DCLM Daily Manna 18 January 2026 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — His Battle, Not Yours
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TOPIC: His Battle, Not Yours (DCLM Daily Manna 18 January 2026)
KEY VERSE: “And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus says the LORD, Has thou seen all this great multitude? behold I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shall know that I am the Lord” – 1 Kings 20:13
TEXT: 1 Kings 20:12-21 (KJV)
12 And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.
13 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.
15 Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.
16 And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.
17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.
18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.
19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them.
20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen.
21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
DCLM Daily Manna For Today MESSAGE:
During World War II, the German offensive into southern Russia, in the summer of 1942, was initially successful, and the German sixth army, under General Friedrich von Paulus, was ordered to capture Stalingrad. Joseph Stalin, the Russian dictator, demanded the city be defended at all costs, and every available soldier and civilian was mobilised to defend the city. Stalingrad became the scene of months of intense street fighting, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Soviet forces launched a counter offensive in mid-November 1942, encircling the German army and its allies. After months of fierce fighting and heavy casualties, the surviving German forces, totalling around 91,000 soldiers, surrendered on February 2, 1943. This was a humiliating defeat to the proud Nazis.
Our text today, dwells on the war between Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Syria. Israel was already under Syrian control, but at this instance, Benhadad, the Syrian king, had become overbearing because his forces, including thirty-two allied kings, were clearly superior to those of Israel. Although Ahab, king of Israel, had conceded many things, it came to a point that his elders counselled him to resist the excessive demands of Benhadad. The war with Syria became unavoidable, and Benhadad was already sure of the outcome. He relied on his large army and allied kings, and swore by his gods if he would not destroy Samaria. Our passage shows how Ahab defeated Benhadad in spite of his seeming superiority, as a prophet had said.
This encourages us to trust God, believe His prophets and never be intimidated by what we see. Eventually, God’s backing gave victory to Ahab’s 232 provincial princes and 7,000 persons over a larger Syrian and allied forces. We saw how pride and over-confidence led to the defeat and destruction of Benhadad’s forces. He was busy drinking himself to stupor, instead of preparing for battle. He was so confident of victory that he instructed that the Israelites should be captured alive, possibly to make a sport of them afterwards. He eventually ate his words, soundly defeated by a God-backed Israeli military.
Even with God on our side, we need to plan and prepare for the battles. Yet, we must always allow Him to lead us in all battles of life. When we act as directed by God, the outcome will be as God had said. The contrasting attitudes of Ahab and Benhadad also teach us the importance of the right conduct in leadership. Benhadad was a haughty alcoholic, who trusted in his gods, arms and men, while Ahab humbled himself enough to seek divine counsel. The higher we get in life, the closer we should draw to God.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
When God adopts you, He also adopts your battles
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Acts 9-10
Deeper Life Daily Manna For Today 2025 was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria. https://dclm.org/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4zsqN5YdXfxkkdVvwNA3JA
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