Every Little Battle

I know at times, I've spoken of the battlefield, and how the enemy tries to gain our hearts on these battlefields...

Well, I'm tired of fighting. Anyone with me? I'm sick and tired of trying to do it on my own. I'm tired of walking up to my giant Goliath and realizing too late that I did not collect the five stones God called me to. To often, I fight empty handed.. I do not prepare myself nor allow God to equip me with the tools I need.

This life my friends is a constant battle, but we need not be exhausted, and we need not be discouraged, God is our protector. He is the one who does the fighting, we only need to be obedient to Him in circumstances that are pulling for our attention, and in those moments, God stomps Satan because of our obedience, and how his ultimately brings glory to God. Discouragement only surfaces when we are relying upon our own strength to win and conquer, and that is not God's plan for us. We are to rely on Him alone. Him alone.

The best verses on His protection can be found in Ephes 6. This is that chapter where He calls us to put on His armor of protection, and this of course is all well and good, but how my friends do I actually put on my breast plate of righteousness? What is that for me exactly? How do I do something and put something on that I do not fully understand? Through prayer. Righteousness is selfless. Righteousness is a constant chasing after God and His desires for us, righteousness is a laying down of self. And sacrifice of desires because we know, He knows best. Do you think that the morning that David fought Goliath, he really woke up saying, "I'm really just wanting to fight that giant today...." um, I think not. No, I think it went a little bit more like this, (and this is how our giants are defeated as well my friends) we awake, fresh, ready for day that will hopefully bring our hearts joy and make us happy. Right? I'm sure David was no different, he thought that it'd be fun to go see all his brothers who were of course encamped around the front lines of where Goliath continued to each day come out and taunt the people about their God. And David is shocked and mortified by this philistine and He exclaims..."Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that should taunt the armies of the Living God?" (1 Samuel 17: 26b)

And really by this, we are the same way...we walk into work, and overhear the Lord's name in vain and we are discusted, and righteously angry because someone is using the Holy name of God in a way that brings Him to a lowly position of a curse, and really, defies the first commandment which is to "love the Lord our God..." and we kindly, respectfully but rightfully so, stand up for the Lord and make a statement that brings His Holiness into view of those who were slamming God with their words.

That my friends, is a battlefield. We of course know how David's battle ended, God won, and Satan was defeated. David's example is just one among many, but it's a lesson we all need to be reminded of, myself very much included, this is a lesson I'm currently learning. If anything is to be done, and done with victory, it's to be done in the strength of the LORD. The most Holy Lord. Reading also in John chapter 17:1-16 the Lord, our Lord, prays on our behalf to the Holy Father for our protection. This was His big final prayer before His death on the cross, so the fact that He prays this prayer of protection when time is short for Him makes me think that this protection is of most importance. We are by nature, self sufficient people. We like to do things ourselves and we feel a sense of accomplishment when we succeed by no-ones help but our own, but that is so contrary to how we are to be in the faith. God is the source of our success in all of life's battles, big and small. My husband and I have been musing about the idea that every time we choose the right choice in the name of righteousness to honor our Father, Satan looses. Isn't that cool? There are always two choices, and usually the one we are more humanly drawn to is the easy choice, and also, the wrong one. On one side lies righteousness and the other side, lies human temptation. Whether it's the temptation to freak out on your three year old son who is taking your to the edge of your patience, or it's the temptation to glorify yourself rather than God, it's a temptation, and therefore, it's a battle, and a battle calls for armor, ranks of many troops, and God's protection. Enlist your friends to pray for you, surround yourself with friends that encourage you in your faith and pray for the protection of Christ as you pay Holy reverence to your Fathers desires for you and win battles in His name, to honor, His name.

Because once again my friends ( as i begin to feel like a broken record, but it's what God is teaching me) It's all about bringing glory to His name...that God may be praised, that others may pick up and hear of the victory, the miracle or the battle won and praise His name also. The bottom line, is that God is reverenced, because He is Holy...and that God is glorified, because He is God and we are not.

The fact that He keeps coming at me with this lesson makes me think that I'm not properly giving Him glory or doing it as much as He would desire...and I do not want it only to be lip service. So my friends, as you read this, will you pray for me in this as well? This life I'm learning is so deeply, not about me. And I over time been most thankful for that knowledge, it has offered me great freedom, and in that I can better understand my purpose for that which I was created. It does not matter how small the circumstances, God can be glorified in all of it...and this the desire and really, the goal of my heart. This life is not a sprint, it's a marathon, and only be His sustenance am I going to finish this race strong. We all need to know that we are not running alone, am I right? Well friend, I know this for sure, I am not alone, and neither are you. Now doesn't that make you want to glorify the Lord? :) I know I do. What understanding we posses, what great gifts of knowledge we are are blessed with, and only by His grace will we be able to understand them and be able to apply them to our lives to learn, to grow and be who He made us to be. Rejoice in Him today.