The Battle is the Lord’s

-

 


Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20:14-15 (NIV)

14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s,

Devotion:

            We hear and see a culture war raging around us. Pitting nation against nation, culture against culture, and even brother against brother. It seems that those of us who call Jesus our Lord are hopelessly outnumbered by those who fight on behalf of our spiritual enemy the devil. We shrink back and do not engage the enemy out of fear and even cowardice. It seems to us to be a hopeless battle in which we have no chance of surviving let alone winning.

            So, it must have seemed to Israel. Their foes were described as a “great horde” that no one could number. This was not the first time, nor would it be the last in which Israel seemed to face certain defeat in battle. From the days when the Lord had fought for Israel against the mighty army of Pharaoh, to the days when a cheeky little shepherd boy named David had slain Goliath and Israel had routed the Philistines, the Lord had fought for his favored nation of Israel. The battle on this day was won by the power of God over his enemies.

            While today’s battle is not fought with weapons of war it is no less of a struggle. There are two competing sets of ideas at war in our midst. On one hand are the people of the world who fight for their spiritual father, Satan. On the other hand, there is a small remnant who fight on behalf of their crucified and risen Lord, Jesus Christ. The strangest part of this battle plan is that we who follow Jesus are not taught to fight our enemies but to love them. The Lord desires that he convert the enemy into a friend of God. God would preserve his enemy's life rather than destroy them.

            God loves even those who do not love him in return. This is the mystery of God’s unsearchable plan for salvation of the world. As Jesus hung dying upon a cross, he called out to his Father to forgive those who had done this because they did not understand what they were truly doing. Jesus could see the battle from a different perspective than those who stood around him on that hill of death called Calvary. As he struggled to breathe his last breath, he could see God’s plan unfolding before him.

            By his resurrection he routed the enemy and began the long coming kingdom of God Almighty. There would still be battles to be fought but the outcome is sure. So, as we face our intensifying culture war around us, we should remain confident and not be moved. The battle and the victory are God’s to win. We must just stand strong and not be afraid or frightened. Let us pray for courage to face the coming battle.

Prayer:

            Glory be to you O God who fights our battles for us. Keep us from despair O Lord, help us stand firm in the battle you have led us into. Move our hearts with love and compassion for our enemy that they may be saved from the disaster that is surly coming upon them in this battle. Lord, when the war is over, and you are on your throne judging the nations remember us who stood our ground during the heat of the battle and lead us into heavenly glory with you. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Father Forgive Them

-
  Scripture: Luke 23:33-34 (ESV) 33  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Devotion:             The situation Jesus finds himself in here in today’s scripture is difficult for us to even imagine. A sham trial, no credible accusations of any kind, let alone any deserving of death, and yet here he is. A brilliant Rabbi, a teacher of the people who never led even one person astray from God’s will. This Holy One of God soon to be food for vultures.             This man who had done nothing wrong had no one in all the crowds who would speak up in his defense lest they be next to face the cross. An innocent man hung between two scoundrels. No voice from heaven declaring that this was the man that they were killing was actually the true Son of God. (See Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, John 12:28) No the heaven
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more