Seeds of the Kingdom Devotional 9 August 2021 By Ellel Ministries, Australia
Strength in the Battle
by Annalene Holtzhausen
“As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.”
1 Chronicles 14:15, NIV
Seeds of the Kingdom Devotional 9 August 2021 By Ellel Ministries
The Bible has so many inspiring accounts of people facing battles during their lives and of how they persevered in the strength of the Lord. When faced with tough situations in our own lives, we are often so unprepared that we just go into survival mode. We forget these biblical accounts and how the servants of the Lord overcame.
Circumstances in our lives can change so suddenly that we often experience it as being completely knocked off our feet, gasping for breath. Sometimes the pain of a situation can feel absolutely unbearable, and we don’t know how we are going to survive or ever feel normal again. It’s tough to face the reality that there is not going to be a quick solution. There is a knowing inside that we will have to walk this road, even if everything inside of us wants the crisis to go away and for life to be as it was before. We need strength to face these battles, whatever they are.
Going back to the account of David completely trusting the Lord for the way forward, this has always been an inspiration to me. I always picture him with his men, having to decide on the battle plan against the enemy. I picture horses neighing and stomping around, men discussing options and preparing their army gear, as they were awaiting orders – the atmosphere must’ve been quite tense. In the midst of all this, David listened for the Lord’s voice, and subsequently the Lord gave them the victory once again.
What strikes me the most is that the Lord told David to listen for the sound of marching in the poplar trees. The Afrikaans translation uses the word ‘rustling’ in the treetops. It made me wonder how quiet and focused David had to be in himself in order to hear that sound in the treetops. If he had allowed fear and doubt in, he probably would not have been able to follow the Lord’s instructions.
So, what are we to do when we find ourselves in the midst of a battle? Psalm 40: 1-2 gives us direction, and once again it is David turning to the Lord, when he says: “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”
When facing a battle, we need a firm place to stand. We need to know where our strength and safety can be found. This is always our starting place, where we face a battle from. No matter how you are feeling, it is so important to still choose to walk this journey with the Lord. You can tell Him that you are so disappointed, or hurt, or afraid, or angry, or doubting His goodness. You can tell Him everything. Allow Him to become your safe place where your feet have a firm place to stand. It’s never too late to ask Jesus to become your Rock and your Salvation. In Psalm 51:17 we read that the Lord will never despise a broken and contrite heart.
Lean on Him today and yield to His mercy and kindness. Allow Him to bring hope and wholeness to you, to be your strength and show you the next step. Let Him settle your heart and your anxious thoughts, so that you can hear His voice in the midst of the battle you are facing.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I come before You today in the midst of this battle I am facing. I can’t do this on my own and need Your strength, Lord. I choose to hold on to Your words in Isaiah 41:10, ‘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.’ I believe that You will bring me through this battle, one step at a time, because You give my feet a firm place to stand. Amen.
Annalene Holtzhausen is on the Associate Team at Ellel, Africa. She is married to Renier, who introduced her to Ellel Ministries. She is a full-time mother to their two boys. Her passion is for the restoration of women’s hearts and for people to find their worth in the Lord.