Take heart!

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, ​who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.” 

Psalm 144:1

Almost no one wants war, except of course those who earn a lot selling arms and weapons of mass destruction. Then there are always people who take advantage of their superiority, and who are able to twist the narrative to justify their aggressive actions. 

But there is a crucial war being waged around the word that we do not see. In Ephesians chapter 6, we are advised to put on the whole armor of God so we can take a stand against our enemy’s schemes. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

This reminds me of the termites we found hiding in our basement cabinets a long time ago. The cabinets looked the same as always but when you opened them, all our books and magazines had been eaten away! Our enemy is like that. He does not want us to know he is there wreaking havoc, destroying what is important to us. 

We cannot escape trouble as Jesus says in John 16:33. But that’s not all Jesus said. He reassured us with, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace…But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Together with Jesus we can be overcomers, victorious and unafraid! Yes, Jesus, train me for battle! I want to fight by Your side!