Devotional Song: ... Go to this link … Please take the time to take in a video of an anonymous group leading in worship, singing the classic hymn … Onward Christian Soldiers; … declaring the reality of our every day march into battle against our unseen enemies
Highlight Passage Numbers 22: 23 [NKJV] …
23 Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.
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Highlight Context - Numbers 22: 21-31 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
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Reference Passage #1 - Ephesians 6: 12-13 [NKJV] …
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
… Every day we will confront a battle field of unseen warfare. Hence we must be prepared to do battle for the Lord wearing the full armor of God. …
Reference Passage #2 - Ephesians 6: 12-13 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK …
… Wearing the full armor of God, using the Sword of the Spirit, and taking the high ground of prayer to do battle against an unseen enemy every day.
Reference Passage #3 - 1st Peter 5: 8-9 [NKJV] …
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because[c] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
… And even every moment we must be vigilant, knowing our enemies stalk us and we must be prepared to stand and fight.
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread devotional entry, authored by Jennifer Benson Schuldt, used the illustration of microbes [see attached photo] to depict that there is much of the world that we cannot see, but must confront, every day. She wrote in today’s ODB, … " Did you know that the microbes on just one of your hands outnumber all of the people on the earth? Or that millions of microbes could fit into the eye of a needle? These one-celled, living organisms are too small for us to see without a microscope, yet they live in the air, soil, water, and even in our bodies. We constantly interact with them, even though their world is completely beyond our senses."
Then ODB author, Schuldt, turned to one of the most bizarre stories/encounters in the Bible to highlight the reality of dealing with an unseen world. And in this story, linked above, a prophet Balaam angers God and actually has a confrontation with the Angel of God; and in the process, his donkey speaks for God.
Well, today we may not have any interactions or encounters as bizarre as did Balaam; but be assured, as declared by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6: 10-18 [copied/linked above], EVERY DAY we will encounter a spiritual battle field, which we cannot see, but is, nonetheless, very real; … and where Satan and his minions are out there to confront the disciples of Christ.
And yes, of course, God is in control; but we, His very human warriors, must do all we can to be prepared to go to battle and stand, as Paul wrote, against these unseen enemies. Hence, Paul’s exhortation for his warriors (that’s us!) to be wearing the full armor of God, … to be carrying a well-sharpened and well-practiced sword of the Spirit, … and to take and hold the high ground of prayer …EVERY DAY!
We may not be able to see our enemies today; but be assured they stalk us (see 1st Peter 5: 8-9 copied above) as a pride of lions stalks a flock of sheep. So, I pray that we are all armed and ready to do battle against our unseen enemies.
My Prayer for Today … O Lord, … I’m here to put on Your armor, take up Your sword, Holy Spirit, and to defend today’s high ground in battle. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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