1 Chronicles 5:18-20
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant men who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, 44,760, able to go to war. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him.
In this brief passage we are told that the Israelites "cried out to God in the battle" and God helped them "because they trusted in him" (verse 20). When we are in the midst of a battle with temptation, we too need to cry out to God, and most importantly, we need to trust Him. This sounds simple, but our natural response to trouble is to try and fix it ourselves. When temptation comes, do we fall on our knees in dependence upon God, or do we try to control the situation? I confess to usually trying to control the situation myself. It is tempting to think "I can handle this", or "I'm just going to look for a few minutes and then I'll stop", or "I'll just say no". The common theme is "I" versus "God, help me". Trusting God involves relying on His love and power to see us through the battle.
God, help me. I need your strength.
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant men who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, 44,760, able to go to war. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him.
In this brief passage we are told that the Israelites "cried out to God in the battle" and God helped them "because they trusted in him" (verse 20). When we are in the midst of a battle with temptation, we too need to cry out to God, and most importantly, we need to trust Him. This sounds simple, but our natural response to trouble is to try and fix it ourselves. When temptation comes, do we fall on our knees in dependence upon God, or do we try to control the situation? I confess to usually trying to control the situation myself. It is tempting to think "I can handle this", or "I'm just going to look for a few minutes and then I'll stop", or "I'll just say no". The common theme is "I" versus "God, help me". Trusting God involves relying on His love and power to see us through the battle.
God, help me. I need your strength.