Cling to the Sword!

‘And after him was Eleazar … one of the three mighty men with David … He [Eleazar] arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.’ II Samuel 23:9-10 (KJV)

What an image!

This mighty man of valor fought so hard and long that his hand ‘clave unto the sword’. The word for clave in the Hebrew is ‘dabaq’ which means: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to…

He was so determined in his fight against the enemy that his hand clung to the sword. It stuck to and with the sword. It stayed close to the sword. It cleaved unto the sword. His hand kept close to the sword. His hand followed closely and joined to the sword.

‘And the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.’

Because he remained focused, diligent and persistent – because he clung to the sword – the LORD brought about a tremendous victory. And the only thing left to do when it was all over was to collect the spoils from the enemy.

•Do you need tools to fight the battle you are in?
•Do you have a desire to annihilate the enemy?
•Do need a TODAY victory where you can take back all enemy has stolen from you and others?

DO WHAT ELEAZER DID … CLING TO THE SWORD!

Ephesians 6:13-18 tells us to put on the full armor of God when going into battle. But I especially like verse seventeen which tells us, ‘take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God’.
• As I stick to (and with) the sword, it enables me to cut down the enemies which have surrounded me
• As I embrace the truth of God’s Word and apply it to my life, I am equipped for an unrelenting battle
• I am empowered as I keep my hand close to the ‘sword, which is the word’ – as I allow it to direct the works of my hands, my actions
• When I am joined to and follow closely the Word of God, which is the sword of God, I have everything I need

The victory is sure if I will but cling to the sword of God, to the Word of God!

Understand, however, that dogged determination is not enough…

My determination must be accompanied by His sword, by His Word, by His Spirit.

This is the word of the LORD: ‘It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’ Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)

CLING TO GOD’S SWORD – CLING TO HIS WORD
DESTROY THE ENEMY … WIN THE BATTLE … COLLECT THE SPOILS!

*Re-Post 4/12/19. Originally posted on this site 04/29/10

The truth is ...

I can tell you what it is not ...


You do not have to believe in something for it to be true.

Your belief in something, or someone, does not qualify it...
Any more than your disbelief disqualifies it or them

Truth is not subjective as some would suggest.
Truth is not relative.
Truth simply is ... it is absolute.

Praying you have a blessed day ...

'The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances endures forever.'

Psalm 119:160

PRIORITIES & OPTIONS

Hi Friends!

I pray your week is off to a great start … almost to the mid-point already!

The heavens just opened up here in Virginia Beach and it is POURING!

Today was absolutely lovely with temperatures in the eighties

And now – it is 65-degrees … a 17-degree drop in half an hour

Tonight’s post is something that has been pressing on my heart for a couple of weeks now.

Yet I have wrestled with writing this …

In part, because I am fighting [and sometimes failing] to do it successfully.

You see – there is a saying which has been gaining popularity lately

I have seen pastors post it, I’ve seen it on social sites, and I have heard it in discussions

The saying?

‘Never make someone a priority in your life while you are still an option in theirs’

It sounds good when it is put out there into the atmosphere;

And please do not misunderstand me – I know the intention behind some people saying it

They are pressing the point that you should not become a doormat … for anyone;

And you absolutely should not!

However, especially when I hear this exact saying [or something similar] voiced in Christian circles

I have to ask myself, ‘Is this seeming good saying, this ‘good thing’ a God thing’?

For the answer, I can only look to my Savior for guidance

And, when I do this, 

I cannot cosign to this emerging view of PRIORITIES and OPTIONS

You see –

If I look to my Savior, my LORD and King, Jesus Christ –

I see One who made me a PRIORITY in His life while He was still an OPTION in mine.

‘While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ Romans 5:8

‘Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in our transgressions’ Ephesians 2:4

Now – I am not saying there are not times when my flesh rises up;

There are times when I want to treat people exactly the way they treat me [and have]

However – I am finding more and more lately that there is an inner press

His Holy Spirit keeps telling me to release everything that is not like Him

Not that I have attained this goal … far from it!

However, I will continue to press toward this goal; to avoid doing things out of selfish ambition; to be humble and esteem others more highly than myself [Phil. 2:3}; to continue to make every effort to love others … the way Christ has loved me.

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening

‘But to you who are listening I say:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.’

Luke 6:27-28