battles

Mouse in the House

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

We have a mouse problem in our house. Yes, we’ve seen mice. It seems they like to taunt us, running to and fro throughout the living room as we sit and watch. We hear them feasting on the poison bait that we’ve set out for them. If we’re lucky, we’ll find the dead bodies the next morning. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. I’m thankful that we haven’t noticed any bad odors, but I wonder where they go to die if not on my living room floor.

But now I’m hoping we’ve turned a corner for the good. I don’t want to be braggadocious, but we may have found a solution to keep our house rodent free. We’ve discovered a product that is supposed to repel all rodents with a high frequency sound that isn’t heard by humans. The first night these night lights were plugged in, we heard a bit of mouse noise but didn’t see any mice. I want to say that so far it seems to be working. We’re hoping to keep the winning streak going.

The problem with the mice is that we don’t know how they’re getting into the house. We’ve seen evidence of them in the kitchen, and we’ve seen them dead and alive in the living room. Oh. We had the same problem last year and never figured it out. But this year, we’ve already seen more mice in one month than we did all last winter. That’s a problem in my book. We did plug one hole in the kitchen with steel wool, so hopefully that problem is solved. But we have no idea how they are getting into the living room.

I walked into one room the other day, and I thought I noticed a bad odor. It smelled like a rotting carcass. It’s rather faint and intermittent, so I’m not sure if it’s real or imagined. If it’s real, then the evidence is hidden and I’ll have to find it. I’m not looking forward to that. I’ve started an investigation, but I haven’t found anything. I’m afraid to do a thorough search, because this is one time I don’t really want to find what I’m looking for.

I can’t say that our house is free of mice. It may take some time and some waiting. We’ll have to watch and look for evidence. Or maybe we’ll hear a mouse but not see one. It’s a bit of a wait and see time for us right now. Time will tell if these new magical night lights work long term.

Then just yesterday morning, as I was walking to the kitchen I saw it. A dead mouse near the front door. At least it was dead. That’s what I tell myself. When we installed the repellant night lights, I knew we might need to get a few more to thoroughly block the mice. Now I know where I need to place a few more. I’m glad they found the new treasure trove of poison traps in the laundry room that did the work. But my goal is complete eradication of these pests. I don’t want them lurking anywhere in my house.

I also noticed a couple of days ago that the poison trap I had set out near the front door last year was empty. It wasn’t touched last year, but I guess the mice are hungry this year. I need to replenish my supply of bait.

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:14

When we repent of our sins and surrender our lives to Christ, we are free from sin. The burden of carrying the weight of unforgiven sins has left us. We are free. But here’s the thing. We can’t keep on sinning. We must turn our back on any sins that had a stranglehold on us and walk away from that life. Otherwise, we’re like the mice that keep returning. We don’t need to return to our old way of life, because we live by another standard. We live by biblical standards and beliefs once we’ve rejected sin. We can’t just dodge sin. We must reject all acts of sin in our lives.

As new believers, we need to put barriers in our life to keep us from veering back to sin. We’re living a different life now. In this new forgiven life, we’re now living under the crucifixion of Christ.

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. Galatians 6:14

Just as I’m unsure yet if I’m smelling a rotting mouse carcass, sin can sneak in and entice us when we least expect it. The thing about sin is that we can’t wait to sniff it out. We must remove it immediately before it takes hold in our lives. Oh. We’ll notice the odor all right, because it doesn’t come off as a fine fragrance. It’s rotten to the core. And now that I know the mice have found a new path of travel in my house, I need to button down that area with more nightlights to ward them off. The same goes for my spiritual life. I need to equip myself every day with the full armor of God. Otherwise, a temptation to sin could catch me off guard.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

Most of us are not consistent spiritually because we are more concerned about being consistent externally. ~Oswald Chambers

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:12-14

Poor Customer Service

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

I had an experience in the past couple of weeks where I felt my husband and I received poor customer service. And honestly. It was no fault of ours. The salesperson was new to her job, but she had been doing similar work for years. That means she should have been well informed about the information we were discussing. The only part of her job that was new and unfamiliar was the company she now worked for. And her surroundings were different. I’m sure the commute to work was different. But the work was the same.

However. When this individual realized the product we were looking for was not her preferred product, she got all flustered. In her previous employment, she was responsible for selling her preferred product, which is similar but not identical to what we wanted. And she voiced her frustrations to us. She said she didn’t want to work with the product we were looking for. It was too hard. And then she entered my date of birth incorrectly into the website. When the error was discovered, it was too late to update it. She would need to make a call to another company the next day to make the change. Because it was the end of the workday and she had another client waiting, she didn’t have time to even begin work on my husband’s information. She said she would call us the next day to complete the work.

She didn’t call the next day. And then it was the weekend. She didn’t call on Monday, so I left a voicemail for her. No call on Tuesday, so I sent her an email. You see. We’re on a strict deadline, and we don’t want to wait until the last possible minute to complete this enrollment. Time is ticking by. She finally called us back eight days after our initial meeting. Oh. She apologized profusely. And then she started working on my husband’s information.

All was going well until she hit the enter button to complete his enrollment. She received an error message and didn’t know how to correct what shouldn’t have been an error. Honestly. This time, the mistake wasn’t her fault. Nor was it ours. But it was too late in the day on a Friday to call someone somewhere else to correct the problem. So once again, we’re waiting. And time is still ticking by.

Oh. There is much more to the story that I could share. There were several more missteps on her part that I just won’t go into. I just won’t. I don’t want to nitpick over words and incomplete training or frustrations, but it was frustrating. To say the least. To say that she was ill prepared for our appointment and seemed to have little regard for details is an understatement. On my end, I had thought of contacting her manager to discuss the situation. But I kept stalling. Now I’m glad I did, because when she finally returned my call and was able to finalize my situation she was very pleasant. But does that make all the other words and attitudes on her end null and void?

It isn’t my goal in life to cause someone to get in trouble at work, but I did see several opportunities for improvement at that workplace. I guess I’ll not share those thoughts at this time. I really don’t want to be seen as a troublemaker. But I do expect a salesperson to be ready to sell all the products their company offers. Isn’t the customer always right? I recall that motto being thrown around a lot in the past.

As I’m writing this, I just hung up the phone with this particular salesperson who thought she had fixed the remaining problem. And the problem was fixed. But when we received the information for one final review, there were two huge outstanding errors. We were told it was the other company, not our salesperson, who had entered the information incorrectly. After all the hassles we’ve been through with this person, we didn’t really believe her. It just didn’t ring true. But we could be wrong. And we’re still waiting for resolution.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. Matthew 7:12

I have to ask myself. What do I expect of myself in that situation? How should I respond when I’m on the receiving end of someone else’s bad day or incompetence? Do I exhibit the love of Christ? Or do I stir up even more anxious thoughts and feelings in them by calling out their mistakes? When is it appropriate to share my concerns with their manager, and when should I be silent about such matters? I need to make sure my attitude reflects the attitude of Christ at all times.

How should a Christian respond when they’re on the receiving end of poor service?

First of all, I’m not sure the salesperson had a full understanding of what to say and what not to say to her clients. She didn’t filter her words, which could have gotten really ugly if we had gone down that path. As Christians, we don’t have to start the fight. We need to know when it is appropriate to confront the misbehavior and ill spoken words and when not to. Basically, we need to choose our battles. That doesn’t mean we should never speak up about any mistreatment.

Being the recipients of inexcusable behavior allows people of faith to show the love of God. We can display godly actions and words while presenting the truth. Oh. It may not be easy in the heat of the moment, but we can exhibit kindness and speak correction all in the same breath. We have to stop and ask ourselves if we really care about the person who’s been poorly trained or having a bad day. If we were in their shoes, would we act any differently than they are? And we have to remember that they too were made in the image of God and are loved by him just as we are. But God is a God of justice, not just of love.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:19-20

And another thing. We shouldn’t keep score. Oh. We may have to recite all the wrongs committed against us when we report inappropriate behavior, but we can’t hold a grudge or try to even the score. We always have the option not to do business with that individual or company again and part ways amicably.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

But our story isn’t over, and the problem still isn’t solved. We’re still waiting to hear back from her, but she’ll be on vacation during Thanksgiving week. I just have to roll my eyes and sigh at this point.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23

In Times Like These

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

King Ahab. He had every opportunity to turn his heart toward God, but he always turned away. Even when God gave him victory after victory over his enemies, his heart was hardened toward God. And instead of admitting that his blatant disobedience to God was his problem, he blamed the prophet Elijah for all his trouble. Oh. Ahab’s failure to bow to God’s will wasn’t Elijah’s fault. Ahab had a choice, as always. Go God’s way or make your own path. And he always chose his own path, which later led to the destruction of his nation. Sure. He had some momentary victories. But momentary victories are fleeting. Sooner or later, the truth will find you out. And it found Ahab at an inconvenient time. As if there is a convenient time to have the truth shouted at you.

There are consequences for everything we do. And the consequences do not always affect only the guilty party, but others, as well. Our family. Our neighborhood. Our city. Our state. Our nation. Our employer or employees. Someone pays the price for disobedience or greed or violence or any type of ungodly behavior. Ungodliness has a price tag.

And what does this have to do with us today? You ask. Have you seen the news this week? The videos of the out of control riots in Los Angeles? Have you heard about the attack on a world terror a few days ago? Have you heard about the two state legislators and their spouses who were gunned down because of they way they voted? And the continual wars and rumors of wars? Have you heard of the threats to every American base in the Middle East from one of our adversaries? Have you heard of out of control politicians, not only in this country, but other countries, as well? Have you heard of the outrage about higher taxes and political leaders stuffing their bank accounts with money earned under the table?

It isn’t just ungodly politicians and politics. It’s anyone who doesn’t call on the name of God and repent of their sins. Any of us have the potential to live ungodly lives and snub our nose at God. We are all born with evil in our hearts. It’s just our bent. Sinning, that is. But we also have the potential to repent and live a life that honors God. We must humble ourselves before God and turn from our wicked ways. Only then will God honor us.

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. Genesis 6:5

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. James 4:7-10

At times in life, it appears that evil is winning. We see it all around us. It was the same scenario in Elijah’s time. And Elijah was the bearer of bad news to King Ahab. But he knew that, in good time, Ahab would pay for his rebellious ways. The problem with Ahab was that he did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes, even more so than other kings before him. And he had married the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians. Her name was Jezebel. And she led him further and further away from God. She actually led him into idol worship, further angering God while at the same time pleasing his wife. The Bible tells us that Ahab did more to provoke the anger of God than any other king of Israel before him. He was evil.

But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord ’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria. Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the Lord , the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him. 1 Kings 16:30-33

No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord ’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel. His worst outrage was worshiping idols just as the Amorites had done—the people whom the Lord had driven out from the land ahead of the Israelites. 1 Kings 21:25-26

It wasn’t that King Ahab didn’t have opportunities to repent and turn to God. There were devoted followers of God working with him. He didn’t just hire rebellious thugs similar to himself. He had godly men in his circle, as well. One such man was a prophet named Obadiah. Imagine being in his shoes. A godly man working with the most ungodly king of all times. But Obadiah’s faith didn’t waver. He stood strong in a hostile environment. On one occasion when Jezebel was on a killing spree, he hid one hundred prophets who were as devoted as Obadiah was in following God.

Many devoted followers of Christ are walking in Obadiah’s shoes today. They stand strong in their godly convictions, determined to honor God, yet they work in an environment hostile to biblical teachings. Their jobs may prove to be on the line if they don’t bow to the demands to cater to secular ideals. They may feel compelled to hide their beliefs in order to stay employed. But they must know that God is with them. He will give them courage and strength to stand strong in their faith. They need only ask.

In times like these you need a Savior, 

In times like these you need an anchor; 

Be very sure, be very sure 

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! 

This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One; 

This Rock is Jesus, The only One! 

Be very sure, be very sure 

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

 

In times like these you need the Bible, 

In times like these O be not idle; 

Be very sure, be very sure 

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! 

In times like these I have a Savior, 

In times like these I have an anchor; 

I’m very sure, I’m very sure 

My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! 

This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One; 

This Rock is Jesus, The only One! 

I’m very sure, I’m very sure 

My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! 

~~Ruth Caye Jones

So. The question is. What time is it for you? Do you have a Savior, or do you need a Savior?

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6

A Harrowing Experience

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

We were settling in for the evening. Dinner was over. The kitchen was spotless. The bowl of ice cream was on its way to the couch. Time to turn on the tv and relax. It was Friday night, and the weekend had begun.

I noticed a couple of insects that appeared to be gnawing at the drywall on the edge of an outlet cover in the corner of the living room. I asked the man of the house to see if they were termites. But we had never had a termite problem, so why now? And they weren’t eating wood; they were eating drywall. So he bent to look. And then he got a flashlight for a clearer view. He reached to pick one up when all of a sudden the insects went crazy. They started flying around him, and then he felt the sting on his hand. Not once but twice. And then a couple more stings landed on his head.

I was carrying my ice cream to the couch when one of the attackers buzzed toward me. In my haste to get away, ice cream fell to the floor. As I swatted away my attacker, it went down the back of my shirt. Soon I too felt the sting of these varmints. I tore off my shirt and threw it on the floor. Later I picked it up only to see the flying insect was still in the shirt. Back down on the floor the shirt went and then was thoroughly stomped on. And let me tell you. Those stings were meant to do serious damage. The pain lasted for hours.

We quickly realized we were dealing with yellow jackets, not termites. We were attacked in our own home by a nest of small yellow jackets that had embedded themselves in between the drywall and the outside wall of our home. On the outside, we discovered their entry point. A hole for the cable wire was bigger than the wire, and the yellow jackets were small enough to squeeze in. There they made their home.

The exterminator came out to investigate and eliminated the villains. He said they were probably young, since it was early in the season for this type of invasion. He suited up and began the task of killing these vicious intruders. He advised us to sit out on the deck in a couple of weeks to see if we spot anymore of them. If we don’t, then we’re in the clear. If we see some, he’ll return for another application of the killer spray.

We never would have known the yellow jackets were living between the walls of our home, except I happened to spot them. They would have kept to themselves and not attacked us, because they’re typically only ferocious when provoked. And we unknowingly provoked them. Thankfully, we survived the attack. But even days later, I still had two large red itchy welts on my back.

It was a harrowing experience, indeed.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31

A very short story in the Bible tells us about a man named Benaiah, who was a mighty warrior in King David’s army. He did many heroic deeds and once killed two mighty warriors of one of the enemy nations. But he also followed a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killed it. He was a very brave warrior.

All the harrowing events that Benaiah faced made him pretty famous. I wonder if he was fearful during his times of bravery. Or was he just a fearless warrior who took all these brave acts in stride? I’m sure we’ll never know. But David named him the captain of his bodyguard. I can’t say I blame him. Who wouldn’t trust a guy like Benaiah to protect the king.

You can read the story of Benaiah in 2 Samuel 23:20-23.

Others have recently experienced harrowing events in their lives. An invasion of raccoons. A rash of shingles. A cancer diagnosis. An asthma attack. A job loss. Not all harrowing experiences are life threatening, but others are. But even when life events take a turn for the worst, we know that God is ever present in our time of need.

We may face harrowing times in our lives. Maybe they’re not life threatening events, but still they are unexpected and undesired. We won’t always know how to handle the situation, and we may need to call in reinforcements. We may need someone else to help fight our battle. That’s ok. We need to be prepared to ask for help when the time comes.

We may need to remind ourselves on occasion that God is for us and always with us. He will fight our battles for us. We need to call on him and present our requests and needs to him. He will give us the strength and courage we need to fight our battles. It is never too late to call on him. He is ready and waiting for our cry for help.

Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you. Deuteronomy 3:22

On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. Psalm 138:3

Foolish Doings

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

Asa. He was a notable king from the line of David. He trusted God. And God brought peace to Judah during the early years of his reign. But in his old age, he failed to ask for God’s help. Instead, he sought the help of the Syrian king, Benhadad, as he looked to stop the Israelite king, Baasha, from encroaching on his land.

What looks like an innocent request for help from a neighboring king was in fact a slap in the face of God. Asa was a faithful follower of God throughout the years of his reign in Judah. But for some unknown reason, when he needed help to stop his enemy, Baasha, from building a stronghold to stop the people of Judah from entering and exiting their own country, he turned to Benhadad instead of to God.  And what he didn’t know until it was much too late was that God wanted to help him. Instead of defeating Baasha and his Israelite army, God would have helped him to also defeat the Syrian army led by Benhadad. It would have been a double win.  A victory for the ages. But no. God wasn’t involved in this war at all. He had been pushed aside.

Asa somehow forgot that he had made a covenant with God many years earlier. When he asked Benhadad for help, he went with a bribe. He not only took gold and silver to his opponent, but they were treasures that belonged in the house of God. King Asa stooped low by offering God’s treasures to bribe King Benhadad to help him fight against someone that Benhadad had a treaty with. And Benhadad took the bribe and broke his alliance with Baasha, king of Israel. Shame on all of them.

When the prophet Hanani came to confront the king for the wrongs he had done, he boldly told the truth. And King Asa fumed at him. Asa didn’t want to be told he was in the wrong. He wanted to be congratulated on his victory against Israel. Up until this time, he had treated his people with kindness. But he threw Hanani in prison and treated some of the people with contempt. Asa was going down, and he was going down hard and fast. He had rejected God and God let him suffer the consequences.

Even when dying, Asa failed to ask for God’s help. He sought only the help of physicians, which in and of itself is not bad. But he had no desire for God to take part in his final years of poor health. The problem with the physicians of his day is that their remedies were superstitions and folk remedies. Relying on God for help with his health problem would have been much more effective. Once again, Asa failed to see that God was waiting for him to ask for help. But no. He had abandoned God, so God abandoned him. The story doesn’t tell us that God would have healed him if he had asked for help. But we do know that God would have been with him every moment in his final days on earth.

You can read the story of King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14-16.

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war. 2 Chronicles 16:9

Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. When God leaves man to himself, he is a pitiful man. He becomes his own worst enemy and a tyrant to others. The Lord is looking for people who are fully committed to him so he can strengthen and help them. He knows we need his strength to win the battles the enemy is waging against us. But we must diligently seek his help. We can’t stand on our own. We can’t win spiritual battles on our own strength.

Of course. God puts people in our path to help us in our time of need and to give correction, as well. But our faith must be in God and God alone. Only he can fight our battles and heal our wounds.

It’s a long obedience in the same direction of following Christ that will ensure our entrance into heaven. We can’t think that we can be strong followers of Christ early in our life and then slough off at the end. No. As long as we have breath within us, we must fight the fight every day. We must put on the armor of God each morning so we can win victory after victory over the enemy of our souls. We must always be on guard for attacks of temptation and doubt. The enemy will not stop as long as we are breathing.

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12

Tattle Tale, Tattle Tale

~ mercyfortheday ~ 2 Comments

Oh. Their long wait was over. Seventy long years had ended, along with their exile to Babylon. The Israelites were now free to return home to their country. God had punished them for disobeying and ignoring his commands. So they had been conquered by the Babylonian army and moved to a strange land. Sure. God had spoken through his prophet, Jeremiah, who told them their stay would be only seventy years. And then they would return home. Seventy years seems such a short time once it’s over. But to be a young person at the start of those seven decades was one thing. To be on the back end meant your life had passed you by in a foreign land. Your life was lived not of your choosing. But you were alive. And now you were free to go home. So home they went. They were survivors. They were the chosen remnant.

But when they got home, they realized that others had moved into their land as it stood mostly empty all those years. There were squatters living in their cities. And those squatters had their own way of living. And it didn’t fall in line with what the Israelites knew to be true. So they were at odds. But one thing the Israelites knew was that they had been advised to start rebuilding the temple of God. So they began the work.

But there were those who just couldn’t stand it. The squatters were upset by this new development. Their new neighbors, who rightfully belonged in this city, were rebuilding the temple of God. And the usurpers of the land, those who had moved in while the Israelites were in exile, were upset that the Israelites were obeying God’s command. So the newbies did what immature people do. They tattled on their neighbors. They wrote a letter to the king and demanded that he instruct the Israelites, the chosen people of God, to stop their work on the temple. And their immaturity won out. The king demanded all work on the temple be stopped. And so it did. The Israelites stopped rebuilding the temple. For fifteen years, no more work was done on it.

And then the king died. And the Israelites resumed work on the temple. After all, that was the command they were given when they had returned to their country. Rebuild the temple of God and observe his commands. And yet they hadn’t been able to complete the work. Now was their chance to make things right and finish the temple.

But once again, the newbies complained. They wrote another letter, this time to the new king. And in their second complaint letter, they asked the king to research the court archives to see if there was any reference to work on the temple. Lo and behold! There was. The king told them in no uncertain terms that work was to begin immediately. And he told the newbies that they must pay for all the work. And all the supplies. Anything the Israelites needed to finish the temple was on them. And if they didn’t obey, their lives would be taken from them. Wow. So the newbies bowed to the commands, and the temple was completed.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. Genesis 50:20

I’m reminded of the many stories of the Israelites. Year over year, they refused to obey God. They refused to follow his commands. They ignored his threats of punishment and exile. Yet he still loved them. After all, they were his chosen people. But enough was enough. He wanted them to love him and pledge to him their allegiance. Oh sure. They did from time to time. They repented. But their humility and devotion to him was short-lived. And then they went back to living life their way. And when God had finally had it, the Israelites were once and for all defeated and taken as exiles to the foreign land of Babylon. Oh. God had promised this would happen unless they repented. And they never repented. So they were punished. He had promised seventy years of exile in Babylon. And that’s exactly what happened.

But God also knew that those who had defeated his chosen people and taken them prisoner were evil. He knew they needed to be punished for harming his chosen ones. Being against God’s chosen people was the equivalent of being against God. And that’s not a winning combination. So God made sure that eventually the Babylonians were destroyed. All because they defeated the Israelites.

Just know that Satan will always find someone to oppose God’s work. Someone is always gullible enough to do Satan’s bidding. But also. Just know that those who oppose God’s work and give in to Satan’s scheming will be on the list of those punished by God. Oh. God doesn’t forget those who oppose him. If they never repent and confess their sins, they will be exposed on judgment day. Make note of it.

And there’s more.

God had plans for the Israelites who had returned to Babylon. Although their efforts to rebuild the temple were stopped, God knew that the work would eventually be restarted. And so he had his people wait for fifteen long years. But he wasn’t worried. If they had continued the work, they would have paid for it out of their pockets. But by waiting, God turned their enemies plans on their heads. The squatters paid for all the repairs and supplies. The Israelites rebuilt the temple debt free. Thanks to God’s timely planning.

Oh. God doesn’t forget his people in need. When the people of God are being used and abused, he sees it. When his people are being tortured and tormented, he sees their pain. The suffering of God’s followers does not go unnoticed. In due time, God will repay those who harm his people. So when we think we can’t continue on in a state of abuse or oppression, know that our ultimate reward is eternity with God. All suffering will not be in vain. God is our redeemer.

On Winning Battles

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

In Judges 6-7, the Israelites are in trouble, once again. They’ve turned their back on God and have disobeyed his commands. They’ve been under the control of the evil Midianites for seven years, and they’ve had enough. At least, that’s what they say. But the Midianites are very evil and are so cruel, that the Israelites hide from them in mountains, caves and other strongholds. When the Israelites plant their crops, their enemies attack them and destroy their crops. Their oppressors leave them with nothing to eat. They’re reduced to starvation. So they cry to the Lord for help.

The problem isn’t that their enemies are strong. It’s that the Israelites have again disobeyed God. Trouble always finds them when they turn their backs on God’s commands.

One man, who is basically afraid of his own shadow, threshes his wheat at the bottom of a winepress in hopes that his enemies can’t find his food and steal it. Gideon says he is the lowliest person in the lowliest tribe of Israel, and he’s scared of everything.  But God sees him and comes to him in his hiding place. 

When the Lord finds him deep in that winepress, he calls Gideon a mighty hero. But Gideon asks God why he has allowed his people to endure such hardships. He asks why God has abandoned them. God knows Gideon has many fears, but he also knows Gideon’s heart.  He hears Gideon when he asks why God has allowed all the evil to take place.  He hears Gideon’s cries about his people starving and struggling to survive.

God doesn’t rebuke him for questioning.  God doesn’t chastise him for being fearful.  Instead, God empowers him to fight.  He enables Gideon to assemble a small army.  God says a large army would indicate that they won by their own power.  A small army shows that God is the one who led them to victory.  Because there are times in life, we can’t do everything.  We need God to guide us, and the victory is all his.

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Zechariah 4:6

God didn’t give him attaboys or you got this, man.  No.  God wanted the praise.  God wanted the adoration and commitment. Gideon needed to depend on God’s strength to fight this battle and win.  God led Gideon to defeat the enemies, but it was with God’s power. Not Gideon’s. The victory was not through human strength but from God’s favor and power. After all, God whittled down Gideon’s army from three thousand to only three hundred men. And those few men defeated an army of thousands with the help of God.

Gideon doubted God. He thought his people were in such a bad way because God wasn’t doing his job. But when God showed him that his people’s deliberate disobedience had caused this oppression, Gideon had a change of heart. He saw his countrymen for the sinners they were. In spite of his fears, he saw God’s mighty hand upon him and his small army.

Too many times we try to fight our own battles. We imagine victory at the sound of our sharp words or brute force. But we are weak. We are inadequate. We are fearful. We are human. We can’t fight our own battles. We need God’s help. If we claim to be a child of God, we need God’s strength to fight our battles. And he says he will fight for us.

We don’t have it all together. And God sees our weakness. But he also sees our hearts. And if our hearts are seeking to obey and honor God, he will work with our weakness. He will be our strength. He will be our guide. He will lead us to victory. Oh. The victory may not look as we expect. But victory will be look the way God intended. God ordains all our steps. All our battles. All our losses and victories. They are his. If we are his, we know that obedience is much better than elaborate victories.

Fighting Battles

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

It wasn’t even my battle.  But I was asked to fight it.  I was asked to fight for someone else’s cause.  It wasn’t a battle that interested me.  Quite frankly, I didn’t even know it was an issue.  It seemed petty once I heard the details.

They wanted certain words to be written to a group of people.  They wanted the sentence worded in a certain way, but they didn’t give me the words to say.  Or the authority.  They just said, “Don’t say it like this”…  They told me how not to say it.

It felt odd fighting someone else’s battle.  I was caught in the middle.  No matter what happens, I wouldn’t be the winner.  It was a very uncomfortable position to be in.  If I’m facing a battle, I prefer to fight my own.  Not a battle I don’t believe in.  I know what my goals are.  I know what my strengths and weaknesses are.  I can’t read someone else’s mind to know how they want their battles fought.

I’ve been asked to fight other battles.  Sometimes it’s a war of words.  Sometimes it’s actions. Sometimes it’s inaction.  Nevertheless, it seems there’s always a battle.  And never mine.  It wasn’t mine to fight.  It wasn’t mine to win or lose.

I’ve wondered what those on the other side of the battle think of me.  Do they recognize that I’m the pawn in the game?  Did they realize my words and actions are sometimes led by the fighter?  I’m only the messenger.  Am I just being manipulated?

My advantage was that I could set the tone.   The “fight” doesn’t have to be nasty.  Perhaps the messenger is the most important soldier.  Trying to please both sides while remaining neutral.  Nevertheless, I was still in the fight.  I wasn’t the general.  I was the messenger.  But does it really matter?  If I’m associated with the fight, am I then a fighter?  I was recruited rather than enlisting on my own.  That only matters at the beginning of the fight.   Right?  Once the fight begins, you’re in.

There’s a difference between picking a fight and facing a hardship.  Getting even or getting your way is picking a fight.  Facing a hardship or loss is a battle.  We pick our fights but battles are another story.  It seems that way, at least.

You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you. Deuteronomy 3:22

It isn’t in my nature to pick fights.  But I have seen my fair share of battles.  Battles I wouldn’t choose, but they come regardless.  Hardships and trials are battles that must be fought.  They require courage, prayer and faith to see victory.  I can’t fight these battles alone.  I’ve chosen not to.  I know a mighty warrior who fights all my battles.

This mighty warrior has fought battles for many others.

I think of the battle he fought for the people of Israel.  Moses was their leader.  The mighty warrior fought hard.  He brought the ten plagues to the Egyptians when their leader wouldn’t obey.  In the end,  this mighty warrior won.  He delivered his people from a tyrant.

I think of four men.  Daniel.  Shadrach.  Meshach.  Abednego.  All four men were captured and forced to serve a king they didn’t agree with. Yet they remained faithful to their God.  The God who created the universe.

Daniel didn’t waver from his beliefs or daily habit of praying to the only God.  Even when his life was in danger.  Even when others meant harm, God did good.  When Daniel was in the lion’s den, this mighty warrior calmed the lions so they didn’t harm Daniel.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into a furnace when they wouldn’t bow down and worship their king.  The furnace was so hot that the flames killed the soldiers who threw them in.  Yet these three men survived.  They weren’t burned.  At.  All.  They walked out of the furnace.  Fully alive and well.  The mighty warrior fought for them.  He saved their lives.

I turn to this same mighty warrior when I have battles that need fought.

This mighty warrior will fight our battles.  God is this mighty warrior.  God fights for us.  The Bible says he does that in many different ways.  He knows our thoughts.  He knows our strengths and weaknesses.  He knows our temptations.  He knows the battle is coming before we even feel the first punch.  He knows who he’s fighting.  He knows how to fight them.  He doesn’t fight dirty, but he does fight to win.