“One, two, three, eyes on me!” is the signal for many classrooms filled with noisy little ones to stop what they are doing immediately and put their eyes on the Teacher for the next direction with focused attention. As a public school teacher, this method worked with first graders who were always ready to see what I was going to do next with them because sometimes I would surprise them!
By planned and organized design; our classroom was a bevy of activity as each table held a different skill with specific tasks to complete. At the sound of a bell; they would rotate through each center until they had accomplished each task by then end of the morning. There is good noise and bad noise. Good noise is seeing everyone involved in the task to accomplish the goal at each table or center. Bad noise is when one or two students go rogue and launch a takeover for power and control causing learning to cease.
The Teacher sees what is happening quickly with a pre thought out plan to step in to regain control of the situation with redirection and focus. Hence, “One, two, three, eyes on me!” For this signal for focus to work the teacher must train students of this signal for attention on the first day of school so that when the classroom of individuals falls to power struggles, order can be reestablished quickly. The battle for control does not belong to the students. The battle for order and control belongs to the Teacher. The Teacher knows the plan and has the authority to execute the plan for learning and growing according to the students’ abilities.
God knows and has a plan for His people. Always. Our next passage is quoted often but here is the whole story behind, “The battle belongs to the Lord.”
2 Chronicles 20
Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon
After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom] from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:
“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! 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. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”
22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah to this day.
27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets.
29 The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.
The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign
31 So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 32 He followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 33 The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.
34 The other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, whose ways were wicked. 36 He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships. After these were built at Ezion Geber, 37 Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? In the classroom of life, the Master Teacher is indeed in control and has not given up His authority. Even when we don’t feel it or see it—God has everything under control.
Fear is the Enemy. When the chaos of life seems to be gaining control overs us with more obstacles blocking the path we know to be right; we wonder who is in charge here? Sometimes I feel like I’m in a Mario Brothers video game; just trying to get from point A to point B for the win!
Here’s what I’m learning: If we do not look up with focused eyes on the Teacher, fear of the unknown, a tool of the Enemy, can overcome our faith. This fear if left unchecked, can steadily rise up within us, taking over all our senses. Fear leads to knee-jerk reactions without the wisdom of our Teacher. Fear leads to foolhardy decision making. Fear shades our most beloved relationships. Fear can cause us to join the chaos or run from it. Either choice removes our view of the eyes of the Teacher who brings all things under control for our good and His glory! We must trust the Teacher who has the plan with purpose for each one of us and loved us enough to die for our sins and redeem us for life!
Jesus fought and won the battle over fear all because of the Love of God. This Love is God who drives out all fear lives within us who believe! The Bible tells me so! “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:16-19
“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” This is exactly what we should do in every battle for all battles from the enemy who seeks to distract and deceive us by presenting skirmishes meant to defeat us and destroy our faith truly belong to the Lord who has already won! We must look up for the foolishness and put our eyes on Jesus, our Advocate before the Father, who has already won the war!
Eyes on the situation only serves to defeat us before we can even get a foothold to stand firm in our faith. Eyes on our Teacher lifts our thinking closer to where He is for His thoughts are higher, much higher than ours! We look into the eyes of our Beloved Teacher to gain knowledge from His wisdom and confidence from His power! Go with the Champion who has already won! Go with Jesus, the Master Teacher.
Jehoshaphat led the nation to humbly seek God’s help and wisdom, and God promised that he would fight the battle for them. Dear friends, God is still in the business of fighting His people’s battles. Instead of being afraid, seek God first; then trust Him to protect and help us when we need him most. God never fails! God is able. There is nothing that is impossible with God. He delivers in His time for our good in ways that His glory can be seen. Why? So that others will know who He is!
Seriously then, what can anyone do to us? You know the answers. Lie to us. Deceive and betray us. Injure and slander us. Terrorize and bully us. But God says in His Word that is reliable Truth that HE is with us always. Scripture asks a different question. If the Lord is your helper, what can anyone do to you?
Our battles with the enemy belong to the Lord. All of them.
“The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms…” Fear shifted from God’s People back to their enemies! Smiling, because that’s how God works! Don’t you love this about God?
AND…did you notice that in the heat of the battle; God’s people worshiped Him with songs and instruments of praise? Wow, this is the holy confidence in the Lord that that is given to us when our eyes look to Him in times of chaos! With God all things are possible. There is no one like our God!
“One, two, three, eyes on Me,” I hear my Teacher saying this morning. How about you?
Lord,
Thank you for lessons of focused attention that fills me with peace, joy, confidence and more love that enriches my humble walk with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 