Daily Devotionals

1 Corinthians 16:13 

The challenge we face is painfully obvious. We've seen from the previous devotionals that our foundations are in place and trustworthy. The Lord our God, being our refuge and very present help, relieves us of fear and worry. He is in sovereign control. He hasn't lost His grip on our times. Under His mighty hand, we humble ourselves. And, in spite of our adversary's subtle and deceitful strategy, we are certain of this: In the end, God wins. What we need until then is a courage transfusion. 

1 Peter 5:5-7

We face a very real, insidious enemy. And, as I mentioned yesterday, in order to step intelligently and wisely into the battle with Satan and his demons, we need clear marching orders. God has given them to us in the pages of Scripture.

The words of Peter come to mind. In the fifth chapter of his first letter we find words that sound like marching orders for Christian soldiers. But the initial command is surprising. 

Ephesians 6:10-12

I wasn't there when a few men gathered around him. General Dwight Eisenhower had the awful job on that day in early June 1944 of determining if that was the right day to make the most significant invasion in the history of military strategy. 

The weather wasn't right. 
The tide wasn't right. 
The sea wasn't good. 
The counsel wasn't unanimous. 
In fact, some of his most trusted advisors urged, "No." 
But he said, "Let's go." 

1 Peter 5:8-11

Yesterday I pointed out that our true enemy, the Devil, is relentlessly engaged in a strategy to bring Christians down. With deceptive stealth, he’s “like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). But the next verse tells us that the shield of faith will protect us from him. We can resist the enemy (see 1 Peter 5:9)! We are part of the groundswell of God’s triumphant movement.

1 Peter 5:8-9

When you’re in a battle, before you can march out against the enemy, you have to know who he is. It’s called “gathering intelligence.” You need to know how he operates, where his base of operations is, what his tactics are. You have to be able to identify him in all circumstances. 

Psalm 46:10

How can we face the fog of our uneasy, uncertain future? All these terrifying events are happening—political unrest, terrorist threats and attacks, a struggling economy. What more can the future hold?
 
Verse 10 of Psalm 46 answers that. We will not worry. The text says, "cease striving..." The Hebrew simply uses one term in that command, and it means, "Stop!" What a great directive! STOP! 

Psalm 46:4-11

Psalm 46:1-3; Psalm 94:19

In times of physical catastrophe in our lives or in our world, what is our response? Usually, it's "Why, God? Why me? Why us?" In contrast, God's Word says in times of physical catastrophe, "we will not fear" (Psalm 46:2). As you read Psalm 46:1-3, take the time to observe that the examples are all introduced with "though." "Though the earth should change, though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea." Referring to what? 

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength. As Eugene Peterson paraphrases it in The Message, "God is a safe place to hide." Chasah, or refuge, is a word that's needed when a nation finds itself shaking on the rock. The news of tragic events in our country and our world is enough to grab you by the neck and make you tremble. Several years ago, I found myself not sleeping very well due to some of these events—that is, until I remembered Psalm 46 and called to mind my chasah, "a very present help in trouble." 

Psalm 46:1