August 12: Let God Fight for You

-

 Theme: Resting While God Fights


Dr. Terry-Ann Robinson,
Kings SDA Church

Key Text: The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

 It was my 3rd year at university, studying for my first degree. I had a professor with a heavy accent that I could hardly understand. To make matters worse, he was teaching a complex subject. Unfortunately, his mother passed in the middle of the course, and he had to fly back to his country. For weeks we were left without a teacher.

 

It was approaching exam time, and we were informed that we would receive some makeup lessons. When the class schedule was released, all the classes were scheduled on Saturdays. 

At that time, I was young, and although I was an active Seventh-day Adventist, my relationship with Christ was quite surface-level. I was an active worker for a God I only frequently heard about but didn't invest the time to get to know.

 

I went home and told my parents about the dilemma. Going on Saturdays was not up for discussion.  When the Bible tells us to remember the sabbath day to keep it holy, just like all the other nine commandments, this one is not an option. 

 

My parents prayed and told me to pray and study. 

 

Pray and study was not what I wanted to hear. I wanted to defend my case, meet with the head of the faculty, fight back, plan a protest, and do something to speak up for my rights. This was way too calm an approach for me. I wanted to fight.

 

Through my parents, God was quieting my ego. Many times, the battles we face are not our own. We jump in the ring under false pretenses. We superficially reference God's goodness but take the credit for ourselves. 

 

1 Samuel 15:22, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."

I obeyed the command of the Lord and never attended lessons on Sabbaths. I did study, but what I studied did not seem to stick. I still felt like I knew nothing. When the results came out, only 2 of us passed the course.

 

I believe God did not give me the confidence I needed going into the test. He wanted to strip me of every bit of self-reliance. He wanted to plant a seed of faith in me so I could grow in my relationship with Him. He wanted to teach me to stand still. 

 

If I had met with the head of the faculty, then today's story would have included some highlights of my ability to persuade and defend my rights. But instead, today's story is about how God will fight for you. It's about standing still when it's not the most comfortable thing to do. It's about keeping quiet when everything in your body wants to lash out. 

 

Praying is very important, but equally important is listening to His response to our prayers and doing what He says. 

 

If you are facing a battle today, then speak to the Lord about it. He still hears and answers prayers. He honours our commitment. He will show up and fight for you. Stand still and watch Him work. 

 

Prayer

Lord, standing still is not always easy. Teach me to listen to your voice and help me obey even when it feels uncomfortable.

Amen. 




 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 11: Help! I Am A Worrier.

-
Image
Help! I Am A Worrier. Author : Sharon Campbell-Danvers, Shepherdess, Educator Theme : Contentment in Christ. Finding peace and joy in God regardless of circumstances Peace of mind is a valuable commodity that cannot have a price tag placed on it. If worrying was a product, I would be rich.  Peace of mind is precious and closely aligned with our mental health and well-being. Truth be told, so many things seek to distract us from what is truly important and what gives us true peace. This is a struggle for me. I need a piece of peace! A big slice. Whopper version, supersized. Women are confronted with many issues that impact their peace of mind. The woman with the issue of blood was in a deep place for twelve years (Mark 5:25-34). Mary and Martha watched their brother die and wept (John 11:1-44). The woman at the well was searching for deeper meaning in her life without even knowing it until she came in contact with Jesus (John 4:1-26). Hannah was troubled at home and could find no ...
Read more

January 3: Trust the Plan

-
Image
Trust the Plan Theme : Trusting God's timing and purpose in your life. Author : Dr. Terry-Ann Robinson, Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church   For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11   I must admit I don't like waiting or uncertainty. I am one of those people who make a list for everything, and then I have a list to keep track of my list. I work very strictly with time, and I mentally take quite a few "chill pills" to control my emotions when things don't go according to plan. I have gotten better over the years, but my "chill pills" are still needed. For some time now, I have been asking God to show me His plan for my life. I want a glimpse of the plan. Instead of showing me the details of His plan, God responds with Jeremiah 29:11, saying He knows the plan.   But Lord, I want to know the plan too.   Why can't you just tell me the ...
Read more

March 16 Anxious but Anchored

-
Image
Carol Nyack Shepherdess Cayman Islands Conference of SDA Theme: Trusting God when anxiety creeps in . It was a cool February evening, and I was reaching the end of my rope in more ways than one. I was partially laid up with a broken ankle, having just shattered my beautiful flowerpot. At the same time, vacuuming, and then, minutes later, discovered that my unlocked car had been ransacked during the night. I glanced at my husband resting on the sofa. He remained unbothered by my recounting of events. I then contacted our older son. While on the phone, my husband calmly said, "Ask him to come take me to the hospital." There was no complaint of pain, no urgency in his voice—just a quiet request. At this point, I knew prayer was more important than questioning.  Our son arrived, and just as my husband turned to kiss me and leave, I grabbed him to pray. On the way to the hospital, things took a drastic do...
Read more