day no. 16,230: we hide ourselves in Him, not from our foes

Psalm 144:1-2

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,

who trains my hands for war,

and my fingers for battle; 

he is my steadfast love and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield and he in whom I take refuge,

who subdues peoples under me.

God trains us for war by being our rock. He gives us solid stone on which to build, in which to anchor, from which to launch, for which to fight.

God gives us principles by which to battle. He trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle by giving us the grammar of life. He helps us to remember by rote what He and the world He made is like. He disciplines our dexterity by His drills. He runs us through the ringer and we come through it the richer.

We fight from victory, not for it.

We fight from love, not in order to be loved. 

We risk it all because we're safe, not in order to secure safety for ourselves. We hide ourselves in Him not from our foes. We obey His marching orders and watch the nations submit themselves to Him.

Just as Jesus conquered us, He now commands us to conquer the world.

What He has done in, for, and to us, He will do to others through our obedience to Him.

Let us, therefore, go forth to battle for King and kingdom come.