Lord, battle with those who battle with me. Fight against those who fight against me. Pick up the shield and the armor. Rise up and help me. Lift up Your spears, both large and small, against those who chase me. Tell me, "I will save you."
Let those who seek to kill me be disgraced and humiliated. Let those who seek to harm me be turned back and ashamed. Let them be like chaff in the wind with the angel of the Lord driving them away. (vs. 1-5)
We are at war, you know. I hope you got up this morning and put your armor on one piece at a time. You need a helmet, a breastplate, a belt, good running shoes, a sword and a shield. You can put all your other clothes on over this, but if you are not walking around with the battle dress, watch out! Your enemy is fierce. He wants not only to kill you, he wants your total destruction!
Like every good soldier, you have a Commander. The battle is ultimately His to win or lose. You must be ready. He must know the strategy and have your best interest, as well as the victory plan, at heart. Every battle plan would break down if the soldiers decided to win it alone or fight in opposition to the General. Here is the powerful thing about being in God's army, though. Sometimes we just have to say, "This one is too big for me. Fight for me, my God!"
Laid low, chased into a corner, outsmarted and out-chased. Heart racing, sweat pouring, legs buckled, out of steam. We need a Savior. The battle is the Lord's to finish.
I was thanking the Lord of Hosts last week during one of my beach walks that He saved me when I could see no way out. I had definitely strayed from the battlefield - wandered off into enemy territory. In fact, unlike Hansel and Gretel, I had not even left a bread trail back. A POW of the enemy of my soul. Could not even conceive how I could be freed. Just a hope that it was possible. Crying out for a turn of the key that would open my prison door ajar to let the light come in. A ray of hope. Oh, I love my God. Despite the fact that I was captured because of my own wandering away, He came, dressed in the glory that is His coat of maille, down into my prison and walked me out. I had left my armor somewhere in the dark and my body was covered with the muck of my incarceration. He did not seem to notice, for He took my hand and trained it for war again.
Hear a portion of Joshua's farewell address to the children of Israel in the Promised Land:
"I am old, getting on in years, and you have seen for yourselves everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your account, because it was the Lord, your God, Who was fighting for you...Be very strong and courageous and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses so that you do not turn to the right or to the left. Do not call on the names of other gods or make oaths to them. Do not worship them or bow down to them...The Lord has driven out great and powerful nations before you, and no one is able to stand against you this day. One of you routed a thousand because the Lord your God was fighting for you, as He promised. So be very diligent to love the Lord you God for your own well-being." Joshua 23
Feel better now? I do. The General of the army I joined stands up with big and small spears, His maille clanking as He steps forward to rout the enemy. He has been known to send hail out of a clear blue sky, or angels to confuse an army so completely that it runs away and leaves a campsite full of loot. An entire Egyptian army lost the wheels from their chariots for no good reason. Frogs and bloody waters, earthquakes and clouds - all are at His command. He will do whatever it takes to save His troops. Including dying in their place. Routing the last enemy - death.
So stand tall, mighty warrior. Like Gideon, we are abashed to be called such in our pitiful state. But our Mighty God sees us differently, arms us for the war we were born to fight, and calls us into victory!
Let those who seek to kill me be disgraced and humiliated. Let those who seek to harm me be turned back and ashamed. Let them be like chaff in the wind with the angel of the Lord driving them away. (vs. 1-5)
We are at war, you know. I hope you got up this morning and put your armor on one piece at a time. You need a helmet, a breastplate, a belt, good running shoes, a sword and a shield. You can put all your other clothes on over this, but if you are not walking around with the battle dress, watch out! Your enemy is fierce. He wants not only to kill you, he wants your total destruction!
Like every good soldier, you have a Commander. The battle is ultimately His to win or lose. You must be ready. He must know the strategy and have your best interest, as well as the victory plan, at heart. Every battle plan would break down if the soldiers decided to win it alone or fight in opposition to the General. Here is the powerful thing about being in God's army, though. Sometimes we just have to say, "This one is too big for me. Fight for me, my God!"
Laid low, chased into a corner, outsmarted and out-chased. Heart racing, sweat pouring, legs buckled, out of steam. We need a Savior. The battle is the Lord's to finish.
I was thanking the Lord of Hosts last week during one of my beach walks that He saved me when I could see no way out. I had definitely strayed from the battlefield - wandered off into enemy territory. In fact, unlike Hansel and Gretel, I had not even left a bread trail back. A POW of the enemy of my soul. Could not even conceive how I could be freed. Just a hope that it was possible. Crying out for a turn of the key that would open my prison door ajar to let the light come in. A ray of hope. Oh, I love my God. Despite the fact that I was captured because of my own wandering away, He came, dressed in the glory that is His coat of maille, down into my prison and walked me out. I had left my armor somewhere in the dark and my body was covered with the muck of my incarceration. He did not seem to notice, for He took my hand and trained it for war again.
Hear a portion of Joshua's farewell address to the children of Israel in the Promised Land:
"I am old, getting on in years, and you have seen for yourselves everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your account, because it was the Lord, your God, Who was fighting for you...Be very strong and courageous and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses so that you do not turn to the right or to the left. Do not call on the names of other gods or make oaths to them. Do not worship them or bow down to them...The Lord has driven out great and powerful nations before you, and no one is able to stand against you this day. One of you routed a thousand because the Lord your God was fighting for you, as He promised. So be very diligent to love the Lord you God for your own well-being." Joshua 23
Feel better now? I do. The General of the army I joined stands up with big and small spears, His maille clanking as He steps forward to rout the enemy. He has been known to send hail out of a clear blue sky, or angels to confuse an army so completely that it runs away and leaves a campsite full of loot. An entire Egyptian army lost the wheels from their chariots for no good reason. Frogs and bloody waters, earthquakes and clouds - all are at His command. He will do whatever it takes to save His troops. Including dying in their place. Routing the last enemy - death.
So stand tall, mighty warrior. Like Gideon, we are abashed to be called such in our pitiful state. But our Mighty God sees us differently, arms us for the war we were born to fight, and calls us into victory!
No comments:
Post a Comment