This Is How We Fight Our Battles, #1
Have you ever been desperate to hear from God, yet He seemed no where around? Have you cried out to Heaven from the very depths of your soul, only to hear the thump of your prayers hitting the ceiling?
I read a chapter in Psalms a couple of days ago and really got to meditating on how the psalmists were really just like me: desperate, pleading, lonely, in pain, depressed, bewildered, persecuted, overwhelmed...
Take Psalm 77 for instance:
Or how about the songs of the anointed sons of Korah. We are all familiar with this one:
Sound familiar?
I have a prayer for deliverance I've prayed for almost 30 years now. I have a few serious requests I've been making known unto God for almost 20 years. I have some things I've been desperate to have God change for me for almost 4 years now. You get the point.
As I searched the Psalms and sat in mediation on how these men dealt with the same issues I am currently dealing with, I once again took notice of how they fought feelings of discouragement (He's not listening to me...), disillusionment (Why has God left me?!), and despair (What's the point in praying anyway...He never answers!).
Asalph wrote:
WEAPONS.
Remember, our weapons are not carnal - fleshly, able to be touched, seen, heard - but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds:
He gave us armor for our mind - the helmet of salvation, deliverance.
He gave us armor for our heart - a breastplate of His righteousness.
He gave us armor for our loins (the seat of our emotions) - His truth.
He gave us armor for our feet - the gospel of peace.
And then He gave us just one offensive weapon - the Word of God.
Written or spoken, the word of God is the only weapon we need to go on the attack to tear down any fortified place the devil occupies in our life!
The armor of God is a whole other blog post series :), but my point is this: these men were already fighting through battles of the mind, heart, emotions, and spirit with the same weapons we still have at our disposal.
Asalph began to remember, or rehearse, the goodness and greatness of God (the testimony or word of God, if you will) throughout history - his and Israel's:
Remember when the apple of God's eye, King David, was overwhelmed with grief at the loss of his family, as were his men, and since he has no one to pull him up and tell him it was going to be okay.... he encouraged himself in the Lord!
I try to imagine what that sounded like and I come back to how it sounds when I have to encourage myself. It goes something like this:
"Yes, okay, this stinks. I don't see You, feel You, know where in the world You are or if You plan to get involved in this situation....BUT Your Word says You will never leave me or walk away. In fact, You said as long as the world exists and turns on its axis, You are with me.
Therefore, though I don't see or feel YOU, I know you see and feel me. And that's enough for now.
But, Jesus, remember that time I was all upset and didn't see how You were going to fix that one thing...then You did? And yes, I remember when I was struggling to ___________ and I cried out to You and out of nowhere You did _____________???
So if You did all that, surely you didn't bring me this far to leave now! In fact, You are God - the Creator of heaven and earth and you cannot go back on Your word now..."
THAT is how I fight discouragement, despair, and disillusionment. I remind myself - I've been here before, maybe even worse, but He was faithful then so He'll be faithful now. I rehearse all the different ways and times I've seen His strong right hand move on my behalf. And I worship Him for just being God...just like the psalmists:
"Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known." Psalm 77:19
He is God and we are not—and thank God for that!
Then, and this is my favorite part! Then, they commanded their soul to trust God!
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet (again) praise him for the help of his countenance." Psalm 42:5
The word "countenance" means face or presence. The face of God is grace and truth. The face of God is Jesus - God with skin on. Mercy, love, and kindness that leads to repentance.
Once I enter into His presence, I have access to all that He is: fullness of joy, peace, love, deliverance, victory... everything I will ever need!
These men knew that they were just one moment in the presence of God away from their help....and so am I. And that is how I fight my battles!
"It may look like I'm surrounded but I'm surrounded by You!"
Tonight's soundtrack: This is How I Fight My Battles
Amy
I read a chapter in Psalms a couple of days ago and really got to meditating on how the psalmists were really just like me: desperate, pleading, lonely, in pain, depressed, bewildered, persecuted, overwhelmed...
Take Psalm 77 for instance:
"I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice....in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord...my soul refused to be comforted...I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed...I am so troubled that I cannot speak...Will the Lord cast off forever?...Hath God forgotten to be gracious?
Or how about the songs of the anointed sons of Korah. We are all familiar with this one:
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalm 42:1But keep reading:
"My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me,Where is thy God...I pour out my soul in me...Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Psalm 42:3-5 skimmedAnd again in Psalm 43:
"...why dost thou cast me off? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?"No one writes a lament like this after one or two days of suffering and anguish. No, these men were familiar with long periods of pain and loneliness. These were men who had come to the end of all they could do and were desperate to hear from God.
Sound familiar?
I have a prayer for deliverance I've prayed for almost 30 years now. I have a few serious requests I've been making known unto God for almost 20 years. I have some things I've been desperate to have God change for me for almost 4 years now. You get the point.
As I searched the Psalms and sat in mediation on how these men dealt with the same issues I am currently dealing with, I once again took notice of how they fought feelings of discouragement (He's not listening to me...), disillusionment (Why has God left me?!), and despair (What's the point in praying anyway...He never answers!).
Asalph wrote:
"And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord...I will meditate also of all thy work and talk of thy doings..." Psalm 77:10-12Asalph was honest - this is my infirmity, my weakness. This is the season of life I'm in right now. But, he had learned how to fight: remember, meditate, talk. I wager he would also include prayer, fasting, singing, writing to this list.
WEAPONS.
Remember, our weapons are not carnal - fleshly, able to be touched, seen, heard - but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds:
He gave us armor for our mind - the helmet of salvation, deliverance.
He gave us armor for our heart - a breastplate of His righteousness.
He gave us armor for our loins (the seat of our emotions) - His truth.
He gave us armor for our feet - the gospel of peace.
And then He gave us just one offensive weapon - the Word of God.
Written or spoken, the word of God is the only weapon we need to go on the attack to tear down any fortified place the devil occupies in our life!
The armor of God is a whole other blog post series :), but my point is this: these men were already fighting through battles of the mind, heart, emotions, and spirit with the same weapons we still have at our disposal.
Asalph began to remember, or rehearse, the goodness and greatness of God (the testimony or word of God, if you will) throughout history - his and Israel's:
"Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou has declared thy strength among the people. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed they people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph..." Psalm 77:13-15He began to encourage himself in the Lord... wonder where he learned that trick?!
Remember when the apple of God's eye, King David, was overwhelmed with grief at the loss of his family, as were his men, and since he has no one to pull him up and tell him it was going to be okay.... he encouraged himself in the Lord!
I try to imagine what that sounded like and I come back to how it sounds when I have to encourage myself. It goes something like this:
"Yes, okay, this stinks. I don't see You, feel You, know where in the world You are or if You plan to get involved in this situation....BUT Your Word says You will never leave me or walk away. In fact, You said as long as the world exists and turns on its axis, You are with me.
Therefore, though I don't see or feel YOU, I know you see and feel me. And that's enough for now.
But, Jesus, remember that time I was all upset and didn't see how You were going to fix that one thing...then You did? And yes, I remember when I was struggling to ___________ and I cried out to You and out of nowhere You did _____________???
So if You did all that, surely you didn't bring me this far to leave now! In fact, You are God - the Creator of heaven and earth and you cannot go back on Your word now..."
THAT is how I fight discouragement, despair, and disillusionment. I remind myself - I've been here before, maybe even worse, but He was faithful then so He'll be faithful now. I rehearse all the different ways and times I've seen His strong right hand move on my behalf. And I worship Him for just being God...just like the psalmists:
"Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known." Psalm 77:19
He is God and we are not—and thank God for that!
Then, and this is my favorite part! Then, they commanded their soul to trust God!
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet (again) praise him for the help of his countenance." Psalm 42:5
The word "countenance" means face or presence. The face of God is grace and truth. The face of God is Jesus - God with skin on. Mercy, love, and kindness that leads to repentance.
Once I enter into His presence, I have access to all that He is: fullness of joy, peace, love, deliverance, victory... everything I will ever need!
These men knew that they were just one moment in the presence of God away from their help....and so am I. And that is how I fight my battles!
"It may look like I'm surrounded but I'm surrounded by You!"
Tonight's soundtrack: This is How I Fight My Battles
Amy
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