"All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” Joshua 1:5-9 ~ The Message
One day I was lamenting to the Lord about the many trials our family has gone through, going over each one as if He had forgotten. I think I was expecting Him to tell me how sorry He was for putting us through all that, or maybe to weep with me as I rehashed the agony of each trial, but His response kicked me out of the pity party I was throwing for myself. He told me those trials I rehearsed to Him were actually victories for which I should be rejoicing! It shook me a little, and I felt His Spirit inject a little victory dance in my heart! I became excited about having won those many battles! I started to feel infused with strength as I thanked God for giving us victory after victory!
None of us like going through hard times. Trials are painful, stressful and seemingly last forever. We've been through emotional struggles, financial struggles, physical struggles...sometimes all at once, sometimes one at a time, but God showed me though each battle is fought on different fronts, they are all the same battle. Have I gotten weary? You bet. There have even been times when my fellow soldiers have had to step in and fight for me, but those battles were still won! I'm still alive! I'm still serving the Lord! I'm still proclaiming His truth!
God spoke another truth to my heart...battles are fought to be won! This was probably a no-brainer for you, but it was an exciting revelation for me! I realized no one goes into a battle to lose, all who fight are in it to win! As children of God we have the advantage; our Father is the Lord of hosts, the Lord mighty in battle! We're in an army that can't lose! He raised us to be warriors for His kingdom and placed us on the front lines of the battleground of His choosing not to be defeated by the enemy, but to be victorious! I am in this battle for the souls of my family and for this city God placed me in. He prepared me for this very battleground and my God never loses a fight! The Lord's army in Marshfield is getting stronger and larger in number, we will win every skirmish we are in because "Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle"! (Psalm 24:8)
One day I was lamenting to the Lord about the many trials our family has gone through, going over each one as if He had forgotten. I think I was expecting Him to tell me how sorry He was for putting us through all that, or maybe to weep with me as I rehashed the agony of each trial, but His response kicked me out of the pity party I was throwing for myself. He told me those trials I rehearsed to Him were actually victories for which I should be rejoicing! It shook me a little, and I felt His Spirit inject a little victory dance in my heart! I became excited about having won those many battles! I started to feel infused with strength as I thanked God for giving us victory after victory!
None of us like going through hard times. Trials are painful, stressful and seemingly last forever. We've been through emotional struggles, financial struggles, physical struggles...sometimes all at once, sometimes one at a time, but God showed me though each battle is fought on different fronts, they are all the same battle. Have I gotten weary? You bet. There have even been times when my fellow soldiers have had to step in and fight for me, but those battles were still won! I'm still alive! I'm still serving the Lord! I'm still proclaiming His truth!
God spoke another truth to my heart...battles are fought to be won! This was probably a no-brainer for you, but it was an exciting revelation for me! I realized no one goes into a battle to lose, all who fight are in it to win! As children of God we have the advantage; our Father is the Lord of hosts, the Lord mighty in battle! We're in an army that can't lose! He raised us to be warriors for His kingdom and placed us on the front lines of the battleground of His choosing not to be defeated by the enemy, but to be victorious! I am in this battle for the souls of my family and for this city God placed me in. He prepared me for this very battleground and my God never loses a fight! The Lord's army in Marshfield is getting stronger and larger in number, we will win every skirmish we are in because "Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle"! (Psalm 24:8)
