Friday 28 July, 2017

1 God, you have turned away from us. You have attacked us. You have been angry. Now turn back to us! 2 You have shaken the land and torn it open. Fix its cracks, because it is falling apart. 3 You have shown your people hard times. You have made us drink the wine of your anger. Now we can’t even walk straight. 4 But you lead into battle those who have respect for you. You give them a flag to wave against the enemy’s weapons. 5 Save us and help us by your power. Do this so that those you love may be saved. 6 God has spoken from his temple. He has said, “I will win the battle. Then I will divide up the land around Shechem. I will divide up the Valley of Sukkoth. 7 Gilead belongs to me. So does the land of Manasseh. Ephraim is the strongest tribe. It is like a helmet for my head. Judah is the royal tribe. It is like a ruler’s scepter. 8 Moab serves me like one who washes my feet. I toss my sandal on Edom to show that I own it. I shout to Philistia that I have won the battle.” 9 Who will bring me to the city that has high walls around it? Who will lead me to the land of Edom? 10 God, isn’t it you, even though you have now turned away from us? Isn’t it you, even though you don’t lead our armies into battle anymore? 11 Help us against our enemies. The help people give doesn’t amount to anything. 12 With your help we will win the battle. You will walk all over our enemies.

Is this God’s battle? Is God involved? Is what’s at stake close to God’s heart? These are important questions to answer when I commit to a fight. If I am going to use the gifts and resources God has entrusted to me, I must use them for the right battles; God will hold me to account for the way I use that which he has entrusted to me. Time, energy, money, focus am I spending it the way my King wants me to spend it?

Even more fundamentally, am I fighting on the right side! The apostle Paul thought he was, and then met Jesus himself and had to switch sides. Is my heart ready to be wrong? Am I more interested in following the Spirit then being right?

Lord, this life is but a breath on the edge of eternity, I want to seek your Kingdom, fight for it alone. Show me where you are at work, and keep me from wasting your precious gifts. I never want to fight against you or fight a battle that doesn’t matter in eternity.

Written by Andrew Mellor