Saturday, September 14, 2019

run or fight

Just wanted to share a word of encouragement from my time in Psalm 78 this morning.

Whether you are going through major trials in this season, like illness or marital struggles, or if you are about to start another school year with your homeschooled children or sending your young adult child off to college for the first time, Psalm 78 has a word for us.

In verse 9 it says the Ephraimites armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle.

They were well armed. They had their bows ready. Yet when the going got tough, they turned back. They turned away from the battle for which they were armed. This is what they were armed for!

Those of us in Christ are also armed for the battle. Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the full armor of God to be ready when the fiery darts of the enemy come for us. We have the armor we need, and yet, we often back down from using it in the very battles we face.

Those of us in Christ can put on the belt of Truth, the breast plate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation with the sword of the Spirit in our hand. But then we have to apply it, use it, go with confidence into the battle ahead.

The hard battle is to keep our heart and mind on truth, making the God honoring choices, standing on truth when our feeling argue, being guarded with the faith that says I act as if God is telling the truth. We will remember truth and trust God over our own feeling and fears when we get the bad news or walk through the scary seasons or have to relinquish our child to what the Lord has for him.

So let's put on the armor and then go forth in this battle knowing He has seen us through trials before and will do so again for His great glory and good.

What is so interesting is that this verse is right here in the midst of this generational theme.

But after praying this through with the Lord, it makes perfect sense...passing on our faith to the next generation is certainly a huge battle. But it is not one that we have to lose. It is one that Jesus has won. He arms the next generation too! But we have to be faithful to tell them and to pray for them. As the battle rages before us in this media driven world and as our kids (and us!) are attacked from all angles, remember your armor! Stand firm, do not shrink back, you are armed. So will you run or fight?