“Rise Up!”
By Laura Hershenow
It is unbelievably easy for each of us to sit back intotheroutine oflife, to settle into the monotony of the daily process, and to recoil into a position of submission to a functional mindset as the spiritual battle rages around us. So much in life drives us to that place of emotional, physical, and spirituallethargy: the high demands of work, parenting, relationships, coping with the overwhelming moral decline of culture, and just the sheer amount of noise we endure on a daily basis. There are many voices calling our names and vying for our time and attention—and they can all soak up our energy. They ultimately leave us in a dry and barren place where we can elect to take a seat on the bench and catch our breath.
Yet, that dry and desolate place is not what God has for any of us. He has certainly not called for any of us to sit on the sidelines whilst watching the game of life fluidly played out in front of our eyes without our hearty contributions or investments.And He has most certainly not called us to walk through life on an emotional or spiritual hiatus due to an overwhelmed, defeated, and lie-acceptantmindset. Instead, He wants us to bask in His love, grace, and mercy, and become renewed. But, as beautiful as that sounds, we all know that it’s all too easy to fall prey to the gnashing teeth of busyness and the pervasive and continual attempts of the enemy to derail us from the Lord’s purposes for our lives.
The Lord’s response to this angst is being sung by a choir, and a number of voices are belting out His message in perfect harmony.Nate’s poignant message from the pulpit is calling us to engage the battle and, “Fight the good fightof faith” on His behalf (See 1 Timothy 6:12). Helen appealed for us to stand with compassion and love for life. AndKathy exhorted us to “break out” on His behalf and live in freedom to carry out His plans. God is calling us to shed our complacency, cut ties with our emotional exhaustion and spiritual indifference and,instead,be rejuvenated by His hope.
The Lord wants usto suit up for battle, jump off the sidelines and get into the action.No more should we waste our efforts and emotional capacity on lesser things in life or be intimidated by the enemy through his discouragement and lies! I challenge you today to trust the Lord to lead you into battle, to let Him instill in you a powerful confidence like He did for David. I urge you to letHim draw out your gifts and your ability to stand, break out, and fight…and in doing so, fulfill His purposes specifically crafted and planned for you.For no one else can fulfill what He has planned for you to do in battle. No one else can stand in your place and wield the sword He has gifted for you and you alone.
He has chosen you as His precious and courageous warrior. He has planned for you a battle all your own, one in which He has walked before you and sowed victory. So, let me ask you:
- Have you chosen to relinquish your place on the sidelines and to engage?
- Have you recognized and discarded the lies the enemy intended to use to discourage and immobilize you?
- Have you identified the gifts the Lord has given youwith which to fight?
Brothers and sisters, it’s time for us to suit up! We are called to arm ourselves for battle (See Ephesians 6: 10–17)! The Lord is calling us to pick up our swords and wield them with confidence! It’s time for us to fight the good fight in His name. He has equipped each of us with unique life experiences that will all be used to inevitably win over lives for Christ in battle. So I urge you to embrace His calling for you today and unite with the body of Christin acceptance of what He is calling us to be—warriors!
Prayer:“Lord, awaken my heart to Your calling for me. Arise within me Your Spirit and equip me to be your warrior. Help me to be courageous on Your behalf and to engage in the fight. Lead me straight into the battle You have for me, and instill in me a powerful confidence to move in line with Your will. Allow me to exude compassion and empathy while speaking Your truth. Let me walk in Your dominion and be emboldened with strength, bravery, and persistence to fight on and fulfill the purposes you haveplanned specifically for me. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.”
Digging Deeper:1 Timothy 6:12; Ephesians 6:10–17; Joshua 1:9; Deuteronomy 20:4;
Romans 8:31–39
Song:Steven Curtis Chapman: Warrior (