18 The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service—able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. 20 They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him. 21 They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, 22 and many others fell slain, because the battle was God's. And they occupied the land until the exile.
In this account of the struggle of God’s people to possess the promise, we read that these tribes had men:
- Ready for military service
- Able-bodied
- Who could handle
- Shield
- Sword
- Bow
- Who were trained for battle
But it was God who gave them victory over their enemies because:
- They cried out to him during battle.
- They trusted in him.
- The battle was God’s
What a great picture of the duality of Christian leadership and service: We must be ready and spiritually fit. We need to take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) in order to engage our community up close and personal. We also must know how to use a bow – a weapon used from further away. We must be trained by our pastors and leaders for the particular battles we face.
But ultimately, the battle is God’s! We must cry out to him and trust in him – in his ways and his power and his outcomes.
Who wins your battles? Do you try to do it all yourself? Do you just sit back and expect God to do it without you? We are in a battle for the souls of men. Yes, the battle is the Lord’s. So let us confidently prepare and then cry out to God as we engage the battle.
No comments:
Post a Comment