Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Knowing God – 1 Samuel 17-45-47 – The Battle Is The Lord’s – Growing As Disciples
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47 (NIV)
Rely On Me
You will face many battles in life. You can be sure of that. Each battle will present you with a choice. What choice is that? You will be asked if you are going to rely on me or are you going to rely on yourself. You may think that you can make this choice once for all time. It would even be good to make your choice now in advance. But you must reaffirm again and again whatever choice you make now. Well, I have made my choice. I am not going to rely on myself. I am going to rely on you. You have made a good choice.
It is easy to say that you will rely on me to fight with you and for you in the battles of life. It will be much harder for you to learn to fully rely on me. Why is that? You tell me. I have an independent and self-sufficient nature within me. It is good that you are aware of that. How have your battles in life gone when you have relied completely on yourself? I have lost many battles simply because I have relied on myself rather than relying on you. That’s right.
When you rely on yourself I don’t mind watching you loose battles. Do you know why that is? It is more important to you that I come to know and rely on you rather than whether I win or lose a battle. Yes, it is. Don’t be confused though, I don’t want you to loose battles. I have no pleasure when you have to learn a painful lesson by loosing a battle.
When you have relied on me in the battles of life what has happened to you? As I have relied in the battles of life I have come to know you better. Yes, you have. My faith in you has grown, as I have known that you are fighting with me and for me. Yes, it has. You have received honor and glory in the victories that you have won for me. Others have been drawn to you as they have seen you lead me in victory. It has been my joy to know that I am really living my life with and for you as I am relying on you in the battles of life. Will you continue to rely on me to fight with you and for you in the battles of life? Yes Lord, I will.
Lord, I know I will face many battles in life. I also know I will have a choice to make. Will I rely on you or on myself to fight the battles in life? I will tell you now. I will rely on you to fight with me and for me in every battle that I will face in life. Amen
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