does not diminish the power of the enemy. It does not minimize the problem. Rather, Hezekiah simply insists that the people realize that God is greater than what they are facing.

• Don’t let the presence of people against you blind you to the presence of God that is for you. It is easy to focus on the size of battle before you and forget the faithfulness of God behind you. God has a track record of showing up for His people.

• Realize that God will help you and is fighting on your behalf. You never face the struggles of life alone. God is for you and fighting on your behalf. If you are facing a challenge that is greater than you, remember that it is not greater than He is. He is fighting for you today.

Today’s Challenge: Remember that even in the middle of overwhelming circumstances, God is greater than the enemy that is fighting against you.