Fighting Our Battles

Day one hundred eighty-seven

This morning I am grateful for the awesome people that the Lord has put into my life.  There is something energizing about having good friends over to eat and visit. I think my favorite part is when the reminiscing starts and you realize the positive impact that these people have had on your life through the events that you have shared.  With that on my mind, I took some time this morning to reminisce with the Lord over the events we have shared and the positive influence He has been in my life.  I am so grateful to have those experiences in my life and I look forward to having many more!

Joshua 10:28 - 11:23

As we move into the latter part of chapter 10 and all of chapter 11, we see Israel completing the central campaign and we see them fighting both the southern and the northern campaigns as well. In these verses, it appears that war and the battles that come with it was a daily task with the Israelites through this time period.  There is a message of steadfastness in these verses! Here are three quick truths found in these chapters:

We Must Fight Daily (vv 28,35)
Like I mentioned earlier, the battles Israel fought seemed to come day by day. Theirs was a life of battles.  The same is true for us. Our battles will confront us daily. Therefore, we must arise each day with the willingness to fight our battles faithfully.

We Must Fight With Determination (11:18) 
This verse tells us that Joshua fought his battles for a long time. This tells me that this man had determination!  This is a quality that needs to be developed by all of us. Too many are quitting in our day! Too many are throwing in the towel and giving up the fight. We need more people who will stand and fight for a righteous cause. Paul tells us, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Cor 15:58)

We Must Fight With Devotion (10:40; 11:12, 15, 23)
If you will look at what Joshua was doing it is apparent that he was just doing what the Lord had told him to do.  Living as the Lord commands, that is how a person is supposed to live their life.  This message is found throughout the scriptures:

 "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8)

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Eccl 12:13)

It all boils down to who's will has the priority in your life: your's or God's. Which is it for you?

I find myself flip flopping in this area of my life. There are times when I find it easy to put my wants aside and do what the Lord requires and then there are times when I drag my feet.  Joshua was obedient until "the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses" was taken. How does one do this?  Here is some advice from the scriptures:

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor 10:5)

I am not the perfect soldier, but with every battle I overcome, I am one step closer. The battles in my life have to be fought, but they do not last forever. Just as Israel obtained a state of rest, we too will rest from the battles of life. So I look at the daily battles in my life with gratitude for the opportunity to grow closer to the Lord and look forward to my day of rest!