Just Show Up!

In this time of warfare God has us in a spiritual boot camp getting us ready for our purpose, destiny and the final battle before Jesus comes back. He is working on us and subduing the flesh when we allow Him to. Our biggest enemy is not Satan, Jesus already defeated him. Our biggest enemy is our flesh! There are times when God could be sending you on an assignment and your flesh does not want to go. This scenario is what I want to address in this message. All God wants you to do when you don’t want to go is just show up! Don’t try to figure out what He wants you to do there or if you will accomplish what He wants, just show up!

In 2 Chronicles Chapter 20 Jehoshaphat was in a situation where he was surrounded by the enemy and felt helpless (v.2). He was afraid and cried out to God (v.3). God answered him in v. 15 and told him that the battle is His. He told Jehoshaphat in v. 16 to "just show up" the next day. He told him just to take a position, stand still and that he would see the salvation of the Lord (v.17). God told Jehoshaphat to send the praise and worship team out first and as he did God set an ambush against the enemy and they destroyed each other (v. 22, 23). In v. 25 the word records that Jehoshaphat got so much spoils from the enemy that it took three days to gather it all! What if Jehoshaphat didn’t show up? He would have missed all the spoils! I am sure that when Jehoshaphat saw that he was surrounded originally that he wasn’t thinking that God was about to bless him. God seemed to have planned this attack on him to bless him. Don’t assume the worst when you are surrounded by the enemy. God could have assembled them together to bless you. The enemy was assembled against Jehoshaphat by God to bless him financially! The reason why there were so many troops against him was that God wanted to give him a "ton" of blessings. The more troops, the more spoils. This is the way that God looked at it!

In 1 Sam. Chapter 14, the word records that the enemy had taken all the swords of the Israelites to sharpen and left only two swords. They then attacked God’s people. Jonathan and his armor bearer took the two swords and went against the enemy (v.6). They felt confident that God could win with just them. As they approached the enemy they noticed that the enemy was overconfident and invited them up to where they were stationed (v.12). Jonathan and his armor bearer started killing them and initially they killed about twenty of them (v.14). Then as a result of Jonathan "showing up" there arose a trembling in the host (caused by the Lord) and they started killing each other (v. 16, 17). Look at the great victory God wrought because Jonathan showed up. Suppose he didn’t show up?

In 1 Samuel Chapter 17 David "showed up" at the battle where Goliath was speaking against his God. He went against Goliath when nobody else would, including Saul who was the tallest man in Israel. He knew that God had delivered him from a lion and a bear when God’s anointing came on him. He destroyed them with his own hands. He knew that if he just showed up in front of Goliath that God would win for him. He told Goliath that he was coming against him in the Name of the Lord. The Name of the Lord is all that David needed as God’s power was behind the stone that he slung, as Goliath was killed. The rest of the Philistines were killed by the Israelites. David wrought a great victory for the people of Israel because he showed up and allowed God to use him. This one encounter propelled David to be king as all the people started singing songs about him and his conquest of Goliath.

In Judges Chapter 6 God called Gideon to lead his people against the Midianites. Gideon was hiding out from the enemy, yet God called him a mighty man of valor (v.12). Gideon was afraid as God cut down his troops from 32,000 to 300. God next told him to "show up" at the enemy’s camp and overhear what they were saying. Gideon overheard one of them talking about a dream that he had where God used the sword of Gideon to destroy them. Just because Gideon "showed up" in the enemies camp he overheard this and was greatly encouraged (7 v. 13, 14). This confidence propelled him to "show up," surround the enemy and startle them at night with only 300 men. The enemy was so startled and afraid that they destroyed each other (v.22). Again, what if Gideon didn’t show up? Look at the great victory that God wrought through Gideon because he showed up!

Jesus "showed up" at the Garden of Gethsemane and was arrested which started the whole salvation process, as He gave up His life for us. He showed up at Gethsemane for us!

When God tells you to show up and be a mouth piece for Him, realize that you are not going in your own strength but His. He will win for you and bless you at the same time. Just don’t listen to your flesh!