Everyday Be Prepared - February 24, 2014

Scripture: Deuteronomy 20-22

“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!2 When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops. 3 He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. 4 For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’8 “Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’ 9 When the officers have finished speaking to their troops, they will appoint the unit commanders.

10 “As you approach a town to attack it, you must first offer its people terms for peace. 11 If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor.12 But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. - Deuteronomy 20

Message:

When the LORD brings you to battle, do not be afraid but fight against your enemies, have courage! If the Lord leads you to fight, it means you will surely have the victory.

Promise/Observation:

In this world, we face many battles. I have recently been talking to GOD about how tiring this world can be because we have to fight many battles. But in every battle that the LORD leads you to fight, it means that HE will surely bring you the victory. There are battles that you should not fight because GOD has not lead you there. We should all know what battles GOD has led us to fight and avoid battles that are not meant for us because we will surely lose. Always give a chance to your enemies, if they offer peace, then do not fight with them. But if they refuse to make peace, then that is the time to fight.

Command/Application:

Prepare for battle, everyday always have a mindset that you are in a spiritual battle. Always be prepared for it by how Ephesians 6:13-18

13 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. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[d]16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[e] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.[f]

Do not be afraid. Do not lose heart. Do not panic. Do not tremble before your enemies. Stand firm. Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power! - Ephesians 6:10

Sharing the Victory

21 Then David returned to the brook Besor and met up with the 200 men who had been left behind because they were too exhausted to go with him. They went out to meet David and his men, and David greeted them joyfully. 22 But some evil troublemakers among David’s men said, “They didn’t go with us, so they can’t have any of the plunder we recovered. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone.”
23 But David said, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the Lord has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us. 24 Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.” 25 From then on David made this a decree and regulation for Israel, and it is still followed today.

- 1 Samuel 30

When the LORD gave the victory to David, losing not a single thing from his camp when his enemies captured their valuables and family's, David was as humble as he could be. When some trouble makers refused to share their victory to their other brothers who couldn't fight alongside with them because they had no strength left, David rebuked them saying "Don't be selfish!" For David understood that whatever they had was given by GOD and not by their own strength and might. 

When we pray for something and fight for what GOD has given us, we ask others to pray with us and fight with us into that which we are believing GOD for. But when others have lost the strength to fight with us, we should not condemn them for not being able to sustain their strength for GOD alone can give the strength to people according to HIS will. Let us not ridicule others for being weak or faint hearted but we have to share the blessings and victories that GOD has given us with them because this will surely encourage them and strengthen in their battles in the future. Remembering that if we don't give up the faith, the LORD will not fail or disappoint us but HE will always deliver what HE said HE will do. So share your victories so that others will be victorious in their walk too.

The High Priest

When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you! 2 When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops. 3 He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. 4 For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!
- Deuteronomy 20: 1-4

Who are you enemies? Enemies come in different shapes and forms. They could be external, human beings that want to destroy you, they could be great problems or they could be the devil that wants to tempt you out of what is right. Enemies could be internal something that you deal within yourself everyday. Laziness, Doubts, Fears, and any negative energy that stops you from being who you want to be and what you are supposed to be. These are enemies that we face everyday. But GOD knows all the battles, struggles and fights that we have to deal with on a daily basis. The LORD is aware and He cares for us so much He has a commanded us what we should be doing to overcome our enemies by preparing each day for the battle that is ahead.

GOD commands the priest to speak to the troops. It doesn't literally mean that we have to speak to a certain human being each day and be dependent on that person for encouragment. We have a High Priest who is available for us at our call of His name JESUS. He is the priest who can minister to our souls each day and HE is the person we should speak to daily before we start our day and this is how we prepare for battle. The LORD JESUS will certainly speak to our hearts if we seek to hear HIS voice, HIS words and seek HIS will everyday. HE will not fail to meet us when we come to HIM. HE will surely say to us "Listen, do not be afraid, do not lose heart or tremble, for I AM with you! I will fight for you against your enemies and I will give you victory!" Isn't it wonderful that our High Priest JESUS is the One who gives courage telling us HE will fight for us. If we just depend on HIM for strength and not on our own, we will live each day with courage and faith because we trust in the One who is fighting for us. But we can't ever trust if we don't know the character of a person, and we can't ever trust if we do not have a close relationship with that person. So if you want to know how to win against your enemies, take time everyday to listen to the voice of the High Priest JESUS, you will be amazed at what HE will say to you.