TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. (Exodus 14:14 ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• The Lord is awake and already hard at work! Well, technically, He always is. But I’ve had something really heavy on my heart for a couple of months now and this morning, He has given me complete peace about it. Mind you, the issue isn’t resolved, but He’s made it clear that it’s not my problem to fix.
Y’all, do you have any idea how hard it was for my fix-it-all-loving-heart to type that?!?! I’m known for my “shove over and let me drive” mentality and I’m not just talking about a car (though that is true too)! Got a spreadsheet problem? Get out of my way and let me fix this… Need to write something but not sure how to word it? Here, hold my coffee. I’ve got this… Have an issue to talk about and need an opinion? I have an endless supply of those and I’m happy to share…
I’m a fixer.
But this time, God has told me to be still. He reminded me that I need to give it to Him and trust Him with the outcome.
He brought Ephesians 6:12 to mind and it says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” In other words—when I get frustrated with others, I need to remember who the REAL enemy is.
The frustrations that I’ve had for months and the weight that has been on my mind is very valid. I fully believe it is. But this morning, I was given a different perspective. This situation isn’t a battle of differing opinions but it is a spiritual attack that is meant to divide and cause discord. And that spiritual dissension is led by no one other than the very Father of Lies.
I was prepared to go make the situation worse by opening my big mouth, but He reminded me that the best way to handle any conflict is not to try to insert my opinions and frustrations, but to fight on my knees! Philippians 4:5-6 tells us, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
As true as that is, the promise that I’m really embracing this Exodus 14:14. It says, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” And that promise is echoed in Deuteronomy 1:30; Deuteronomy 3:22; Deuteronomy 20:4; Joshua 23:10; 2 Chronicles 20:17; Isaiah 40:31; Isaiah 54:17; Jeremiah 1:8; Romans 8:31; Romans 8:37; 2 Corinthians 10:4; and 2 Thessalonians 3:3—to name a few. Scripture tells us over and over again that all battles belong to God and that He’s fighting on our behalf! And because Jesus rose from the dead, we already know Who wins!!!
With all that said—let’s be clear… It’s not that God expects us to be passive bystanders and do nothing. But He does expect us to give it to Him in prayer before we jump into action of our own accord. If and when He wants us to confront or defend—He will tell us and He will guide us. And this morning, I’m so thankful that He placed His holy hand over my mouth before I spoke out of frustration. Because I’ve got to be honest with y’all… I haven’t prayed over this as diligently as I should. I’ve been more caught up in my aggravation. I’ve been more interested in venting to a handful of trusted friends than I have in praying to the One who can really handle things.
So, I gave it to God this morning. I’m going to go be still now.
Today, as you pray, thank God for His willingness to fight our battles. Thank Him that He is in control. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you trust Him to fix things. If you’re tempted to go to battle, ask the Holy Spirit to place His holy hand of restraint on you to hold you back… and over your mouth, if need be, to help you be quiet and be still. Ask Him to help you pray. Help you wait. And help you to trust Him with the outcome.
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