Good morning guys. Numbers chapter One. The time will soon come when the Israelites will be entering the promised land and when they do they will face opposition and will be forced to go into battle. Taking a census and counting how many fighting men were available for battle was a way of starting the preparation process. If there's going to be a battle, we need to be prepared. Everyday we face a battle. We are going to face opposition. How do we prepare and start the process before the battle even starts? Before we go out the door each day we need to be ready for battle. There are steps we can take:
1. Remember The Battle belongs to the Lord. In 1st Samuel 17 David faced Goliath and David had the right attitude. He said, “The Lord will deliver.” He also said, “The battle is the Lord's.” We are not in battle alone. The Lord is with us. We need to remember that when we feel we are in over our heads.
2. Be prayed up. Jesus often prayed. Luke 5:17. Stay in communication with God. I know we are all aware how important it is to have a prayer life, but after a while “prayer life” loses its meaning and therefore loses its power. I'm not talking about the prayer we give during our half hour with God in the morning. I'm talking about the constant prayers we have with God throughout the day. To have constant time in prayer is important because it's a constant reminder to us throughout the day that God is in control. Your ongoing prayers remind yourself that “I can't do this, I need God.” To quit praying is the start of gradually feeling the need to take control yourself until eventually you're on your own.
3. Be in the Word. The more we know the more the Holy Spirit has available to bring back into our minds and our remembrance. John 14:26. I remember at work one day when I ripped a porn picture off the wall. One of the workers put it on the wall and when I came in there was a little kid looking at it. I climbed up the cabinet and ripped the picture down. At lunch the guy who put it up confronted me and said I should not have done that. The verse came to my mind and I shared with him Matthew 18:6 that “If anyone causes one of the little ones who believe in me to stumble it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” I told the man I did not want to be guilty of such a thing.
If Jesus used Scripture to fight battles, then so should we. Which means we need to be reading God's word, studying it, learning and even memorizing Scripture.
Lastly, we not only should know the word of God but we should also live it.
Be ready for battle today before the battle even starts.
The name of this book being Numbers seems appropriate based on simply reading the first chapter with all the census numbers that are included. What a great reminder from Pastor Blair to not only know the Word of God, but also to live it. May we use Scripture to fight battles and live our lives the way God wants us to.
We’re Not Goin’ to Canaan by ApologetiX based on Numbers 13:1-14:45
https://youtu.be/GmjCAzD1v_g
Ground Shook Here by ApologetiX
based on Numbers 16
https://youtu.be/JxgTCfKYMvU
Donkey Talked with Him
by ApologetiX
based on Numbers 22-24
https://youtu.be/ckbvRhnhK98