Based on “The Battle Is Not Yours, but God’s” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 1/9-10/10,
Message #MB403; Daily Devotional #5 - “Our God Is Big!”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.' "But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. (2 Chronicles 20:9-13)
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Have you ever said, “I don’t know what to do,” and then stubbornly proceeded to try to figure out the solution on your own, without God’s help? We all have. Yet, we should remind ourselves and each other on a daily basis that the battle is not ours, but God’s. We live in a world that brings uncertainty. When battles arise, we often respond with a “Why?” or “What is going to happen?” If our eyes are not focused on God, we try to answer these questions ourselves. And when our eyes are not focused on God, we can tumble into a series of negative thoughts and beliefs such as: “I am never going to be able to handle this.” “Why me?” or “There is no hope.” Quite often, our circumstances and challenges are larger than we are. But we must remember that our God is even bigger, and that each battle is His battle. This truth is very comforting. Our God’s Words to us are so comforting. He tells us more than once, “Do not be afraid,” and “Do not be discouraged.” He reassures us to go out to face the armies and that He will be with us (2 Chronicles 32:7). He makes a promise to us; a promise we can believe. When we have faith in the Lord, we will be upheld and successful (Deuteronomy 1:21). That should be enough reason to be bold, brave, and courageous. Our Lord will never leave us. Our God will always guide us. Our God will fight our battles (1 Samuel 17:47). We must stand up, take our positions, and let God do the rest (Proverbs 10:25).
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): What battles are you facing today? Take some time to write them down and give them to God. Tell God that you are going to trust Him. When fear arises in your heart, remember that God says, “Do not be afraid.” When you become discouraged, remind yourself that God says, “Do not be discouraged.” Our God is big! Let us go out today, remember that our God is big, and let our trust and belief in Him show in our lives.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Ephesians 6:10; 2 Chronicles 20:15
lh
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.