Faith-bearing Seed for the Soul
"While the earth remaineth,
Seedtime and harvest
....shall not cease"

Genesis 8:22

As the Battle Rages

God will personally give us directions on what we can and should do in the midst of a battle with our enemy...some of these instructions may include, to stand still and watch for the salvation of the Lord...to wait for God to act...other times to pursue the enemy, and even at times, to flee from him, as Paul did on occasion. One of the most effective things that He has shown me to do is found in Exodus 17:8-13, where Joshua was fighting the Amalekites with the sword while Moses was instructed by God to stand holding his hands up towards heaven.

As long as Moses hands were held up, the Israelites were winning the battle...the moment he put his hands down, the enemy began to win. What does this imply to you? And, what does this say about what God  expects from His leaders? To hold ones hands up in any language means that the individual surrenders... To hold our hands up to God means that we not only surrender, but that we praise Him and are looking to Him for our victory...

Our enemy cannot read our minds...he is only able to fire destructive thoughts into our minds when we don't have our helmet of salvation on, and he has knowledge of those thoughts because he placed them there. After filling our minds with depressing thoughts, he stands back to see how we react to his lies and deceitfulness....to see if we are going to trust God's promises, or his lies. The moment we stop surrendering to God and stop praising Him as the Lord in control of our lives, our enemy can see by our visible actions that he is gaining control and he immediately sends in more demonic principalities and powers in an attempt to completely destroy us.

I know that in the midst of our battles, that's the most difficult time to lift our hands in surrender and praise to the Lord, but it is an action that Satan cannot come against because it signifies faith in our Father... and the battle is won by our visible trust in Him...by what we DO as the battle rages.

As Moses began to tire, Aaron and Hur held his arms up. There may come a time that we are going to need to recruit some assistance from our brothers and sisters in the Lord...so don't hesitate to ask for that help...we are to bear one another's burdens.

Exodus 17:11,12 NIV

..."As Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and  he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady til sunset."

Ephesians 5:20 LB (Emphasis mine)

"Always give thanks FOR EVERYTHING to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

As I've done these things in the MIDST OF MY BATTLES, I have seen  the tide of the battle change... We should not, through downcast body language, inform the devil that we are doubting the wonderful promises of God. Respond to Satan's lies and deception with praise to the Lord, no matter what the battle is. Some battles are not battles at all and are only much needed correction from the Lord that the enemy is twisting to deceive us.

Hebrews 12:10-12 LB (Emphasis mine)

"...God's correction is always right and for our best good, that we may share His holiness. Being punished isn't enjoyable while it is happening-- it hurts! But afterwards we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character. So take a new grip with your tired hands, stand firm on your shaky legs, and mark out a straight, smooth path for your feet so that those who follow you, though weak and lame, will not fall and hurt themselves, but become strong."

Rooted and grounded in the love of Christ Jesus,

Marlene,

Texas Seed Sower

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Eccl. 11:6

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