The Lord Will Fight For You

Lord, battle with those who battle with me.

Fight against those who fight against me.

Pick up the shield and armor.

Rise up and help me.

Lift up your spears, both large and small,

against those who chase me.

Tell me, "I will save you."

Psalm 35: 1-3

READ Psalm 35:1-36:12

SITUATION David begged God to rescue him from those who sought his demise. He recognized the wickedness of his enemies and asked God to intervene.

OBSERVATION God fights on behalf of his children.

INSPIRATION You feel unsafe, unsure?

You don't like to be alone.

Your frightened, and fear limits the joy you experience in your life. You're trapped in an adventure less existence. What are you afraid of? Pain? Rejection? Are you afraid of making a mistake? Of getting hurt? Of being robbed or killed? Or of getting a disease?

. . . . Did you know I am never afraid, worried, frenzied or never driven with terror? Did you know that your Lord is at peace always? Did you know my Spirit -- the same as is in Me -- lives in You?

I have built a wall of protection around you so that the invisible dragons of the night will not harm you . . . I save you from the troubles and dangers of the daytime, I am for you. Who can be against you?

But you worry.

You worry because of past experiences when you were hurt. You are afraid to be hurt again. You are afraid I won't keep my word. You are afraid I don't care about you. but I do care. Every hair on your head is numbered.

. . . See Me surrounding your and keeping you from evil. See Me bringing you up out of a horrible pit, lifting you gently out of the miry clay of fear and worry. See yourself completely safe, with your feet upon a rock, established in the ways of God. (From His Thoughts Toward Me by Marie Chapian)

APPLICATION When you face battles in life, write them in a prayer journal. Wait on our Defender and record his victory in your journal. This will build you faith.

EXPLORATION Fighting--

At the Red Sea: But Moses answered (his people) , "Don't be afraid! Stand still and you will see the Lord save you today. You will never see these Egyptians again after today. You only need to remain calm; the Lord will fight for you." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Command the Israelites to start moving. Raise your walking stick and hold it over the sea so that the sea will split and the people can cross it on dry land. I will make the Egyptians stubborn so they will chase the Israelites, but I will be honored when I defeat the king and all of his chariot drivers and chariots. Exodus 14:13-17

When Goliath looked at David and saw that he was only a boy, tanned and handsome, he looked down on David with disgust. He said, "Do you think I am a dog, that you come at me with a stick?" He used his gods' names to curse David. He said to David, "Come here. I'll feed your body to the birds of the air and the wild animals!" But David said to him, "You come to me using a sword and two spears. But I come to you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the armies of Israel! You have spoken against him. Today the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll kill you and cut off your head. Today I'll feed the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds of the air and the wild animals. Then all the world will know there is a God in Israel! Everyone gathered here will know the Lord does not need swords or spears to save people. The battle belongs to him, and he will hand you over to us." 1 Samuel 17:42-47

He said, "Listen to me, King Jehoshaphat and all you people living in Judah and Jerusalem. The Lord says this to you: 'Don't be afraid or discouraged because of this large army. The battle is not your battle, it is God's. Tomorrow go down there and fight those people. They will come up through the Pass of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the ravine that leads to the Desert of Jeruel. You won't need to fight in this battle. Just stand strong in your places, and you will see the Lord save you. Judah and Jerusalem, don't be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord is with you. So go out against those people tomorrow.'2 Chronicles 20:15-17

"Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, assemble there. Our God will fight for us." Nehemiah 4:20

"Be happy with those who are happy, and be sad with those who are sad. 16 Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but make friends with those who seem unimportant. Do not think how smart you are. If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. Do your best to live in peace with everyone. My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: "I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them," says the Lord. But you should do this: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head." Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good." Romans 12:15-21


The Devotional Bible - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus, Max Lucado General Editor, New Century Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers