Wednesday 18th October
When God is on our side, no battle is too difficult
Today we see how God is testing Saul and his army’s faith in Him. Saul’s army has decreased from 3000 strong to only 600 men. The weapons they have are of no use due to the Philistines blacksmiths being in charge of sharpening the swords and the cost to fix them too high. Not a single soldier had a weapon apart from Saul and Jonathan. From the outside, it looks as though Saul and his army are in an impossible position to get through this.
This was the biggest test for Saul and his army. To have full trust in God to help and guide them. Physically they had nothing, but spiritually, they had God on their side. In Romans 8:31 it says “If God is for us, who can stand against us”. God is the sword and shield to help fight the battle.
Often, when we are at our lowest and our most vulnerable and we feel stripped back of all armour, we will pray to God for his help and guidance. Saul and his men had nothing to help aid them in battle. They were outnumbered and unprepared for what was facing them. In times of darkness when we feel everything is lost, we must remember to turn to God for his help and support, for his leadership and light to guide us, no matter how bleak things seem. The armour of God is the most powerful tool we as Christians can have.
Time to reflect…
1. How would it feel to be a member of Saul’s army getting ready for battle? With so few numbers and no weapons to help their fight, how may it feel thinking that there was no way out?
2. In that situation, what prayer would you find yourself saying, what would you ask of God in that scenario?
3. When we have been in a time of trouble or worry, how did you feel after praying to God. To speak out what was weighing on your heart? Did you feel heavier or lighter after talking to God and asking for His help?
Pause for prayer
Heavenly Father, when things seem bleak and no light is at the end of the tunnel, I pray that you keep my focus on you completely. I pray that in the darkness, your light is the image I see and that I can refocus my mind to you. I pray that my faith in you is always greater than the faith I have in myself alone. Amen.
