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He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’ Deuteronomy 20:3-4 (NLT)
Everything is easier when you can do it with someone. When we are very young and afraid of the dark we feel safer walking hand in hand with our father, or better yet being carried. Visits to the courtroom or the doctor’s office are easier to take when we know that there is someone waiting for us outside the door. Someone that will comfort, support and encourage us along the way regardless of the outcome.
Not only are we comforted when we have someone beside us. We are strengthened in spirit when that person is stronger than us, or our enemies, and wise enough to know what lay ahead and how to guide us to victory.
As Israel was making its way towards the Promised Land God gave them many instructions concerning the road ahead. A constant theme to the Israelites and to us is that He, the God of Heaven, would fight our battles for us. He didn’t require large numbers of troops. He didn’t require strength. The only thing the Father really sought obedience and trust. He promised to fight our battles for us.
As you go into battle today, don’t let the battles of life surprise you. God has never told us we’d be without conflict. It’s the conflicts in life that strengthen who we are and allow us to see God work in us. Those conflicts could be physical battles of health or people with real names and faces. The battles could be emotional/spiritual battles within us that cause us to doubt or worry. Whatever attacks you today, remember that it’s not a surprise attack. Your Father knew exactly what would happen and how it will be resolved.
Not only does God ‘assure us’ there will be adversity along the way, He promises to go along with us. He never ‘sends us’ into battle. He GOES WITH US. He’s by our side. He’s ON our side. He will fight the enemies in our lives whether they are visible ones or hidden, spiritual and emotional ones.
Also, rest on the promise that your Father in Heaven wants you to be victorious. He’s not an old, uninformed and feeble man with a white beard, squinty eyes and hard of hearing. He’s a mighty warrior, trained in battle and armed beyond any enemy you may face. He will not let you down although at times the battle may seem to great.
You will endure hardship. You will NEVER be alone. You will be victorious as you trust in God for victory. Three great promises to see us through our day!
PRAYER: Father God. I look ahead at the things that lie before me and have to confess to you that I’m scared. I’ve tried to trust you completely and at times feel totally alone in the battle. I’ve failed you, myself and others so many times. I see no way out. I ask that you would give me wisdom to make wise choices, strength to carry through and trust so that I can know You are walking beside me and will see me through. Amen.
Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” Numbers 13:30
The journey was over. The Israelites stood at the border of the Promised Land. God had brought them out of bondage. He’d provided all of their needs. He’d shown them great and mighty acts of power. Now he’d told Moses that the time had come to enter the land promised them. Moses sent spies into the land to see what kind of cities there were, what the people were like and to bring back some of the fruit of the land.
When the men returned they showed the people some of the great fruit that they’d found in the land. They described the beauty of the valleys and the plains. It was good land. It was profitable land. Then they told the people the bad news. The land would never be theirs. The people were too strong. They’d built huge, walled cities and the men were heavily armed. The men were to give an account of the condition of the land and people, but they offered a commentary on the likelihood of conquest and victory.
Enter Caleb. Caleb saw the same cities, the same warriors, and the same fruit of the land. But he looked at it from a completely different perspective. He didn’t see people; he heard the promises of God. He didn’t see obstacles to conquest; he saw opportunities for God to work in mighty ways. While the men offered commentary, Caleb did exactly what the leader had asked of him. He told the facts based on God’s promises.
Caleb stood alone against all the ‘popular kids’ of the camp. He stood for what he knew to be right. He didn’t talk about conflict, He talked about possession. To him the battle was already won. There was no doubt in his mind.
We can all learn from Caleb. There are too many times when our biggest obstacles are people. It could be the peer pressure that keeps us from doing what we know is right. Peer pressure isn’t just a junior high or high school thing. It follows us all our lives. We are afraid to be different. We don’t want to stand out in a crowd.
Don’t let people stand in the way of the things God wants to accomplish in you. He has given you the power to stand against the giants in your life. He’s made a way to destroy the walls others have built to keep you from pursuing your goals. Move forward with confidence. Look at the ways God has worked in the past in your life and in the lives of others. Regardless of your past or your present situation, He wants to see you have victory. Take possession of that victory.
PRAYER: Holy Father. Today you know what giants are haunting me. There are walls in my life that keep me from experiencing the joy I should be having in you. There are people and events that are keeping me from claiming the things you want me to have. Forgive me for my doubt. Empower me to move forward and not listen to the voices of those who want to bring me down. Like Caleb I claim victory over my giants through your Holy Spirit. Amen.
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT)
Another great promise from the Word of God! We have victory! Everyone likes to win. But the reality is the Bible promises that we have victory over sin, yet we still struggle on a daily basis. For some of us our sins are the quiet, hidden sins of doubt, a critical spirit, worry or the desire for more.
For others of us, our defeats and failures are in the area of addictions, relational struggles, lust, anger and rebellion against God, our parents and anything that even looks like authority.
So where is this victory that the Bible talks about? Why do we still struggle with feelings of failure, shame, guilt and anger? Why do we continue to lose when we are supposed to win?
The fact of the matter is that it’s not about capability, it’s about execution. We are incapable as humans to defeat our sinful human nature. God knew that. That’s why He sent Jesus to die on the cross and that’s why 1 Corinthians says that we have ‘victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ’. So it was never intended that we’d win the battle on our own.
Take a sports team for example. We all know stories of highly favored teams that have gone up against an opponent of much lesser talent and ability. They lacked the big play guys, they were slow, and they just didn’t have a chance…on paper. But they came into the contest and soundly defeat the highly favored opponent. Why? In most cases it’s because the underdog did the little things it takes to win better than their highly favored opponent.
The same is true in the spiritual realm. We have all the power we need to soundly defeat the enemy. Jesus won the war, but we still need to fight the battles in order to see victory in our lives. We need to do the little things that will empower us to defeat the enemy.
Victory in life’s battles comes when we, as Christ-followers:
- Read the Bible on a daily basis. The more you read and the deeper you study the more power you will see come into your life. Start small. Even taking one verse with you throughout the day will be beneficial, but don’t stop there. Continue to press yourself to read more.
- Pray daily as well. Don’t look at prayer as some ultra-religious activity. It’s like talking to a loving father. Tell Him your fears, feelings and concerns. Ask Him to reveal himself through the Bible and others in your life.
- Fast regularly. Fasting has gotten out of vogue in recent years and is highly misunderstood by many. Fasting is NOT walking in agony for days on end because you are without food. Fasting is NOT the same as a hunger strike! It’s simply taking time, even one meal, away from food and your normal routine to spend some time with God.
- Fellowship with other believers. Some have stopped fellowshipping with other believers because they’ve been hurt intentionally or otherwise and see christians as nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites. Unfortunately there are many who have used their faith as a battering ram, inflicting great harm on others. Seek out sincere believers, even just one or two that will genuinely help you in your spiritual growth and offer accountability.
When we do the little things in our faith walk we’ll see our faith grow, we’ll be more able to endure the hard times of life and we’ll see patience and love towards others increase. Jesus has done the big things for us. He’s won the war. It’s up to us as individual Christ-followers to do the little things necessary to win the battles.
PRAYER: Father God. I confess to you that many of the struggles I have in life are a result of not doing the little things I need to gain strength and confidence. Please empower me, through your Spirit to read more, pray more, fast and fellowship with other Christ-followers so that I can win the battles in my life. Thank you that in Jesus I have the victory. Amen.
Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction. For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart and always ready on your lips. I am teaching you today—yes, you—so you will trust in the Lord. Proverbs 22:17-19 (NLT)
In this world of economic and political uncertainty wise decisions are more important than ever. It’s easy to have opinions about how things should be from a distance, just as it’s easy to coach a professional sporting event from your arm chair.
It’s entirely a different story when it’s your job that’s being ‘eliminated due to corporate restructuring’. It’s more crucial to know how to act when it’s your test results or the test results of a loved one that shows a critical health issue. When it’s you sitting at divorce court or in a jail cell, suddenly knowing how to act/react takes on a whole new meaning. The question of the century becomes: “What should I do?”
Wisdom is a combination of life experiences and learning. Experience is a great teacher, but you can’t possibly experience everything you need to in order to make right choices. The need then, is to balance learning through experience with seeking the counsel of those who have either gone through similar situations or know someone who has.
Wisdom can be learned through active listening. “Active Listening” is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, to try and understand the total message being sent. It means you ask questions, confirm facts and take time to ponder the options.
The foundation of wisdom must come from sources that acknowledge the presence of an Almighty, All-knowing and Sovereign God. True wisdom never contradicts God’s law since God is the complete source of wisdom. Wisdom can, and often does, go against religious dogma and tradition. Wisdom regarding life will always, with no exception, turn you towards the cross of Jesus Christ and the empty tomb. Don’t be deceived by clever attempts to show you a different way.
Wisdom is not a natural result of age. Young people can be very wise. Old people can be very foolish. It’s not based on a person’s title, popularity or money The Apostle Paul says “Let no man look down on your youth” (1 Timothy 4:12). It isn’t age, but rather our ability to listen and learn from God’s word and godly men and women that brings wisdom to our lives.
God’s wisdom never fails. We aren’t God. We will fail. Even after doing all the right things there is always a chance that our decision will lead to failure on some sort. That’s when it is important to remember that there is always forgiveness. We can always come to the cross for failing to act wisely but beware of the consequences. The father will forgive and offer second chances but the consequences may follow you the rest of your life. Think and pray wisely before you act.
PRAYER: Father God. There is so much around me that I don’t understand right now. I don’t understand the cruelty and greed of some people. I don’t understand why I can’t get life right. I’m angry about the way things are in my life and see no way out! Please empower me through Your Holy Spirit to listen actively to Godly advice, draw close to you in relationship through The Bible and Prayer, and trust you for the outcome. Amen.
And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 2 Peter 1:4 (NLT)
Rules. No one really likes them. Even when you are the one making the rules you don’t really like them. Rules can be made for many reasons. Some people make rules to protect themselves, to gain power over others, or to stop some issue that they have a personal problem with.
Nations have fallen and lives have been lost because people revolted against the rule makers or the rule makers enforced the rules harshly. Rules, by nature, carry with them the idea that you can’t have freedom and rules at the same time. Ironically, that is a rule in and of itself.
Rules can also be made with our best interest in mind. “Don’t touch a hot stove.” “Look both ways when crossing a street.” “Don’t do drugs.” Good rules. Made with your best interest in mind. No control issues there.
But we still get burned. We still get hit by cars when we run into the street. We still get addicted to drugs. Why? Because the human nature, the voices of the enemy tell us that we are invincible. We go ahead and have the affair because we’ll be careful and not hurt anyone. Speeding this time won’t hurt. Wearing a seat belt when I drive is being a sissy. We make up all sorts of excuses.
But breaking rules really amounts to one thing that none of us really wants to admit. Sin is fun. That’s another lie the enemy tells us and to be honest, he’s right…sort of. There’s something in our human nature, the adventurous side that tells us it’s exciting to live free of rules and that nothing bad will happen to us or others.
Oftentimes, people who proudly flaunt their lives of ‘freedom’ do so to cover up a gaping wound. They try to fill that wound with all sorts of things. Activities, friends, drugs, sex, multiple partners, even good things like working for charities. But they just can’t fill that wound.
The Apostle Peter shows us how to fill the void. The salve that heals our wound isn’t found in ourselves. It isn’t found in anything we see or do in this world. Healing comes through faith in Jesus Christ. The rules, so to speak, that He gives us for daily living aren’t so He can control us. They are there solely for our benefit.
That wound inside yourself can only be filled through forgiveness and faith in Jesus. The old nature, your human side, will still try to draw you back to the old ways. The ways of so-called freedom, but you know that so-called freedom only leads to more pain.
Allow the promises and new life of Christ to empower you to live in true freedom. Freedom from the guilt, the pain, the fear of being caught, the fear of death itself. He promises to empower you through His Spirit to live a full, refreshing, happy life free from the pain of the wound.
PRAYER: God in Heaven. I’ve known about you for a long time. I’ve even given my life to you at one point. But the pain of this wound was too great. I tried to fill it with things that didn’t satisfy and ended up hurting myself and others. Please forgive me for my weakness. Empower me to live for you in freedom. Thank you for your promises of excellence and power in my life. I accept your forgiveness and resolve to live in your power from this day forward. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 