2009 – Day 149.May 30 – Cut Down To Size
Passage of the Day: 1st Kings 17: 2 - 6 … 2 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
My Journal for Today: Chuck Swindoll, from his experience in Marine boot camp in his years past, has an interesting take on this short passage in 1st Kings about Elijah after his confrontation with Ahab. Elijah is taken away into the wilderness; and his willingness to surrender to His Lord is tested. Swindoll likens this to his own former time in boot camp where the Marines did exactly what was needed to insure that the younger Swindoll would be cut down to size and reshaped into the soldier he needed to be to face his future in military service.
As Swindoll relates, the Marines used “… the isolation of the location, the absence of all creature comforts, the relentless, monotonous drills and demanding repetition of inspections, [and] … the constant harassment of the drill instructor;“ … all designed to reshape the naïve and untrained recruits into soldiers who could meet any type of warfare, knowing that they could follow their commanders into battle. And according to Swindoll, that’s essentially what we’re reading in today’s passage where God used solitude and surrender to focus His man, Elijah, and to prepare him for the battles he would face ahead.
What has God put you through in life to prepare you for the battles we must face in spiritual warfare? Do you have a “battle plan” which has been forged out of the boot camp of life? Are you focused in faith and ready to follow your Commander in Chief, the Lord Jesus, just as He has commanded of His disciples (see Luke 9: 23 - a verse you should have burned into your life from the boot camp of scripture memorization). You know, that verse says we, as Christ’s soldiers, must deny ourselves, take up the crosses of life daily, and follow our Lord anywhere He leads. Have you been reshaped into the surrendered soldier in God’s army who is willing – AND ABLE – to do just that?
If not, my friend, you need a drill instructor (i.e., a mentor) who can take you through a boot camp of Spirit-led preparation, reshaping you into a hardened and ready warrior. I lead a ministry called BattlePlan Ministries [link provided to website]; and that’s part of the training we try to impart to men who have been in bondage to habitual and selfish sinful living. We try to get them to become self-disciplined warriors who are surrendered to God and willing to follow the lead of their Commander, Christ, anywhere He would lead them.
And when the bootcamp of life has reshaped them, they are self-surrendered soldiers who have been armed for battle with God’s full armor (see Eph. 6: 13-18 - linked). They know how to carry a well sharpened and practiced Sword of the Spirit; and they know how to take the high ground of prayer in the daily battles they will face.
Are you ready for battle today? Do you have a well formulated and written battle plan? Are you wearing God’s full armor? Do you carry a sharpened and practiced Sword of the Spirit? And are you disciplined to go to the high ground of prayer every day, preparing for the battle’s you will face TODAY?
If you are not, you are naked and vulnerable to your spiritual enemies. I pray that God is preparing you and reshaping you, as He did Elijah, for the battles you are going to face.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You have prepared me for battle; and I choose to follow only You. Amen
Showing posts with label battle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label battle. Show all posts
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
2009 – Day 110.Apr. 21 – Unique Techniques
2009 – Day 110.Apr. 21 – Unique Techniques
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 17: 17 - 39 … Link to study passage …
My Journal for Today: In today’s devotional from Swindoll, he has a very quotable truth as he writes, “… when facing our own giants, we forget what we ought to remember, and we remember what we ought to forget.” And this refers to how man so often gets wrapped up in externals, ignoring what is really important to do battle against the Goliaths of this life. But fortunately that’s not God’s “M.O.” God looks into the heart of a warrior; and our Lord can/will use what each of us uniquely has to do battle and be a winner in His Name.
I’m certainly glad that I can be a “David” to do battle today; and I don’t have to be a “Saul” to win Christ’s victory. Oh, it is true that I should do as much as I can to be like my Savior as possible; but I don’t have to be someone else or even to wear someone else’s armor in battle. All I have to do is do my best to imitate my Savior; and He will use me – little ole ME – to bring about His victory.
When David looked out at the Philistine, Goliath, who was so intimidating to the Hebrew army and to Saul, David saw only a man. Yes, he was a big man; but was only a man. The only big One in David’s life was God; and David had seen God do battle and defeat intimidating foes, like bears and lions in the past. And David just knew – in faith and from experience – that God could fell any Goliath using the very unique abilities David had available to him. But again, Saul thought the only way David might have a chance was to do a make over and give David his own armor. But as we read, David only felt uncomfortable trying to do battle in his own clothes, using his own, unique battle techniques.
I’m sure glad that I don’t have to be like my Pastor to serve my God. He’s loud; and I’m sort of a soft spoken type. He charismatic; and I’m certainly not. He’s in your face; and I’m a back-off sort of guy. … If I tried to be Pastor Ernie, his armor would fit me about as well as Saul’s fit David. No; … all I have to do is be Bill Berry; and I can use the unique skills and abilities God has given to me to go out on the battle-field and face my Goliaths. And beyond that, I can take my Goliaths down using the unique tools God has gifted me with to do battle.
So, look out there; and when you see a Goliath, trying to face you down, just see another pip-squeek whom God can bring down when you pick up your sling and stones to do battle for God. God only needs you, David, to be His warrior; and Goliath is no match for our God. If you memorize and believe the truths of Isaiah 41: 10, Romans 8: 31, 1st Cor. 10: 13, and 2nd Cor. 12: 9, my favorite victory verses, you can put those stones into your own unique sling and march forth to take down your Goliath, claiming the victory in Christ’s mighty Name.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You made me to do battle and take down Goliath in Your Name. Amen
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 17: 17 - 39 … Link to study passage …
My Journal for Today: In today’s devotional from Swindoll, he has a very quotable truth as he writes, “… when facing our own giants, we forget what we ought to remember, and we remember what we ought to forget.” And this refers to how man so often gets wrapped up in externals, ignoring what is really important to do battle against the Goliaths of this life. But fortunately that’s not God’s “M.O.” God looks into the heart of a warrior; and our Lord can/will use what each of us uniquely has to do battle and be a winner in His Name.
I’m certainly glad that I can be a “David” to do battle today; and I don’t have to be a “Saul” to win Christ’s victory. Oh, it is true that I should do as much as I can to be like my Savior as possible; but I don’t have to be someone else or even to wear someone else’s armor in battle. All I have to do is do my best to imitate my Savior; and He will use me – little ole ME – to bring about His victory.
When David looked out at the Philistine, Goliath, who was so intimidating to the Hebrew army and to Saul, David saw only a man. Yes, he was a big man; but was only a man. The only big One in David’s life was God; and David had seen God do battle and defeat intimidating foes, like bears and lions in the past. And David just knew – in faith and from experience – that God could fell any Goliath using the very unique abilities David had available to him. But again, Saul thought the only way David might have a chance was to do a make over and give David his own armor. But as we read, David only felt uncomfortable trying to do battle in his own clothes, using his own, unique battle techniques.
I’m sure glad that I don’t have to be like my Pastor to serve my God. He’s loud; and I’m sort of a soft spoken type. He charismatic; and I’m certainly not. He’s in your face; and I’m a back-off sort of guy. … If I tried to be Pastor Ernie, his armor would fit me about as well as Saul’s fit David. No; … all I have to do is be Bill Berry; and I can use the unique skills and abilities God has given to me to go out on the battle-field and face my Goliaths. And beyond that, I can take my Goliaths down using the unique tools God has gifted me with to do battle.
So, look out there; and when you see a Goliath, trying to face you down, just see another pip-squeek whom God can bring down when you pick up your sling and stones to do battle for God. God only needs you, David, to be His warrior; and Goliath is no match for our God. If you memorize and believe the truths of Isaiah 41: 10, Romans 8: 31, 1st Cor. 10: 13, and 2nd Cor. 12: 9, my favorite victory verses, you can put those stones into your own unique sling and march forth to take down your Goliath, claiming the victory in Christ’s mighty Name.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You made me to do battle and take down Goliath in Your Name. Amen
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
2009 – Day 103.Apr. 14 – Inner Qualities
2009 – Day 103.Apr. 14 – Inner Qualities
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 16: 11 … And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”
1st Samuel 17: 34 – 35 … 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
My Journal for Today: We now spring forward in our story about David from his anointing by Samuel to his confrontation with King Saul, who is now, in 1st Samuel 17 confronted with the Philistine Giant, Goliath. And Saul asks David how he can go against this enemy. And with no hesitation David gives his résumé of having killed lions and bears in the wilderness as a shepherd. Goliath was no big deal for young David because he had been schooled in the wilderness by God’s providence and power; and though young in years, David had seen God’s deliverance in action many times.
It is often said that one’s character is defined by what we do when no one is looking; and David’s character had been schooled, if you refer to yesterday’s devotional in my journals, in the schoolroom of solitude and obscurity by the schoolmasters of monotony and reality. So, David may not have looked like it; but he was ready to do battle against any enemy; and he was saying confidently to his king, “Bring him on!”
Every day you and I face the Goliaths of this world. There is the tyranny of the urgent, by unimportant and trivial matters trying to take over. There is the terrorism of fleshly temptation. And all of these Goliaths are crying out, “Come against me; and I will take down your best.” And unfortunately most of God’s warriors these days sink from the terrorism in this world these days. Why? Well, it’s because we haven’t been schooled by the hard knocks of life and we haven’t seen God do His business. Therefore, we simply don’t have the confidence that we can, like David, slay the lions and bears of this world.
I work in a ministry where every day I have to go up against a Goliath in this world, the awesome power of Satan’s “XXX” Industry. Sex as a stronghold of sensual power and is a pervasive Goliath in today’s world; and it is bringing men, even Christian men, down into the pits of death in sexual sin, every day. But like David, I know that I can defeat this Goliath. I’ve been out there in the wilderness; and I’ve experienced what is promised in 1st John 4: 4, that my God is greater than Satan, the Goliath. I’ve felt the victory of Christ giving me His power to lift me above my enemies. So, I know the reality of Isaiah 41: 10 and Phil. 4: 13 and Romans 8: 31.
So, when any Saul of this world might say to me, “Bill, you can’t defeat Satan’s sensual forces in this world!” To that I say, “Bring them on; I’m ready … because my God is in my corner; and (from Eph. 6: 13-18) I’m fully armed and ready to do battle against any Goliath with God’s mighty weapon, …His word.”
For any who might read here, I’m not bragging on Bill Berry. I completely respect the power of my Goliath-like spiritual enemies, … Satan and my own deceitful heart. But my confidence to do battle is, as I’ve said, in a God Whom I’ve seen bring down many worldly Goliaths in my own life and in the lives of many others too weak to do battle alone, but relying on God’s strength to cover their weakness (see 2nd Cor. 12: 9).
Beloved, we can go up against Goliath today; but you’ve got to believe the truths of the Scriptures I’ve referenced above and you’ve got to be willing to put on your armor, take up your sword, and go to the high ground of prayer to do battle. You may need some seasoning and training out in the bootcamp wilderness of life. It takes time and practice, as David experienced as a shepherd, to become God’s well armed warrior who is a practiced and skilled swordsman of the Word. But when you’ve prepared yourself for the Goliaths of this world, as David had, you’ll be ready to stand forth and take the battle field to take on Satan’s Goliaths.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, show me the battle; I’m ready to stand with You for Your glory. Amen
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 16: 11 … And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”
1st Samuel 17: 34 – 35 … 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
My Journal for Today: We now spring forward in our story about David from his anointing by Samuel to his confrontation with King Saul, who is now, in 1st Samuel 17 confronted with the Philistine Giant, Goliath. And Saul asks David how he can go against this enemy. And with no hesitation David gives his résumé of having killed lions and bears in the wilderness as a shepherd. Goliath was no big deal for young David because he had been schooled in the wilderness by God’s providence and power; and though young in years, David had seen God’s deliverance in action many times.
It is often said that one’s character is defined by what we do when no one is looking; and David’s character had been schooled, if you refer to yesterday’s devotional in my journals, in the schoolroom of solitude and obscurity by the schoolmasters of monotony and reality. So, David may not have looked like it; but he was ready to do battle against any enemy; and he was saying confidently to his king, “Bring him on!”
Every day you and I face the Goliaths of this world. There is the tyranny of the urgent, by unimportant and trivial matters trying to take over. There is the terrorism of fleshly temptation. And all of these Goliaths are crying out, “Come against me; and I will take down your best.” And unfortunately most of God’s warriors these days sink from the terrorism in this world these days. Why? Well, it’s because we haven’t been schooled by the hard knocks of life and we haven’t seen God do His business. Therefore, we simply don’t have the confidence that we can, like David, slay the lions and bears of this world.
I work in a ministry where every day I have to go up against a Goliath in this world, the awesome power of Satan’s “XXX” Industry. Sex as a stronghold of sensual power and is a pervasive Goliath in today’s world; and it is bringing men, even Christian men, down into the pits of death in sexual sin, every day. But like David, I know that I can defeat this Goliath. I’ve been out there in the wilderness; and I’ve experienced what is promised in 1st John 4: 4, that my God is greater than Satan, the Goliath. I’ve felt the victory of Christ giving me His power to lift me above my enemies. So, I know the reality of Isaiah 41: 10 and Phil. 4: 13 and Romans 8: 31.
So, when any Saul of this world might say to me, “Bill, you can’t defeat Satan’s sensual forces in this world!” To that I say, “Bring them on; I’m ready … because my God is in my corner; and (from Eph. 6: 13-18) I’m fully armed and ready to do battle against any Goliath with God’s mighty weapon, …His word.”
For any who might read here, I’m not bragging on Bill Berry. I completely respect the power of my Goliath-like spiritual enemies, … Satan and my own deceitful heart. But my confidence to do battle is, as I’ve said, in a God Whom I’ve seen bring down many worldly Goliaths in my own life and in the lives of many others too weak to do battle alone, but relying on God’s strength to cover their weakness (see 2nd Cor. 12: 9).
Beloved, we can go up against Goliath today; but you’ve got to believe the truths of the Scriptures I’ve referenced above and you’ve got to be willing to put on your armor, take up your sword, and go to the high ground of prayer to do battle. You may need some seasoning and training out in the bootcamp wilderness of life. It takes time and practice, as David experienced as a shepherd, to become God’s well armed warrior who is a practiced and skilled swordsman of the Word. But when you’ve prepared yourself for the Goliaths of this world, as David had, you’ll be ready to stand forth and take the battle field to take on Satan’s Goliaths.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, show me the battle; I’m ready to stand with You for Your glory. Amen
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