Weapons for the Battle
Several years ago I was asked to give a devotional for a young gal in our Sunday school class on the occasion of the birth of her 4th child, and only son. They named their son Zachary because it means “The Lord Remembers.” I remember sitting in my backyard, reading my Bible when the Lord gave me the Scripture I used for that devotion. The passage of Scripture is from the book of Psalms, chapter 144:1 – 3, “Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!” I remember being so amazed when I read verse 3, which asks the question, “what is man, that thou takest knowledge of Him…” and thought of how God remembered their family by giving them the son they had prayed for! Every time I read that Psalm, I think of that sweet family.
This morning I read Psalm 144 which ends with this statement in verse 15, “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.” I also read the book of Ruth, but before I actually started reading, Judges 21:25, caught my attention, It says, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” With both of those verses on my mind, I thought of the current state of our nation.
America was founded on the Word of God. With God on the throne in America has flourished and indeed known the blessing of God. In the last 40 years, God has been removed as our Lord in America. He is not allowed in public, people want to remove “In God We Trust” from our money, and “One Nation Under God” from our Pledge of Allegiance; and as in the days when there was no king in Israel, people are doing that which is right in their own eyes.
In Psalm 144, there is a “prayer” for the family that I believe reveals the pathway to the happiness promised in verse 15. The Psalm starts out by thanking the Lord for teaching our hands to war, because you know that today with the stark change in the values that were once held by the majority in our nation, there is a battle for our children. Moms, you only have your children for a short amount of time – so be sure you are properly armed for the battle.
These are the weapons we need to win this war.
1. Presence of God. Realize that we are we weak and God is mighty. “Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away. Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.” Psalm 144:4-6
2. Protection of God. Seek God’s help to protect your children from worldly influences. They may misguide your children by the vain things they will say; they are relying on things that are not true. “Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children. Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” Psalm 144:7-8 (This is reiterated in verse 11).
3. Praise our God. Make sure that your children learn that Jesus is the Saviour, and that God provides protection. “I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.” Psalm 144:9-10
Psalm 144 goes on to promise that if we follow this path in raising children, our sons will be as plants grown up in their youth –properly trained, standing straight and disciplined; our daughters will be as polished cornerstones, beautiful and strong women, our needs will be met, and we will be protected.
It is my prayer that this will be of help to all of you in the battle today. My children are in this battle raising my grandchildren in a very different America than I knew even 30 years ago when my first child was born - I praise the Lord that while America has changed our God never changes, and his Word is eternal. "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89
I love you!
This morning I read Psalm 144 which ends with this statement in verse 15, “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.” I also read the book of Ruth, but before I actually started reading, Judges 21:25, caught my attention, It says, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” With both of those verses on my mind, I thought of the current state of our nation.
America was founded on the Word of God. With God on the throne in America has flourished and indeed known the blessing of God. In the last 40 years, God has been removed as our Lord in America. He is not allowed in public, people want to remove “In God We Trust” from our money, and “One Nation Under God” from our Pledge of Allegiance; and as in the days when there was no king in Israel, people are doing that which is right in their own eyes.
In Psalm 144, there is a “prayer” for the family that I believe reveals the pathway to the happiness promised in verse 15. The Psalm starts out by thanking the Lord for teaching our hands to war, because you know that today with the stark change in the values that were once held by the majority in our nation, there is a battle for our children. Moms, you only have your children for a short amount of time – so be sure you are properly armed for the battle.
These are the weapons we need to win this war.
1. Presence of God. Realize that we are we weak and God is mighty. “Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away. Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.” Psalm 144:4-6
2. Protection of God. Seek God’s help to protect your children from worldly influences. They may misguide your children by the vain things they will say; they are relying on things that are not true. “Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children. Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” Psalm 144:7-8 (This is reiterated in verse 11).
3. Praise our God. Make sure that your children learn that Jesus is the Saviour, and that God provides protection. “I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.” Psalm 144:9-10
Psalm 144 goes on to promise that if we follow this path in raising children, our sons will be as plants grown up in their youth –properly trained, standing straight and disciplined; our daughters will be as polished cornerstones, beautiful and strong women, our needs will be met, and we will be protected.
It is my prayer that this will be of help to all of you in the battle today. My children are in this battle raising my grandchildren in a very different America than I knew even 30 years ago when my first child was born - I praise the Lord that while America has changed our God never changes, and his Word is eternal. "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89
I love you!
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