This morning, I woke up with a heavy heart. It didn’t help that I slept poorly last night, but once my feet hit the floor, I immediately began to feel the weight of tasks that required my attention for the day, the week ahead, and the foreseeable future. In fact, as I type these words, I am faced with a weighty decision that could result in something positive or negative—a good thing or a bad thing. It seems that life is filled with these types of decisions, and it can become very stressful when trying to figure things out as we battle along.
Before I went to bed last night, I was browsing through some Instagram posts, many of which are from Christian-based sites. One of the posts—essentially nothing more than typed words added to a pretty photograph with music playing underneath—hit me right between the eyes—so much so, that as I tried to fall asleep, I kept reciting the words over and over to help calm my anxious heart: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14 NIV).
That Bible verse provided me with an immediate sense of relief—that with any decisions that I make, I can allow the Lord to fight on my behalf. My job is to be still. I know that being still is easier said than done, but the more I repeated this verse, the better I felt. I don’t know what decisions you are facing or the conflicts you are currently involved in, but might I encourage you to remember this verse and use it to strengthen your faith as you trust in God to get you through, no matter the outcome?
Another Bible verse that stands out to me is from 2 Chronicles 20:17: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem.” (NIV)
Now, I realize that I am not fighting a skirmish with a sword or spear in my hands, like Jehoshaphat facing a vast army, but some of the things we face in this life can cause us just as much fear and trepidation. I believe as Christians that it’s important to know that we are never alone—that the Lord is fighting right along with us as we trust him with our messy circumstances. My forthcoming decision could bear fruit or backfire, but as I allow the Lord to fight on my behalf, I will do my best to be still, all the while trusting that he always has my best interest in mind.
Oddly enough, my wife just sent me a timely social media post that fit in perfectly for this devotional, and she had no idea that I was writing it. Yes, God knew! It has to do with a simple prayer called the, “I don’t know” prayer, where you walk right up to the heart of God and say, “I don’t know what to do with these emotions. I don’t know how to handle this situation. I don’t know the outcome.” This prayer covers a lot of “I don’t know issues.” And when you are down to the tiniest bit of faith you have left, you say, “But you know, Lord.” And you leave it there at God’s feet and walk away.
Being still in the Lord is not always easy, but giving everything to him is vital if we want to allow him to not only fight our battles but to recognize that he always knows what is best for us when we don’t know what is best for ourselves. Jesus is in your court and mine, and going through each day is a lot easier if we allow him to fight on our behalf.
Paul Smyth
