Why You Should Choose Your Battles Wisely

It is very important to choose the battles that you fight wisely so that you do not waste your energy fighting nonsensical battles.

We can see that when David was sent to take food for his brothers and he found Goliath taunting the Israelite army, his oldest brother Eliab became angry and asked him the following questions:
1. "Why did you come here?" (I Samuel 17:28) and yet he knew David had been sent to bring them food.

2. "With whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness?" (I Samuel 17:28) This question was probably framed to tell the men who David was talking, who were most likely soldiers of King Saul's army like his brother, that he was a nobody, a shepherd who took care of a few sheep in the middle of nowhere. 

3. "I know your pride and arrogance" (I Samuel 17:28) This statement was probably also meant to show those men that he had a bad character.

David's brother Eliab did not have any justification for speaking to David like this because first of all David was not talking to him. 

Secondly, David was simply asking those men the reward that would be given to the person who killed Goliath. (I Samuel 17:26)

David responded to his brother very wisely for all he said was, "Is there not a cause?" and then he turned away from him. (I Samuel 17:29-30)

This is a very important point because it teaches us that we have to discern the battles we should fight and the battles we should ignore.

This is because if David had spent time and energy answering his brother and trying to prove that he was not proud or arrogant, chances are his brother could have had him removed from the battlefield and thus David would have missed his chance to prove himself and fight Goliath.

So David prudently turned away and focused his attention on "THE CAUSE".

Know that even if you have killed lions and bears, you do not have to kill every Eliab who provokes you.

Assess your Eliab for who they really are and if they are a mere provocative distraction in the grand scheme of your life, turn your back to them and focus on your Goliath.

Therefore whenever you find yourself in the middle of an altercation, always assess it to see if it is worth your time and energy to fight it or whether you should ignore it.

Understand that the devil sometimes sends "Eliab Battles" to provoke you and distract you from your "Goliath Battles" that usher you into your destiny. 

Therefore do not fall for these devices of the devil of provocation and distraction.

Click here to learn more about the Devices of the Devil

Notice also that when King Saul told David that "You are not able to fight Goliath since you are a youth and he has been a fighter from his youth."  (I Samuel 17:33) David did not turn away from the King as he had turned away from Eliab.

David knew where to expend his energy and he spent time telling the king of his ability to kill lions and bears and his confidence that the God who helped him kill those animals would also help him kill Goliath. (I Samuel 17:34-37)

Therefore pray for the spirit of discernment so that you can choose your battles wisely and not turn away from the battles that you should fight, even if you are just fighting them verbally.

Devices of the Devil - Confusion

Confusion is another of the devices that the devil uses to attack the people of God.

We can see this when Nehemiah and the Israelites were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem because when their enemies Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were being closed, they became very angry and they conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. (Nehemiah 4:7-8)

Therefore whenever you start to feel confused, know that it is not from God For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

To deal with situations where the enemy is trying to cause confusion, pray like Nehemiah did for he continues and says, Nevertheless we made our prayer to God and set a watch against them day and night. (Nehemiah 4:9)

Pray and ask for God to direct you because we are advised that If anyone lacks wisdom, let them pray and ask God who gives freely to all and it will be given. But when they ask, they must not doubt because the person who doubts is like a wave in the sea tossed about by the wind and such a person should not suppose that they will receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:5-7)

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After praying, believe that God will direct you regardless of what you feel about your confusing situation.

To be better able to discern God’s will you have to Be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may be able to know what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2) for you in your situation.

To renew your mind and transform yourself, meditate on the Word of God and replace all negative thoughts in your mind with positive Scriptures. 

After evicting the negative thoughts, set a watch over your heart and mind since we are advised to Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it comes the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

Guard your heart and mind by not reading books and blogs or watching movies and documentaries or listening to music and talks that promote messages that are contrary to what the Word of God preaches.

Allow into your heart and mind only the things that are in line with God’s word and you will be less confused by the issues in your life.

In addition, do not be jealous of other people or their possessions and do not compete with them because Where envy and rivalry exist, there is confusion. (James 3:16)

Be thankful instead for what you have since Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6) even if you are asking God to give you some more.

      

How To Refuse To Be Intimidated

Are people with sophisticated technology trying to cow you? 

Are people with advanced education trying to intimidate you?

Are people with a complicated network trying to terrorize you?

If they are, refuse to be intimidated by reminding yourself that you can triumph over them if God is on your side even if you are the underdog.

We can see an example of this when David went to fight Goliath because he took:
a. a staff
b. 5 smooth stones
c. a sling (1 Samuel 17:40) 

Goliath, on the other hand, had come to fight him with:
a. a bronze helmet 
b. a metal coat weighing 5000 shekels (around 125 lbs or 60 kg)
c. bronze armor covering his legs
d. a bronze javelin
e. a spear with an iron head weighing 600 shekels (around 15 lbs or 7.5 kg)
f. an armor bearer carrying his shield in front of him. (1 Samuel 17:4-7) 

David seemed like the underdog of this battle because:
a. Goliath had more sophisticated weapons for they were made of bronze while David's were made of wood and stone.

b. Goliath had more experience fighting for King Saul told David, "You are a youth but Goliath has been a man of war from his youth." (1 Samuel 17:33) 

c. Goliath had a stronger network than David because he had an armor bearer who carried his shield in front of him while David did not have any human to help him since the entire Israelite army was not able to face Goliath.

However, in spite of being the physical underdog because of these factors, David was the spiritual top dog because he went to battle together with God for he told Goliath, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts." (1 Samuel 17:45) 

Therefore, if you find yourself in a battle of any kind where you are the physical underdog, do not give up if you have God have on your side because He can make you triumph with the Might of His Power the way He helped a single stone slung by David make a giant wearing a helmet fall.  

Call on Jehovah Sabaoth or the Lord of Hosts (1 Samuel 17:45) the way David did and pray for His help. 

In addition, refuse to be cowed by reminding yourself that The Lord does not save with sword and spear. (1 Samuel 17:47) 

This means that God does not need swords and spears to help you win your battles because it is Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord God Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6) 

Therefore, refuse to be intimidated by telling yourself that, "The Lord does not save with sophisticated technology or advanced education or complicated networks or whatever else your opponents are trying to intimidate you with. He saves with His Spirit.

Furthermore, remind yourself that the Battle is not to the strong (Ecclesiastes 9:11) because time and chance happen to everyone. 

But, instead of waiting for time and chance to happen to you, give your battle to the Lord so that He can fight for you as you emulate David who gave his battle to God by declaring to Goliath that the "The battle is the Lord's" (1 Samuel 17:47)

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How to Receive the Humanly Impossible

Do you need something you have been told you will never get?

Do you want something that seems humanly impossible to get?

If you do, learn from Abraham how to receive from God what is humanly impossible because he received his son Isaac at a time when it was considered humanly impossible for him and his wife to get a biological child. 

This was due to the fact that when God told him that he would have descendants who were as numerous as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5), Abraham was around 100 years old. Though men can still sire children in old age, their chances are reduced when compared to younger men.

His wife Sarah was around 90 years old at that time and her chances of conceiving a baby were almost negligible since she had passed menopause and she had even been unable to bear children in her youth.

So how did Abraham and Sarah receive Isaac in a situation that could be described as humanly impossible?

The Bible tells us that Abraham Not being weak in faith, did not consider his own body already dead since he was around 100 years old or Sarah's barren womb. 

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but he was strengthened in faith and praised God while being fully convinced that what God had promised He was also able to perform. (Romans 4:19-22)

Therefore if you want to receive something from God that is humanly impossible in your current circumstances, follow these Abrahamic steps: 

1. Ignore the Human Facts

Abraham did not consider his own body as dead or Sarah's womb as barren. (Romans 4:19)

Therefore regardless of the humanly impossible situation, you are dealing with, stop taking into consideration the human facts since they cannot help you anyway.

2. Consider the Promises of God

Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief. (Romans 4:20) 

Therefore regardless of your humanly impossible situation, decide to believe the promises of God for your situation.

3. Strengthen your Faith

Abraham was strengthened in faith. (Romans 4:20)  

Abraham was fully convinced that what God had promised He was also able to perform. (Romans 4:21)

Therefore regardless of your humanly impossible situation, strengthen your faith by listening to the Word of God since Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)

As you listen to the preaching of God's Word or as you read stories in the Bible like this one of Abraham, decide to believe that what God did for those people, He can also do for you since God is not a respector of persons. (Acts 10:34)

Strengthen your faith by listening and reading until you are 100% convinced that what God has promised you in His Word, He is also able to perform for you.   

How to Reduce Self Doubt and Increase Self Confidence

When God called Moses to go to Egypt and ask Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery, Moses asked God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11)

This answer shows us that Moses doubted himself and his ability to do this job that God was giving him even though he was perfectly suited for it because of the facts that he was an Israelite who had been brought up as Egyptian prince by Pharaoh's daughter.

His upbringing and education, therefore, enabled him to identify with the pain of his brothers in bondage and to face the Egyptians without the demeanor of a slave. 

Causes of Self Doubt

Reasons that may have contributed to Moses' self-doubt include:

1. His Past Actions

Moses had killed an Egyptian who was smiting an Israelite and hidden his body in the sand. Pharaoh had learned about this incidence and sought to kill him. As a result, Moses had to flee Egypt. (Exodus 2:11-12)

2. People's Words

Moses found two Israelite men fighting and when he intervened, one of the men asked him, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us?" (Exodus 2:13-14)

Even though he had been brought up as an Egyptian prince, these word by an Israelite man could have affected him.

3. Present Life Situation

When God spoke to Moses, he was working as a shepherd taking care of the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro in the backside of the desert. (Exodus 3:1) This was a far cry from the life he was used to as an Egyptian prince. 

Treatment for Self-Doubt

When Moses expressed his self-doubt to God, by asking "Who am I?"  God answered him by saying, "Certainly I will be with you." (Exodus 3:12)

This is a great answer because it shows us that it did not matter what he had done, what people had said and what he was currently doing with his life. All that mattered was God's presence in his life.  

Therefore adopt the same attitude and disregard what you did in your past since what matters is whether or not God is with you now. 

In addition, ignore what people have said about you, since what really matters is what God says and whether He is with you. 

Furthermore, do not let your current circumstances make you doubt yourself and your ability to do what God wants you to do. Know that what matters is whether or not God is with you because With God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) 

If you want God to be with you, know that you have to Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8) 

We can see that Moses had drawn near to God because he had gone to the Mountain of God in Horeb. (Exodus 3:1)

Therefore draw near to God by creating time to pray and read the Bible as well as ensuring you do what His Word says since He promises us that, "You will seek me and find me if you seek Me with your whole heart. (Jeremiah 29:13) 

To learn more read How to develop a Personal Relationship with Jesus

How to Connect with God

Meditating and confessing self-confidence Bible verses can also reduce your self-doubt and increase your self-esteem. The self-confidence boosting Scriptures include:
I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) 

I am precious in God's eyes. (Adapted Isaiah 43:4) 

I am all beautiful. There is no flaw in me. (Adapted Song of Solomon 4:7) 

I am God's masterpiece created in Christ to do good works which God prepared for me. (Ephesians 2:10) 

I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Adapted Ephesians 6:10) 

I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) 

I am a new creation because I am in Christ Jesus. (Adapted 2 Corinthians 5:17) 

I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ who loves me. (Romans 8:37) 

I am confident that He who began a good work in me will complete it. (Philippians 1:6) 

I am complete in God. (Colossians 2:10) 

Increasing your self-confidence will increase your chances of completing the job God created you to do. For more on this read How to Know and Fulfill Your Life's Purpose. 

Devices of the Devil - Temptation

Another device of the devil who is also known as The tempter (1 Thessalonians 3:5) is to set you up so that you can destroy yourself.

We can see that The serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness. (2 Corinthians 11:3) 

He did not directly ask her to touch the forbidden fruit or to bite it. He also did not put it in her hand or stuff it into her mouth. He simply spoke suggestively and left it to her to stretch out her hand to touch and the forbidden fruit and bring it to her mouth.

Therefore, when you find yourself in a situation where you are being tempted to do something wrong, look for your way of escape to leave the tempting situation and fight back spiritually by speaking the Word of God which is the Sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 3:17) 

How to Reduce the Frustrations of Expectations

Having the right expectation is one of the ways that you can reduce frustrations.

This is because you can frustrate yourself by placing your expectation (which is your faith and hope that something will happen) in the wrong person.

For example, if someone has stolen, killed or destroyed something of yours, expecting them to restore it can frustrate you.

To reduce your frustrations, do not place your expectation of restoration on the thief, murderer or destroyer because stealing, killing and destroying are characteristics of the devil for The thief does not come except to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)  

Put all your expectation on God even if you are seeking legal redress because He is a restorer for He says, I will restore to you the years that were eaten by the locusts, the cankerworm, the caterpillar and the palmerworm. (Joel 2:25)  

Therefore regardless of your specific situation, reduce the frustration of your expectations by looking to see if your expectations match the characteristics of God or those of the devil so that you can know if you are placing them in the wrong place.

Click here to learn the characteristics and names of God

Devices of the Devil - Accusations

Satan is the Accuser of the brethren. (Revelations 12:10)

We can see this in the book of Job where the devil accused Job of being blameless and upright before God because God had made a hedge of protection around him, his household and all his possessions in addition to blessing the work of his hands and ensuring that his possessions increased. (Job 1:9-10)

Joseph was also falsely accused of attempted rape by Potiphar’s life and he suffered in jail for several years because of it. (Genesis 39:1-20)

Nehemiah was also falsely accused by Sanballat of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem so that the Israelites could rebel. (Nehemiah 6:5-7)

Therefore, if you are being attacked with horrible false accusations morning, noon, and night, understand that that is just one of the devices of the devil and be determined to continue doing what God has called you to do like Nehemiah.

In addition, continue being faithful to God even when you are suffering because of the false accusations because God can use that situation to bless you mightily. 

We can see He did this for Joseph during his imprisonment because God connected him to Pharaoh’s butler who later recommended Joseph to Pharaoh for his dream interpretation skills. Joseph then impressed Pharaoh so much that he was promoted to be the Prime Minister of Egypt.

So even if you are suffering because of false accusations, trust that God will bring you out to victory in the end because The Lord is a God of justice and blessed are those who wait for Him. (Isaiah 30:18)