Day 108, or April 18. God wants you to work with Him. Our thoughts today are rooted in
one chronicles, chapter 19, verse 13. Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and
the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in His sight.
First, the big picture surrounding this verse. David always does his best to treat the surrounding
nations as justly as possible. But it is not always appropriate, and there are times, like
with the Ammonites, when he has to be more severe than he at first intended. David is
sorely tempted by the devil at this time, as he seeks to make preparations for the temple
that will be built by his son Solomon. David charges Solomon to be strong and courageous.
And now our action step for today. Joab's words before his battle with the Arameans
were very helpful then, and they're equally inspiring today. It's inspiring to know that
whilst we do our best as God leads us, we will ultimately have the victory, because
God will always work out His purposes. It doesn't mean we don't need to try, but
it does mean that success is not solely down to our efforts. I remember teaching both of
our sons to ride their bicycles. Using stabilizers or simply holding on to their bike seat made
me feel very disconnected, and I was anxious in case they fell off. I held on to them and
did what I could to help, but they had to push the pedals and keep upright, too. It
wasn't them or me, it was all of us. Both sides had to do their part. Of course, I could
simply have taken the bikes from them and rode them myself, but I wanted them to do
it. That just about sums it up. God could do it himself, but He wants us to do it with
Him providing help, when and where it's needed. I'm sure God is trusting us to do something
today that He could easily do Himself, but at the same time He wants us to step out and
take action. Are you currently holding out on something? God won't step in and do tasks
that He wants you to do, so you had better move and do your part and enjoy the next adventure
He has for you.