What is Good in His Sight

I Chronicles 19:8–15

“On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country. Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in His sight.” Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.”

One would never have thought a brilliant military commander and strategist, discerning the battle lines, like Joab would say something like that: “Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in His sight (v. 13).” But it is exactly this attitude beholden towards the sovereignty of God which grants success. Here we see the old adage rings true: Do your best and God will take care of the rest. It is a posture of trust in the One who is ultimately in control over events, over everything that happens in this earth. Father Abraham ultimately banked on God’s justice when interceding for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah: “Shall bot the judge of the earth do what is right (Gen 18:25)?” And God knew the hearts of each person that it was too wicked, ripe for judgment, save for a very few which He let escape (Gen 19:29). Similarly, Joab thought God would do His will, what He sees as good, not what Joab sees as good. As our LORD replied to the rich young man, “Why do you call Me good? Jesus replied, “No one is good except God alone (Mark 10:18),” God being the paradigm of goodness and justice is most qualified as the Judge of All the Earth and the Author of Life and we would do well in humility to trust His sovereignty that He will do what is good in His sight for our good and His glory. So let us be strong, fight bravely spiritually and practically strive to be holy, to be Christlike, and know that as we follow God, we get in tune with His will, our desires align with His, and our prayers answered, we will live victorious, who can be against us? Let us pray: “Lord God, You are sovereign and in control over all of my circumstances. Help me to trust in You and remember that I have victory in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”