“The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh (tribes of Israel) had 44,760 men ready for military service - able bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle.They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.” (I Chronicles 5:18 -20 NIV) One of the things that struck me about this passage was the fact these men prayed. Prayer is something that we can do no matter where we find ourselves. It’s possible that these prayers occurred during moments of rage, anger, or despair. Maybe they occurred while looking up and screaming at God or quite possibly uttering a few feeble words for mercy while kneeling at an injured friend’s side. The picture is set of one intense battle between many groups of people, but in spite of the war around them, they took the time to pray. This tells me that if prayer was a vital component of their battle and subsequent victory, then it should a part of each of ours as well. The second thing about these men was the fact that they trusted God. Trust is not an easy thing to enter into. It requires that we be willing to be open(transparent) with someone and share the truth about our lives. Years ago I entered into a time of reconciliation with a friend. When we parted ways many years back, it was not on amicable terms. There was a time during this period when we both struggled with one very important aspect of our newly mended friendship - Trust. Trusting someone means you have confidence in their ability to be honest and reliable, in other words you have faith in them. You value their ability to be trusted(depended on) and count on their reliance in being available when you need them. In other words, they become someone that you can share things with, even deep desires and secrets that are too painful to handle on your own. These men understood the value of trust by praying to God, whom they had established was someone they could depend on, especially during the war that raged all around them. God is interested in hearing any and everything you have to say about the battle that you are facing today. He wants your full trust and confidence. He is someone that you can rely on. It matters not if the words you use are filled with anger, fear, rage, or quite possibly just HELP. God will not be upset with you. He is waiting to hear your prayers, your petitions, your cries…and when you decide to trust him fully, tell him everything, even your deepest desires and hurts that you have kept hidden away, you will find, just as these warriors and I have, that God will answer you and be with you through whatever battle you find raging all around you. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 NIV). Will you trust God today? Message me if you need prayer.
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 21:52:49 +0000
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