365 Reflections

1 Samuel 23:26–29 (ESV)   Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” 28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi. For a large portion of the book of 1 Samuel, we have Saul chasing down David. This should be bothersome to us. It should bother us that two men whom God used mightily in battles for the Lord's people - to deliver them and enlarge their territory - are preoccupied with a stupid spat between them! Instead of Saul fighting for the nation, he's fighting for his own glory. Instead of David going to war and expanding the map, he...

Deuteronomy 20 is God's instruction to the people concerning how they were to carry out their warfare campaigns. The commentators I read point out how much different these instructions are concerning war for God's nation than typical ancient peoples. For us today, this chapter holds powerful spiritual truths. God opens by letting Israel know they will face stronger and larger nations than themselves. Deuteronomy 20:1 (ESV) “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. But regardless of these facts, Israel was not to fear. The priest was to pronounce a faith-word over the people of God, reminding them that they do not fight alone, God is with them, He will strengthen their efforts against all enemies. Deuteronomy 20:2–4 (ESV) And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward a...

Exodus 17:8–9  (ESV)   Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.  9   So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” The Amalekites are fierce foes of Israel from the moment they are free from Egypt. They come from Esau's grandson Amalek and take on Israel at Rephidim in hated animosity. This enemy will remain Israel's bitter rivals for centuries until the later part of David's reign. Sometimes you're going to have to deal with persistent trouble as you journey in God. It may not necessarily be people. It may be habits, addictions, pride or envy. These battles all have one thing in common no matter what they are: They don't just give up and go away. Now Moses knew what the answer was: Fight and pray. We have a famous image here of Moses holding up his hands for intercession as the war rages on: Exodus 17:10–11 (ESV)   So Joshua di...

The 20th Psalm is a Royal Psalm sung for the king who goes out to battle. The first 5 verses pronounce blessing on the king as he prepares to leave for war. The people petition the Lord for victory with confidence. Psalm 20:1–5 (ESV) May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! 3 May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah 4 May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! 5 May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions! The King confidently affirms that success is in their future: Psalm 20:6 (ESV) Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Why is the nation and the king so confident? Because they are living according to God's promi...

We all love the last chapter of Ephesians. The war is on and we are to fight with the weapons God gives, putting on the whole armor of God. But it's more than spiritual sentimentality or something to explore. The fight is real and important beyond what we understand. Paul does something interesting in this pericope. He instills alarm and courage at the same time. Alarm in that our enemy is real and must be taken seriously... Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Our enemies are real!  They are numerous, ordered, and all over. They are cosmic powers , they are forces of evil, they are rulers and they are authorities . These are serious titles to alert the Christian to serious attention. You are at war. And every step in the wrong direction is a step toward spiritual collapse and ...