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"The Battle Belongs to the Lord"
The title of this piece alone should fill us with confidence, loyalty and praise to an Almighty Father who is always in the battle regardless of what it is. But does it? Does it fill us with confidence? Do we really give up our daily struggles to an Almighty God who is above everything in this world and everything that Satan can attack us with?
I pose these questions because they are serious questions for myself and I would imagine that they are for many of us. Too often, we want to look at the battle from a worldly perspective, from an earthly point of view. Instead of giving it to God and placing it at the foot of the cross we attempt to put our own spin on it, trying to use the world’s methods to overcome and advance. We can’t just seem to take in full humility that when Jesus says that we should “take heart” because he has overcome the world that that isn’t just a statement that should placate our hearts for a time. That is a statement that should resonate with our souls and lead us to ultimate praise, honor, glory and reverence. It should become so much a practice of laying our lives at the foot of the cross that the path is well-worn and easily identifiable.
Too often, we attempt to take the easy way out, a quick solution that the world may offer or even a solution that has a partial Christian truth to it but is misinterpreted by many. We often think that with God in the picture and partially doing what he wants, success must be the only outcome. Instead, we are often left dejected, hurt, and our souls are downcast as we attempt to reconcile why a perceived idea of God fell so flat on its face.
How do we really put the idea of “the battle belonging to the Lord” into practice, not just part way but in complete submission to our Heavenly Father? It starts by understanding and declaring that we have no hold or understanding of our earthly problems and situations except for by the grace of God. Yes, situations may happen to a variety of people, but there is still an element that we have to understand about ourselves in a situation. Why is this happening to us? What is God teaching us? These answers may not be readily identifiable but they are part of the journey that we can take in understanding who we are and who God is.
Once we fully submit the situation into the hands of God, we wait. This may be the toughest part for some of us (I know that it is for me). God knew what this situation involved even before came into our lives so furthermore he can know how to best handle it. Sometimes he does so by using us and we have to wait for his leading and guidance in regards to how best we can be a part of that process. Sometimes he leaves us out of the work using other people around us and perhaps strangers that we don’t even know to accomplish his purposes. Sometimes nothing happens and we have to wait until God is ready to move and his plan is ready to be fulfilled.
So, the next time a situation comes into your life no matter its size or scope, I encourage you to ask yourself the following question: does the battle really belongs to the Lord? If you can answer that question with a no then you may be headed down a road of struggle and disappointment. However, if you can answer the question with a faith filled and full hearted yes, then you can sit back in the loving arms of the Father knowing that he will work all things for your benefit and will call you forward when it is his time not yours. We are never the general in these battles. Instead, we are called to be willing and faithful soldiers to the cause and work of Christ.
The Wheeled Worshiper
Moving Forward in Faith
Moving Forward in Faith
Summer can be a downtime for many people where they rest from their labors for a time, cutting back and enjoying some free time to do activities, go to events, and just spend time with family and friends. This is not a time where work or the job is completely abandoned, however. People still have to go into work, still have to fulfill the duties that they were hired to do, perhaps at a more relaxed pace. The same can be said of the church community. While summer is a downtime for many Bible studies, Sunday school, catechism, youth group, and other opportunities that doesn’t mean that the church is not at work. And furthermore, it does not mean that God is not at work in hearts, lives, and situations.
It may be stated in many different forms but one of the main goals of the church community is to move forward together in faith. We do that in many of the groups that are active in the various church seasons and perhaps participation outside the church as well. In the midst of it all God is preparing hearts and minds, putting things in place, for great things to happen in his kingdom and world and especially perhaps in the small corner of the world and church community of which you are a part. Understanding this can be a worthwhile reflection not only for leaders but also for future participants.
The church community does a great job of putting resources and opportunities out there for the church to participate in. The question we must ask ourselves is “Where is God calling us to go and grow?” Essentially, where is he calling us to move forward? For some, this may be a big step, such as a change in careers, for others it may be a small step such as taking on a new responsibility within your church or the surrounding community. Whatever it is, recognize that God has called you forward into the task.
At the beginning of the new church season, your church may put out many different opportunities for you to serve or to participate. You may hear the announcements, read the bulletin, or be encouraged to join particular opportunities but you also may feel overwhelmed. It is in these moments where I encourage you to do two things: first and most importantly pray that God will continue to lead you to where he wants you to be, whether that be in a men or women small group Bible study or taking on a leadership role as a volunteer in some capacity. Second, I encourage you to be brave enough to ask about opportunities you feel led to. There are people that are willing to explain to you what is happening in a particular opportunity, and they would love your input and for you to become a part of that aspect of your church community. Whether big or small, God has given us the opportunity for a reason, and he has placed us there for a reason as well. We may not find out until the end of the season what the reason was, but in the meantime, we were given the opportunity to grow in the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through his church.
I know preparations are being made even now for new opportunities in Bible study, volunteering activities, service trips, leadership roles and many other countless options. I pray that God will lay on our hearts and minds the opportunities that he has for us so that we can not only move forward in our understanding, in our growth, but ultimately in our faith. And I pray that that faith may continue to burn brighter in each and every opportunity that we get to have as a church community, not only uniting us together as a church, but also uniting and leading lost souls to the foot of the cross.
The Wheeled Worshiper