Day 30 - The Battle Part 3: God's Got You
“When you go to war and see before you vast numbers of horses and chariots, an army far greater than yours, don’t be frightened! The Lord your God is with you—the same God who brought you safely out of Egypt! Before you begin the battle, a priest shall stand before the Israeli army and say, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Don’t be afraid as you go out to fight today! For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you the victory!’” Deuteronomy 20:1-4
Have you ever looked at a situation that was so large and complex, that you convince yourself to stop thinking about it for the sake of your sanity? I’m not talking about the expanse of the universe or how time was invented (but, am I the only one who thinks about these things?). I’m talking about harrowing problems and circumstances that look to be beyond our capacity to overcome. I used to spend many nights crying over my physical pain and fatigue, wondering how I would be able to survive, let alone live the life I wanted to. It took me over 5 years to realize that my diagnoses were not bigger or stronger than me.
This realization came only after I grasped God’s sovereignty. As faith-walkers, sometimes the only thing that can move us forward is believing and declaring that God is bigger than our problems. Jeremiah 32:17 says “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (NIV) There are other reminders that God is omnipotent, challenged by no one and threatened by nothing, both in the Word and in our own lives.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible can be found in Mark 4:35-41 (as well as Luke 8:22-25 and Matthew 8:23-27):
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
This account of Jesus calming the storm has been so applicable to my life that I might as well have been in the boat with them. I believe it’s also relevant to our upcoming battles as well, so please allow me to break it down. The storm (weather) represents any challenge, situation, or adversity that seems out of our control and too immense to face. The disciples represent us, and Jesus, of course, represents Himself. Because of our fragility and limited knowledge/vision, we tend to panic when we face adversity, or storms. In the most difficult hardships, we may even question if God has forgotten about us, or, like the disciples wondered, if He even cares. This is where our faith comes in. We can either give in to the doubt (this is what the enemy wants) or we can trust that the Lord is in control and won’t let us perish in the storm.
Jehovah that parted the red sea, calmed a storm with His voice, and healed with one touch is the same Jehovah that is fighting with and for you in your battles. He’s bigger than whatever you will face this year. And guess what? You also have power- through the Holy Spirit- that can be used to defeat the enemy and accomplish more than you think you can.
I’ve gone through parts of my life scared and ignorant of the love and power God extends to me, but I am no longer suppressed by fear and cowardice. I know for a fact that God will never leave me nor forsake me. It is my true desire that you know and walk in that truth as well. Whatever happens in 2019, stay confident in who God is, and you will find yourself on the winning end of your battles. “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:14a, AMP).