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Strength for the battle
We all face battles in life. We’ll all struggle. But we won’t all respond in the same way. Some of us will keep fighting, while some of us will allow the struggle to become all-consuming. In order to keep fighting, we need to have a faith that refuses to quit. Somebody who had a lot of struggles was David. But he understood the importance of maintaining the right perspective. He said, ‘You armed me with strength for battle.’ God will always give us strength when we come to Him and ask for it. We’re not built to handle everything on our own. We need to take our problems and battles to God. In Isaiah 41, God says: ‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’ (v.10 NIV). When we remember that God is ready and waiting to take our burdens, and to give us the strength we need to make it through, we won’t feel despondent and overwhelmed. We’ll be able to have an ‘overcomer’ attitude. And that’s the kind of attitude that God wants us to have. After all, ‘we are more than conquerors through him who loved us’ (Romans 8:37 NIV). Once we’ve made it through the other side of the battle, we need to remember that we got through by God’s strength. A bit earlier in Psalm 18, David begins by saying how he pursued his enemies and didn’t give up, but he makes sure he follows that with his acknowledgment of God’s help and strength. It’s great to celebrate our victories when we’ve overcome a battle, but we also need to acknowledge and glorify God too.
What Now?
Think of a battle that you’ve come out the other side of. Then thank God for giving you the strength to overcome.
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