1 Peter 1:8 KJV
Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary goes about as a roaring lion, seeking for whom to devour
DAILY READING 1 Corinthians 7:1-24; 1 Kings 20; Amos 4:4-13
Recently the Israeli military wrapped up its largest drill in nearly two decades. This drill involved more than 25,000 active-duty and reserve forces from the army, Navy, airforce and other service branches. Israel knows that some of their enemies as Hezbollah, have become battle-hardened from the recent fighting in Syria. Not wanting to take the chances of being caught off guard, the Israeli military simulated an “extreme scenario” for a possible war. During the entire two-week drill, the scenario posited that the Israeli homefront would be pounded by rockets and missiles. It is a scenario that would demand full operational activity of all Israel’s defense forces.
In other words, they are doing a dress rehearsal for a worst possible battle. And by so doing the Israeli military is living in a state of readiness. And indeed battle readiness has been the story of the Jewish nation.
Since the tiny nation of Israel became a state in 1948, they have endured repeated wars and attacks, from the larger Arab nations.
These battles have put Israel in a constant state of alertness.
Israeli soldiers always live ready for the next battle.
Apart from the occasional wars, Israel also daily has to contend with terrorist attacks from radical Islamic groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Fatah, PLO. Greatly outnumbered by its enemies, Israel’s survival from 1948 to the present is surely a miracle. Having a small population, to increase its military might, every Israeli citizen above 18 years, male and female are enlisted in a 3 years mandatory military service. This way every adult in Israel is trained to be a soldier. So that in times of war, Israel has a much larger pool of man power with which to fight. Though after the 3 year mandatory training people go back to their normal lives, in times of war, in a flash they quickly pull off their civilian clothes and don their military uniform. Thus in Israel everyone lives battle ready. No wonder Israeli military is considered one of the finest military in the whole world.
In the same vein we must live battle ready. We must understand as we soar on the Eagle’s flight there will be obstacles to overcome. There will be battles to fight. And our success on this flight will depend on our state of battle readiness. Ephesians 6 lets us know that we are in a serious spiritual battle. We are not wrestling with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. In this ongoing spiritual battle you will survive based on the level of your spiritual readiness. Jesus severally admonished believers to watch and pray and to live ready.
Peter 1: 8 admonishes us to be sober and vigilant, because the enemy is going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour.
As a result of this spiritual battle, there is need for us to store up spiritual strength in readiness. The Bible says in proverbs 24:10 that if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Because life’s battle can come suddenly, we are to live already, always prepared for war. We prepare by maintaining a fervent spiritual life, diligently studying The Bible and keeping the fire always burning on our prayer altar.
The battles of life are represented by the challenges that often come our way.
The road of life is fraught with these challenges. What will determine our victory is how we react to them. Someone said life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react. We must be equipped through The Word to react in faith. Faith is the victory that will overcome. What you put into your mind is what you get out. When pressure is applied, your internal essence is what will come out. When you squeeze orange you get orange juice and when you squeeze grape, you get grape juice, When challenged what you have put into your mind is essentially what flows out.
This is why you must be committed to putting daily the Word of God into your mind, so that when squeezed only the Word of God will come out. And the Word is the answer to every challenge or problem of life. It delivers to us the faith to triumph always.
PRAYER: Lord ,please help me to live in a state of constant readiness spiritually.Help me also to be rightly positioned to be a part of the mighty army you are raising in this end-time. May I never miss my place nor break ranks in Jesus Name.
QUOTE:
As a child of God you have to recognize that you are in the middle of an ongoing battle.
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK METAMORPHOSIS]