Personal Battles – Are You Ready to be God’s Soldier

by Marijo Phelps⁽¹⁹⁹⁾ Red Star

We are getting ready to go on a road trip. The computer room has suitcases, maps, topo maps, AAA books, vitamins, toiletries, shoes, shampoo, shaving and showering “stuff”. Actually my writing room and spare bedroom is a total mess of organized chaos. We’d not think of jumping into the truck to do a road trip without planning ahead, taking the things we need and deciding where we are going ahead of time.

My question to you and to me is why we think we can get our emotions all involved before we have even heard the details or “seen” the plans of our Lord for battle. We get one little fragment, which probably means we are to begin praying and not a whole lot more, and we take off on an emotional trip that allows for nothing more that the enemy to come and begin punching buttons. Prayer and reading the Word can equip us. Emotional roller coasters can and will suck us dry, tie our tummy in knots and neutralize our effectiveness as God’s prepared soldier in any battle.

And how do I know this for sure? Well, seems like I got button punched by the enemy and then taught very gently by our Jesus:

Child, you are going to have to get into practice/touch with your feelings before the real battle comes. To keep on hearing My voice and plans you must die to emotions/sentiment that comes before My revelation.

Press in and press on. I have given you Me to lean on, you’re growing and knowing. Pray ahead. Pray much. I shall get you through.

Rely on Me, lean not to your own understanding. There is wisdom in a multitude of council. “No more stray puppies”. Selah (pause and calmly think about that) Be sensitive to the small checks I put on the secret areas of your heart in sharing. It is to save you pain and misunderstanding which can come from too rapid a sharing of heart. Selah. I love you, delight in you and am healing ALL your sorrows/wounds/brokenness. Selah. You’re My delight, My daughter, My beloved, My intended Bride! SELAH.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I get small glimpses

Of where I could be with You

Lumps and flaws and stumbling blocks

Keep cluttering up the view

Father, I get discouraged

‘Bout where I ought to be

Till You slow me down and help me look

From whence You’ve delivered me.

Psalm 18:39 is so encouraging saying that God armed me with strength for battle, God made my adversaries bow at my feet.

Looks like out Lord not only prepares us but He goes before us and fights on our behalf, if we let Him. We cooperate in prayer and He accomplishes our preparation, direction and guidance. I have seen what happens when I charge ahead on my own and I think that this “battle plan” sounds a lot more effective and sure.

Psalms 140:7 reminds us that the Sovereign Lord is our strong deliverer who shields our heads in the day of battle.

Sounds like He is right there with us through it all. For anyone who has ever experienced battle, and who hasn’t, we know this is true. It is good to review His faithfulness as it gives us more faith for the unseen battles coming up. We aren’t in Heaven yet, there will be more battles, guaranteed.

David seems to know much about battle and says in Psalm 4:1 “Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my pray er.” (NIV)

Psalm 147:3 speaks of God healing the brokenhearted and binding up their wounds.

Can you imagine a Commander in Chief who leads us into battle and then He puts on the Great Physician’s lab coat to be there when we become wounded. What a comfort, what a relief, what a Lord!

In Isaiah 53:4 we are blessed to see that Jesus took our infirmities and carried our sorrows.

Psalm 34:18 reminds us that God chose the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

He has such a tender heart towards us, His sometimes wounded soldiers. Thank you, Lord!

(C) Marijo Phelps all rights reserved. Use with proper credits.

Article submitted Thursday, September 09, 2010 & read 124 times.

Leave your comments through World Wide Bible Studies:

» left by Cheery Blossom⁽²⁵⁾ (1 year 151 days ago.)

I love it when you use the scripture and expound upon it. This was a great asrticle
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» left by Marijo Phelps⁽¹⁹⁹⁾ (1 year 151 days ago.)

Thanks Verna! He helps me write and think and learn and hopefully grow! Glad you enjoyed it!

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» left by Linda DeWitt (1 year 150 days ago.)

Great article that shows the importance of continual study of God's word. Hope you have a great trip., Your friend, Linda D
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» left by Marijo Phelps⁽¹⁹⁹⁾ (1 year 149 days ago.)

I am online while he showers and then we leave! Thanks so much Linda!

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» left by Teresa (1 year 143 days ago.)

Amen. This is a wonderful and much needed devotional. Your analogy fits perfectly. Love you and miss you. We will be starting the hunt for a place of our own when we return from Oregon is just 4 weeks! Can't wait :-) I hope your vacation was/is wonderfully refreshing. Can't wait to read about your adventures. Hugs! T
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» left by Marijo Phelps⁽¹⁹⁹⁾ (1 year 143 days ago.)

Oh my Goodness! We watched a matched pair of wolves for 30 minutes eating an elk - the male was black and the female was cream with some darker highlights. We took photos through the end of binoculars and think it worked 9we have not enough zoom to do these beautiful animals justice - saw incredible bull elk, bison, and on the way home today saw a baby moose, then his mama and a few yards farther down the road followed the daddy and took a bazillion photos of him. ended us in hotels all but one night - something about not tent camping in grizzly country! Will have to write soon and am not doing loads and loads of wash!

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