Battle Cry
by Makayla Guzman
You can learn a lot about a person by asking them the name of their family group chat. The name of mine is “Guzman Tribe.” The concept of a tribe mentality was something that my mom inspired - that we would fight for each other, stand firm together, do life in community, protect each other fiercely, welcome others into the family and then treat them the exact same way. Tribe mentality. She wanted us to go to battle for each other.
The life verse I want to share today is not my favorite, but it was my mom’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 says,
“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
This verse was our family’s battle cry when my mom was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and again in 2018. In moments of hopelessness, this truth became a light that led us back to Jesus every day.
Some battles have odds that seem overwhelmingly stacked against us, but this verse reminded us that any situation we face was not ours but belongs to Jesus. The fight, the outcome, and the glory - it all belongs to Him. Were we going to choose to trust in him, even when our emotions told us to doubt? Were we going to rest in his sovereignty, even when the outcome was something we prayed fervently to avoid?
You might be asking, why should it be a comfort to remember that the battle belongs to the Lord? To answer this, I want you to remember the character of our God.
He is powerful. Isaiah 40:28-31 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
He is good. Psalm 31:19 “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!”
He is wise. Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unfathomable his ways!”
Maybe you’re currently facing a battle that is overwhelming. Maybe it’s not making it into your dream college, getting fired from a job, being rejected by a friend, suffering a serious diagnosis, watching your parents’ marriage fail, struggling with mental illness, or any number of other hardships that feel like they might drown you. If you hear nothing else today, remember this: our God is powerful and good, and He will fight for you. The battle belongs to Him! All he asks is that you trust Him and walk closely with Him as he fights for you.
My family would remind each other every day during my mom’s time in treatment that the battle belongs to the Lord through tears and sorrow. When she went home to be with Jesus, we continued reminding each other that the battle was His, but this time through tears of joy that He had finally healed her and she was free from pain.
This is a battle cry for the mountains and the valleys. No matter what you are facing, the battle belongs to our God, and He is still good.