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Whose Battle Is It?

I woke up weary this morning. Not tired. Weary, emotionally weary. Strong emotions - both my own and those of others in my proximity - exhaust me, and the past two years have been full of them. I think it's catching up with me. My soul felt like an anvil as I pulled myself out of bed. I made my coffee, took my vitamins, and sat down to pray. I began by telling God about my weariness. It was accompanied by all the whining that goes along with that type of prayer. Then I opened my Bible. I read Psalm 35.

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take hold of [a]buckler and shield
And rise up for my help.
3 Draw also the spear and [b]the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation." (NASB via Biblegateway.com)


I began to pray these verses, and as I did, my weariness became faith-instilled. The anvil broke lose. I recalled Jacob's fight with the angel that lasted all through the night. Jacob wouldn't let go until the angel had blessed him. Neither would I.

 How often do we "fight the good fight of faith" (1Tim 6:12) in our own strength?  How often do we "resist the devil (so that) he'll flee" (James 4:7) by our own might? We walk into our daily battles somehow believing that we're strong enough in and of ourselves. Even when we know we're not, we still do it - or at least, I do. 

 As I prayed these verses in Psalm 35, I realized that my part in the battlefield of daily life is to remain in Christ. My part is to depend on Him, to trust that this battle - today's battle - is the Lord's.

Comments

  1. AeronutMay 1, 2013 at 9:55 AM

    Thanks, Lori!! I feel weary often, and more often I forget I'm not battling life alone!

    ReplyDelete

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