The Battle is not yours but God's

2 Chronicles 20:15,17

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

I was reading this chapter last night and the phrase "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle.." Battle after battle God protected and preserved his children. But each time they would get fearful. They were so concerned this time that they all came together and fasted and sought the Lord (vs4). Sometimes we look at what's heading our way and we know we can't win..we can't stand... We can't do it. In times like these we don't even know what to do or what to pray. Jehoshaphat told the Lord (vs12), O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. He didn't know what to do but knew who to put his eyes on. When our might is small, our God is still the Almighty! The enemy might be great but our God is greater! 

In order for the Lord to fight the battle the Lord told them a few things they needed to do: 

*Set yourselves: Set means to put or place, to fix or cause to rest in a standing posture. They had to set their eyes and mind on Him and not the multitude heading their way. It is very hard to focus on the Lord when we're facing a great multitude and were afraid. But God wanted them focused on him. Fear is in the mind..to get rid of it we must be set. 

*Stand still and see: In verse 16 God told them exactly where he wanted them to stand. God knew the way the enemy was going to come in. In verse 16 God tells them to "go down" and the enemy will "come up". Sometimes we must go down for victory to be ours. If they wouldn't have obeyed and stood right where God told them to they would've lost the battle. To stand still in the middle of a battle sounds crazy..but they had to trust Him. When we don't trust him we limit him and we lose.

*Go out against them: even though the Lord told them they didn't need to fight that didn't mean they could sit back and do nothing and still get victory. He said Go! He promised to go with them and he did!

If we are constantly fighting our own battles we will miss out on seeing God work miracles and move mountains for us. These men could've got up that day and fought their hearts out but they would've lost. Giving your all will not be enough when the Lord says it's his battle and not yours. Be willing to fight when he says but also be willing to stand still when he commands you to. Watch as he gives you victory when you put it in his hand. What battle are you facing today? God said it is HIS battle..stand for him and let him fight. Our God will always win! 

Mark 5:6 He saw, he ran, he worshipped

Mark 5:2
And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit...
Mark 5:6
But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,

These verses were mentioned in the message Sunday morning at church. Verse 6 really jumped out at me..this demon possessed man ran to Jesus when he saw him. He was full of over 2000 demons yet still knew Jesus was the only one who could help him. He didn't run to Jesus and say "fix me." He ran and worshipped. Maybe we need to stop telling God what to do and just get back to worshipping him. When's the last time we've ran to Jesus just to worship him?? I've ran to him many times but I'll be honest it's usually not to worship him but to get something from him. I'm learning God is so much bigger than I think he is. He deserves so much better than I treat him.

We need to get back to:
1.seeing Jesus---looking for Him! Seeking him and not this world. Matthew 6:33 says, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. We need to seek him and see him for who he really is. When Isaiah saw the Lord he said, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.(Isaiah 6:5) When we see Him we see ourselves as we really are...wicked, unworthy, nothing worthy of Jesus.

2. Running to Jesus---when we finally see him we don't need to wait for him to come to us, we need to run to Him. I waste a lot of time trying to figure things out on my own when all I really need to do is run to him. He says he is our refuge and strength, a very present help in the time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). Whatever is going on around us we can run to him and find rest, safety and help...whatever we need. "I am that I am (Exodus 3:14)..he is whatever we need whenever we need it. Oh how I want to run to Jesus and be near him!

3. Worshipping Jesus---Only he is worthy to be worshipped! Worship him for who He is. Bow the knee and adore him. We can not worship without getting down. When we get down He is lifted up. We must be humble. This man humbled himself...worship: "to kiss like a dog licking his masters hand"...he showed Jesus the respect and adoration he deserved.

1 Corinthians 13: Loud But Not Loving

1 Corinthians 13:1

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

"Loud but not loving"

Speak: to utter words or articulate sounds. to declare, to proclaim, to celebrate. 

Think about a little kid banging cymbals together. How annoying! How loud! How rude! He thinks he's making music but he's not. Brass is loud! I played the trumpet when I was younger and every time I practiced I had to go outside because the noise was so loud it was a distraction to everyone else. 

Brass is another name for bronze...in the Bible bronze represents judgement. In a symphony brass is necessary. On its own it is loud and distracting...and can come across as just plain judgemental. With love the right words at the right time can become a beautiful sound and God can use them to speak directly to the heart of someone lost, confused or hurting. Without charity the same words can seem demeaning, destroying, disgracing, and distracting. Without love I will become a distraction. I will disgrace the Lord.  Ultimately others will learn to keep a distance from me...which means they will also distance themselves from the Lord! It is so easy to say "good" things, "needful" things with the wrong attitude, heart or motive. 

That word Tinkling means, making a small, quick sharp noise.  This makes me think of those comments we say so fast we don't have time to think about how it could effect others. In the heat of the moment, anger can fly out of our mouths before we even know it. I've done this so many times. Said a small "sharp" comment that spoke so loudly and did so much damage I can not undo. Words have more power than we realize. This tinkling cymbal (although short in sound) lasts much longer than we think. Quick words without love linger. Words can not be unsaid once spoken. Our testimony can be lost with one small phrase. 

What kind of sounds are you articulating? Are you living a loud life? Or a loving life? Relying in our own flesh we can do nothing and will amount to nothing. It all comes down to living in the flesh or walking in the spirit. The flesh is loud! It craves attention. It's selfish and doesn't think about the consequences. Our heart behind our words say so much more than what we are actually saying. I don't want to be loud. I want to love. Love makes the difference. Sharing without caring won't lead others to Jesus...we must remember to love. But never let your compassion overtake your convictions. Stand your ground, but always remember to have charity. We can't declare, celebrate, or proclaim how good God is without having love. People are looking and longing for someone real. "Loud" will get you noticed, but "love" will get Jesus noticed. The world is a hateful place. There are enough hateful "Christians", we need more loving Christians.  I don't want to be a distraction, Demeaning, or destroying by speaking without loving. I want to make a difference by speaking with love. The tongue is a weapon that can easily be used to destroy instead of heal. This is something I battle with daily. 

Lord, help me to show others the amazing love you have shown me! Touch my tongue that I may show only love...even to my enemies! 💛

His Will vs My Will

Proverbs 16:9

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

Psalms 37:23

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

Ephesians 5:17

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Devise: to invent, to contrive, to plan, to scheme. 

Direct: to order, to instruct, to point out a course of proceeding, to command. 

I have made plans that never happened. I've had dreams that haven't come true. It's only natural to make plans, goals, dreams and have things you want to accomplish in your life. The mistake is made when we put our plans, wants and desires above what we KNOW God is directing us to. We all want to know "God's will". I used to think it's a big mystery and I've waited and prayed for God to say "This is my will". But that's not how he does things. It says he directs our steps...one step at a time we walk IN God's will. We're not walking around trying to find it...were either IN his will or were OUT of his will. Each day, each step we take God has a specific will and way. In Eph 5:17 that word will gives the meaning of desire or pleasure. 

Most of the time I think "my" life is about me and what I want. But that's foolishness to think that way. I'm not just here for my own purposes but HIS purposes. HIS pleasures. HIS desires. That's what should really matter. 

When we let the Lord order our steps he is pleased. His will might not be glamorous or include you being in the limelight but HIS will is the only way your life will bring him honor and glory. We can make all the money in the world and still stand before God one day OUT of his will. His will might be you scrubbing toilets at your church. His will might be you alone in a hospital bed. His will might be you serving him in a foreign country. His will might be you getting up and going to work everyday and giving it your all. It might not be what you would pick but if it's what He has picked for you it is the only thing that will satisfy you. Running from God and his will is a miserable thing. Surrender and submit and see Him use you in whatever way he desires to. I desire to walk in his will and way every day. I want him to direct my steps! I can't make it without him!! I want to live a life directed by God not devised by my heart. 

"When God has another plan, walk on and just say yes

When God has another plan be assured that he knows best

When all your dreams are shattered, rest in his sufficient grace, We don't have to understand when God has another plan"

Psalm 23: My Cup Runneth Over

Psalms 23:5

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Psalm 23 is David speaking as a sheep about his Shepherd. When I read this phrase I wondered why would a sheep would say its cup is overflowing?? But after studying the verses before this one I think I know why. David was so overwhelmed by how good God is, he had to take a time out and just say, "my cup runneth over." Maybe we need to take a time out in the craziness of life and say to the Lord, "my cup runneth over". 

That phrase "runneth over" gives the meaning of Satisfaction...wealthy, satiate, satisfy, soak, (abundantly). Satiate-to fill. To satisfy appetite or desire, to saturate. 

He's given us all a cup, a vessel. We have a choice of what fills that vessel...good or bad. I keep thinking about the mind and how he anoints our heads with oil. If the sheep won't let the shepherd anoint his head he will struggle to see things Gods way. God daily overfills my cup...but how often do I actually notice it? Am I so concerned with the bad that I miss seeing the good he fills my cup with everyday? To overflow means to fill beyond the brim. He goes above and beyond to make me feel loved!

If you just take a look back through Psalm 23...you can't help but see how your cup is overflowing. A faithful shepherd who cares for you,continually guides you, carries you, fights for you, gives you peace of mind so you can find rest (in Him), corrects and comforts you..he is so good and my cup runneth over! A thankful heart is a happy heart. Think about all He's done. Forget about your enemies, worries, fears...think on HIM. We can be so blinded by our problems that we don't see his blessings and promises.