Yesterday, I stood in church and I sang the words, “Oh God, the battle belongs to you.” As those words passed my lips, I felt the Holy Spirit say, “Do you really believe that?” Sometimes we can sing songs or even quote scripture, and we don’t even realize what we’re saying. Do you really believe this battle belongs to God? Is he fighting here? Is he promising victory?
What battle are you currently facing? What is your real life situation of stress, uncertainty and threat? Think about that relationship right now. Think about that circumstance. Think about that worry you’ve been carrying around and fear of what may happen next. Is there a sickness? Is there a problem with someone you love? Is there a divide that seems to only be getting bigger? Is there a hurt? An injustice?
Is it your marriage? Is it your child? Is it your family? Is it you?
Is it your home? Is it your job? Is it your future? Is it your health?
Where’s your battle? Is that really God’s battle? Is God in this? Can his power be at work here? Could he change it all around? Could he do the impossible?
David was the one who first spoke those words, “This is the Lord’s battle.” Do you know when he spoke it? When he was staring up at a skilled giant enemy warrior named Goliath. Goliath was in full armor, holding a sword and a spear, ready to crush little shepherd boy David who stood there in his shepherd clothes, holding nothing but a slingshot and 5 smooth stones from the river.
David responded to the threats of the giant with absolute confidence – not in himself – but in his God. 1 Samuel 17:47, “This is the Lord’s battle!” You see David never declared this battle as his own, this battle belonged to God. And when the battle belongs to God, first it’s not about you and what you can do, and second it’s already won.
David knew something – he knew the stories of God’s power. He knew the battles God had won before with the most impossible odds, and he knew when he sought the Lord for his battle plan, the ultimate victory would be claimed.
Now back to your battle. The situation that threatens or worries you. The thing that has been causing pain in your life. Does this battle belong to God? What I’m asking is, will you let God be in charge of this and trust his plan? Or will you opt for your own ways of worry and stew in the questions, the hurt and the anger? Girl, you can make yourself absolutely sick over this – or you can let God have this battle.
What’s your choice?
I bet right now you have something going on in your life or in your family that is worthy of a full blown breakdown. Something that frustrates you, stresses you, or hurts you. Something you so want to change, but you are powerless to change it. May I remind you once again that you are not Jesus. You cannot save them – you cannot fix them – you cannot change them. That’s God’s job. It’s his battle.
Does that mean we sit back and do nothing? Oh absolutely not. David did not see the giant fall by doing nothing. David let the battle be God’s battle and he let God give him the battle plan. All he had to do was walk it out in faith because it was already guaranteed to work.
Wow – how about that? God has a battle plan and your only job is to walk it out in faith. If you will, it’s already guaranteed to work. Now, here’s what that does NOT guaranteed. It doesn’t guarantee it will always be easy, and it doesn’t guarantee it will always make sense.
In your Bible there are hundreds of stories of battles. None of those battles were easy. Sacrifices had to be made, training had to be given, and long journeys had to be taken. Battles meant some losses. And in these stories of battles within our Bible, we find battle plans.