Remember the pickup games you and your friends used to play at school or
in the neighborhood? The captain of each team vied for the chance to
have "first pick" so he or she could choose the star player -- that one
person everyone wanted on his team! If you didn't play of the star's
team, you pretty much figured your team couldn't win.
You're grown now, and, while you still think about winning and losing,
your realize that life is not a game. But one thing hasn't changed. It's
still important whose team you're on! If you are in Christ, you're on
God's team! He is on your side in every challenge you face and endeavor
you undertake!
God created you with a free will and the ability to make decisions. One of the most important decisions you will ever make in life is who to team up with -- God or the devil. And when you're faced with the trials of life, your choice to side with God will mean victory for you, because God is for you. You and God make a winning team.
When I was in grade school, my friends and I played tackle football on the school playground, and everyone wanted Harry to be on his team. We knew we would win if we had Harry on our side! All we had to do was give Harry the ball, and he would always gain several yards before the other team could finally take him down!
Harry could have several guys hanging onto his legs and someone on his back, and Harry still wouldn't fall down! He'd keep going! Sometimes the entire opposing team would jump on Harry and eventually wrestle him to the ground.
For the sake of illustration, we could liken God to Harry, only God is infinitely better -- He never falls down! We can "give Him the ball" and expect Him to carry it, because no matter how many burdens we have, He can handle them all.
I realize that's a very crude description of the awesome power of God, but sometimes illustrations such as this one help us better understand spiritual concepts. What I want you to understand is that God's power and abilities make Him the One you should want to be teamed up with!
I remember back in school that if I wasn't picked to be on Harry's team, and somebody on his team had to drop out during the game, I was always the first one to switch sides! If another player tried to join the game, I would say, "Oh, you can be on the team I was on -- I'm going to play on Harry's team!"
Some believers forget that God is already on their side, and they switch teams, so to speak, when faced with certain challenges. In other words, they will put their trust in themselves or others, rather than look to God.
But God is on our side! He told us so in His Word. In the Book of Second Chronicles, the Lord spoke words of comfort and reassurance to the children of Israel to let them know that He was on their side and that He would fight for them.
In this passage of Scripture, the Lord has spoken beautiful words of consolation that apply to us. He said, "...Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army..." (v. 15). In other words, God said, "Don't be alarmed or troubled by the opposition coming against you."
In this case, the opposition was an army warring against Judah and Jerusalem. Your own situation might not involve physical enemies coming against you. If might be adverse situations and circumstances of life. But regardless of the circumstances arrayed against you, you don't have to be afraid or discouraged.
To further encourage us, God said, "The battle is not yours, but Mine" (v. 15). Too many times we try to "run with the ball" or carry the load ourselves when faced with the storms of life. We try to figure out how we're going to see the light of victory in a situation that is dark and bleak. But the Bible says the battle is not ours but God's!
The battle is not won by how much Word we can quote, but by how much we allow God to perform His Word through our faith in His Word. I'm not minimizing God's Word by any means, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom 10:17). But many times, we take out focus off God and the power of God that's behind His Word.
You know, people who aren't ever born again can quote the Bible! But if quoting is all they're doing, the power of God won't be manifested in their lives. If simply reciting verses of Scripture could win battles, then it would work for everyone, whether he believed those verse or not!
The enemy tries to push us to be so concerned about quoting the Word that we forget that God is the One who's backing up His Word! Our focus must always be on God, not on how many verses of Scripture we can quote. It's the power of God behind the Word that causes us to triumph!
In the midst of your circumstances, after you've said and done everything the Word of God instructs you to do, stand firm in faith; don't back off and don't waver! No matter what comes your way, stand -- not in your own strength, but in the power of God! Realize that God is on your side, and nothing can defeat Him!
You must believe that God is on your side and that He never changes. Malachi 6:3 does not say, "I am the Lord and I change occasionally." No! It says, "I the Lord do not change!" Since God doesn't change, He is still saying to us today, "Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged because of what is coming against you, for the battle is not yours, but Mine!" So you can confident;y say, "No matter what happens, I will not be discouraged or afraid, because the battle belongs to God -- and God is on my side!"
You can cast your burdens and cares over on God and forget about them. Then you can put a smile on your face and a skip in your step and go on down the road, rejoicing! God, the Deliverer, is on your side! But if you're still holding on to the problem, He can't carry it. Cast all your cares, burdens, and problems upon Jesus because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). He'll carry them so you can live in freedom, health, and blessings all the days of your life.
When God is on your side, you can count on Him to be a loyal member of the "team" forever. He will never switch teams. He said, "I will be with you." God promised to be with us all the time, not just part of the time. God is always on our side!
God said He would never leave us -- and "never" means never! You could say it this way: "Never" means there is no possibility -- not even the slightest chance -- that God will ever leave you. The devil will try to take you down a path of destruction and then leave you on the junk heap of humanity. But God is for you. He stays with you through the good and the bad. And He leads you on paths of righteousness to abundant life.
For example, the children of Israel faced many obstacles as they wandered through the wilderness: fear of the unknown, hunger and thirst -- and snakes -- to name a few! But they knew that God was on their side. They had a physical sign that represented the power and Presence of God to them -- a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They could look up at the sky at any moment of the day or night and know that God was still with them.
When we ask Jesus Christ into our hearts, we receive the remission of our sins and become children of God. At that moment, God through the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. We know that God is with us and indwells us because the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God (Rom. 8:14,16)!
God is always with us, and He is always on our side! And greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). So we can sing these words from the old hymn of faith: "What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms."
You have nothing to fear or to dread. So stop wringing your hands in worry. Instead, raise them toward Heaven and proclaim "God is on my side!" When it's dark all around you, and you cannot see a way of escape, begin to say, "I will rejoice in this day that God has made. I will be glad and shout His praises, because I know that He is on my side, and I will come out of this situation victoriously!"
As I said, God isn't just with you in good times -- when you're in church with other believers or when you sense His anointing and Presence. He is with you always, even in times of trouble.
God said He would deliver you in times of trouble when you call on Him for help. You must believe that and let Him carry the ball, so to speak. Quit trying to solve the problem yourself. If you could have taken care of the problem, you would have already done it. So stop worrying and realize that God is on your side! Let Him take care of you. It's God's battle, not yours. All you have to do is take your position, stand firm, and receive the deliverance of the Lord (2 Chron. 20:17)!
Some people think, If I stop standing in faith and just do nothing, maybe the devil will leave me alone. It doesn't work that way. You have to keep fighting the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12)! Purpose in your heart that you're not just going to sit still and let the enemy take advantage of you any longer. Stand up and be strong in the Lord. Then march into the victory that God has given you!
I've taken hold of the fact that God is on my side, and I'm going to "give Him the ball" and watch Him perform His Word in my life. I intend to take advantage of every blessing that belongs to me here on earth.
Many people are waiting for "some happy day over in glory-land." But friend, what about now? God is on our side now! We don't have to wait for someday. Yes, we're going to live in the joy and splendor of Heaven someday! But in looking to the future, some people forget about the right-here-and-now. God wants us to experience His power, blessings, and benefits today!
So let's go charging onto the field of life, knowing that God is on our side. Let's let Him lead the way, and we'll just run behind Him singing His praises. And any time the enemy comes in like a flood and things look like they're in disarray, we'll just keep right on marching and singing, "I will not quit; I will not stop! God is on my side, and I'm going to the top!"
Extracted From "The Word Of Faith" March 1997
© 1997 vinebranch@hotmail.com
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