Bridge City Music Festival

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The Battle Belongs to the Lord 

By Chris Mammenga Jan 2022 

2 Chronicles 20:30- “Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.” -NKJ 

            Jehoshaphat was in trouble.  Three of the kingdoms around him had decided it was time for them to take over Judea and kick him to the curb.  They banded together and started coming for him.  Chronicles chapter 20 tells the whole story, but the crux of it is that Jehoshaphat was afraid.  I’ve been afraid before and I’m guessing you have too.  Looking back I can say I seldom make good decisions when I’m afraid.  My tendency is to do whatever I can to get the fear off my back as quickly as possible.  Jehoshaphat could have done the same.  He could have sent messengers out to other nations to help him, or raised his own army and strategized a battle plan to overcome the oncoming horde.  He could have said nothing to his people and simply run away or walled himself up in his castle and hoped the problem would just go away.  Jehoshaphat did something else, and it is a life-changing lesson if we’ll heed it. 

            Jehoshaphat sought the Lord and called his people to fast and pray for deliverance.  He talked to God and reminded Him (or reminded himself more likely) of all the promises God had given to Israel that would not come to pass if the approaching army came and wiped them out.  He asked God to intervene.  Something very important is revealed to us, something I didn’t really see until recently, when Jahaziel, a Levite, spoke a prophetic word to the king.  He says in verse 15, “…Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” -NKJ. 

            Those of you who know this story know the rest.  Jehoshaphat sends out his army against the multitude with the worshipers in front singing and dancing.  By the time they reach the battlefield God has sent confusion into the ranks of the opposing armies and they’ve wiped each other out before Jehoshaphat’s army even arrives.  Here’s the thing I missed in all the times I’d read through this story.  The battle BELONGS to the Lord.  It’s not my fight.  It’s not mine to figure out or understand or to win.  It’s His.  All His, and when I lay my hands on His battles and try to figure out how to win them, I fail and become frustrated.  What comes after that is a lot of complaining about how God didn’t go to bat for me and win my fight.  But God doesn’t promise to win MY fight, he promises to win HIS fight. 

            This may sound like nit-pickery but it is slowly revolutionizing my walk with God.  When struggles come, I try and pray, “Lord, this isn’t my fight, it’s Yours.  How should I fight?”  This frees me to not be consumed with worry over the things that confront me because I can rest in His ability to win the battle that is His battle.  Most times I find out that He fights in a completely different way and His results are very different than the ones I expected or wanted, but in the end I am able to rest and be at peace through the battle knowing it’s not mine to win.  The best part about it is that He gets all the glory for the victories in my life.  What greater witness is there to those around us when God delivers us from certain calamity?  Even more so, when we are able to endure hardship with peace and rest in the confidence of our God’s ability to see us through. 

            Father, help us to enter into Your rest and peace today with the knowledge that the battles we face belong to You, and You will win them in Your time and in Your way.  Give us the strength and confidence to trust and obey when You call us to do Your will.  It is our desire to see Your kingdom come and Your will be done in our lives and our world.  Amen.

PLANNING FOR THE 2022 EVENT HAS BEGUN! The official date with be Saturday, June 25th 2022 10:00am-7:00pm in Olcott Park, Virginia, MN. Applications are now open for 2022 vendors, artists, and volunteers! 

BRIDGE CITY MUSIC FESTIVAL NEEDS YOU! We are looking for committee members and volunteers! We are also looking for community supporters and funders to help keep this event free to the public and coming back every year! If you would like to be a part of Bridge City Music Festival, please fill out your form of choice under the "Applications" tab from the main header above.

2022 LAYOUT Vendors will be stationed throughout the grass area around the stages, along the lower path, and in the buildings where available. At this time, we will not need to position all vendors along the paths and leave the additional spacing that was required at the 2021, unless COVID-19 stipulations change.

COVID-19 We will continue to work with the City, the County, and the State as COVID-19 regulations morph with the ever changing circumstance. We will continue to update our COVID-19 policies as needed. The physical health, mental health, and safety of our community is our top concern. Please see COVID-19 Disclosures for further information.