Bible League: Living His Word "... For the battle is not yours, but God's."— 2 Chronicles 20:15 NIV In this life, there are battles of many different kinds. The battle referred to in our verse for today was a military battle, but not every battle in life is military. There can be personal battles, educational battles, economic battles, political battles, religious battles, and other kinds as well. All of them, however, are spiritual battles at the foundation. The Apostle Paul tells us that our struggles in life, our battles, are "not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). For the Christian, every battle is ultimately a spiritual battle against Satan and his henchmen. Although all these conflicts are ultimately spiritual battles, there is the temptation to take them as mere flesh and blood battles. After all, we can see flesh and blood, and so we can be tempted to think that's all there is to them. When we do this, however, we fool ourselves and what we actually do is fight the battles in the wrong power. What we should do, instead, is fight our battles with the power of God. What we should do is seek God and His strength for our battles. That's what Jehoshaphat did in the context of our verse. When the Moabites and their allies attacked Judah, Jehoshaphat's first response was to call for a fast and to cry out to God (2 Chronicles 20:3). When he did, God responded with the words of our verse for today. God assured him that the battle was His. The same goes for your battles, whatever kind they may be. If you call out to God, they'll become His battles, not yours. Indeed, Jehoshaphat and his army didn't even have to fight the battle that day (2 Chronicles 20:17). But even if you have to actually fight a battle, just as David had to actually fight Goliath, the battle will still be God's, not yours. For He will be with you and He will be fighting for you. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEcclesiastes 7, 8, 9 Ecclesiastes 7 -- A good name is better than fine perfume NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ecclesiastes 8 -- "Keep the king's command!" because of the oath to God. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ecclesiastes 9 -- All things come alike to all. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 2 Corinthians 11 -- Paul Defends His Apostleship; Paul's Sufferings NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.Insight Most of us have learned how to pretend to love others—how to speak kindly, avoid hurting their feelings, and appear to take an interest in them. We may even be skilled in pretending to feel moved with compassion when we hear of others' needs, or to become indignant when we learn of injustice. But God calls us to real and sincere love that goes far beyond pretense and politeness. Sincere love requires concentration and effort. It means helping others become better people. It demands our time, money, and personal involvement. No individual has the capacity to express love to a whole community, but the body of Christ in your town does. Challenge Look for people who need your love, and look for ways you and your fellow believers can love your community for Christ. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Galatians 5:1 The liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.This "liberty" makes us free to heaven's charter--the Bible. Here is a choice passage, believer, "When thou passest through the rivers, I will be with thee." You are free to that. Here is another: "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee;" you are free to that. You are a welcome guest at the table of the promises. Scripture is a never-failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace. It is the bank of heaven; you may draw from it as much as you please, without let or hindrance. Come in faith and you are welcome to all covenant blessings. There is not a promise in the Word which shall be withheld. In the depths of tribulations, let this freedom comfort you; amidst waves of distress, let it cheer you; when sorrows surround thee, let it be thy solace. This is thy Father's love-token; thou art free to it at all times. Thou art also free to the throne of grace. It is the believer's privilege to have access at all times to his heavenly Father. Whatever our desires, our difficulties, our wants, we are at liberty to spread all before him. It matters not how much we may have sinned, we may ask and expect pardon. It signifies nothing how poor we are, we may plead his promise that he will provide all things needful. We have permission to approach his throne at all times--in midnight's darkest hour, or in noontide's most burning heat. Exercise thy right, O believer, and live up to thy privilege. Thou art free to all that is treasured up in Christ--wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It matters not what thy need is, for there is fulness of supply in Christ, and it is there for thee. O what a "freedom" is thine! freedom from condemnation, freedom to the promises, freedom to the throne of grace, and at last freedom to enter heaven! Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Peter 5:10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.Exodus 33:19 And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." Job 33:24 Then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom'; Romans 3:24,25 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; • whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 1 Timothy 1:2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. James 4:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 2 Peter 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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