The battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands.-—1 Samuel 17:47
The Greek historian Herodotus told the story of three hundred men from Sparta who bravely defended their country against the invasion of the Persian army. When the Persians launched an attack against Greece with a force of more than two million fighting men led by Xerxes, they had to pass through a little area known as the pass of Thermopylae, which was a small opening through some jagged cliffs.
The armies of Greece, obviously wanting to turn back their attackers, called for troops, but all they were able to rally were three hundred soldiers from Sparta, led by their king, Leonidas. He thought that if he could just hold the area for a while, reinforcements would come. So he led his three hundred men against the two million Persians at Thermopylae. Much to the surprise of everyone, the Spartans fought bravely and valiantly, and they were winning. Persian soldiers dropped one after the other. So Xerxes sent in his elite troops called the Immortals. These were the best men in his army, but the Spartans slaughtered the Immortals like everyone else. Eventually the Persians prevailed when a Greek traitor showed them the way to attack the Spartans from behind. All three hundred men were killed. And though they lost the battle, they didn't lose the war because the reinforcements finally came. The Spartans had bought much-needed time, and the armies of Greece ultimately prevailed against the Persians.
The same is true in the spiritual world as we fight a spiritual war. God can do a lot with a little. Our numbers may not be large, but our God is all-powerful. And as we go forward in His strength, we can make a difference.[Today's devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013]
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Feeling overwhelmed in your spiritual battles? Here's a reminder that God can do a lot with a little.
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Today's Bible Reading:
2 Samuel 4:1 When Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled. 2 Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands. The name of one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin (for Beeroth also is counted as part of Benjamin: 3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have lived as foreigners there until today). 4 Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news came about Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel; and his nurse picked him up and fled. As she hurried to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth. 5 The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came at about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, as he took his rest at noon. 6 They came there into the middle of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they struck him in the body: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him, killed him, beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night. 8 They brought the head of Ishbosheth to David to Hebron, and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life! Yahweh has avenged my lord the king today of Saul, and of his offspring.[a]”
9 David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10 when someone told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ thinking that he brought good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house on his bed, should I not now require his blood from your hand, and rid the earth of you?” 12 David commanded his young men, and they killed them, cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.
5:1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and spoke, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and in. Yahweh said to you, ‘You will be shepherd of my people Israel, and you will be prince over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron, and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh; and they anointed David king over Israel.
4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. 6 The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “The blind and the lame will keep you out of here”; thinking, “David can’t come in here.” 7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. This is David’s city. 8 David said on that day, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him go up to the watercourse and strike the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame can’t come into the house.”
9 David lived in the stronghold, and called it David’s city. David built around from Millo and inward. 10 David grew greater and greater; for Yahweh, the God of Armies, was with him. 11 Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, with cedar trees, carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house. 12 David perceived that Yahweh had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake. 13 David took more concubines and wives for himself out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
17 When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 19 David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?”
Yahweh said to David, “Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
20 David came to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there. Then he said, “Yahweh has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.[b] 21 They left their images there; and David and his men took them away.
22 The Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 23 When David inquired of Yahweh, he said, “You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them in front of the mulberry trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then stir yourself up; for then Yahweh has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”
25 David did so, as Yahweh commanded him, and struck the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Samuel 4:8 or, seed
b. 2 Samuel 5:20 “Baal Perazim” means “Lord who breaks out”.
Psalm 139: For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.
1 Yahweh, you have searched me,
and you know me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up.
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
but, behold, Yahweh, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in behind and before.
You laid your hand on me.
6 This knowledge is beyond me.
It’s lofty.
I can’t attain it.
7 Where could I go from your Spirit?
Or where could I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there.
If I make my bed in Sheol,[a] behold, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there your hand will lead me,
and your right hand will hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me;
the light around me will be night”;
12 even the darkness doesn’t hide from you,
but the night shines as the day.
The darkness is like light to you.
13 For you formed my inmost being.
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to you,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful.
My soul knows that very well.
15 My frame wasn’t hidden from you,
when I was made in secret,
woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my body.
In your book they were all written,
the days that were ordained for me,
when as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is their sum!
18 If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand.
When I wake up, I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would kill the wicked.
Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 For they speak against you wickedly.
Your enemies take your name in vain.
21 Yahweh, don’t I hate those who hate you?
Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred.
They have become my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart.
Try me, and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the everlasting way.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 139:8 Sheol is the place of the dead.
Matthew 16:1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 But he answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 In the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times! 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
He left them, and departed. 5 The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 They reasoned among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.”
8 Jesus, perceiving it, said, “Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, ‘because you have brought no bread?’ 9 Don’t you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 11 How is it that you don’t perceive that I didn’t speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
12 Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14 They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 I also tell you that you are Peter,[a] and on this rock[b] I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades[c] will not prevail against it. 19 I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” 20 Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ. 21 From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
22 Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you.”
23 But he turned, and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds. 28 Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 16:18 Peter’s name, Petros in Greek, is the word for a specific rock or stone.
b. Matthew 16:18 Greek, petra, a rock mass or bedrock.
c. Matthew 16:18 or, Hell
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Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie
P.O. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514-4000
Phone: 1(800)821-3300
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