Title: The Way to Victory in Life's War
Judges (4) The way to victory in life's war (Judges 1:16-26)
1. Don't be afraid
Moses' father-in-law Jethro (Reuel) was a Kenite belonging to the Midianites. Moses asked Jethro his father-in-law and his brother-in-law Hobab to go to Canaan together, but Hobab refused (Numbers 10:29-30). Later, the Kenites went up to the city of palm trees and dwelt with the children of Judah. The city of palm trees refers to Jericho, famous for producing palm trees. The Kenites stayed in Jericho, and later, when Judah and Simeon conquered the south, they went down to the south of Arad, 25 km south of Hebron, and lived with the people of Judah (verse 16).
The tribe of Judah, along with the tribe of Simeon, annihilated the Canaanites living in Shephat (verse 17), and gradually went north and conquered the Philistine cities of Gaza, Ashkel, and Ekron (verse 18). So God was with the tribe of Judah and drove out the people of the hill country, but the inhabitants of the valley could not be driven out (verse 19). Fear of iron chariots had made him terrified and abandoned the task altogether, without even attempting to drive them out of the valley.
“What if we fail?” How many people live in a world where they can't use their abilities because they give up before they even start working because of the fear of doing it? The biggest reason for fear is ignorance. In reality, the things you are afraid of often don't really matter when you face them. It is not a God-given heart to refrain from even attempting a holy task out of fear. Now do not be afraid and try the holy thing. Then the victory is closer.
2. Remember the Promise
Anak's three sons, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, were giants enough to inspire fear, but how could the tribe of Judah drive them out? It was because he remembered the promise of blessing that Moses had made (verse 20). This fact makes us realize how important it is to believe in God's promises and go out. Just as the tribe of Judah cooperated with the tribe of Simeon to conquer Bezek, a group of warriors, cooperation is important to win the battle of life. Likewise, cooperation with people is important, but even more important is cooperation with God.
Everyone wants happiness, but having everything in the world doesn't make you happy. Happiness is a gift from God. Even if you own the whole world, you cannot overcome disease, you cannot protect your children, and you cannot go to heaven. Even if you catch everything in the world, you lose everything in an instant. If you hold on to God, you will catch everything, but if you miss God, you will lose everything. In the end, only those who hold on to God tightly and remember God's promises and go out will ultimately win.
What matters is faith. If you keep your faith, you can also keep victory. So the prayer is “God! Rather than praying “God bless you!” Please keep your faith!” is a much more blessed prayer. Because if you endure with faith, you will surely be blessed. Even in the world, if we endure with faith, we will succeed, but if the saints endure with faith, there cannot be no victory. To those who believe in God's promises and know how to take on difficult tasks, God will grant the most blessed work.
3. Distinguish the times
The Joseph family sent spies to Bethel to conquer it (verse 23). When the spies saw a man coming out of Bethel, they said they would do good to him if he showed him the secret passage into the city (verse 24). Then he showed me the secret passage. Like Rahab of Jericho, he sensed that God was with the tribe of Joseph, so he cooperated with the spies. In the end, his clever judgment and choice saved his family (verses 25-26).
One of the most important things for believers is the wisdom to follow the hand of God who moves history by carefully examining the circumstances of the times. If you go in a direction that is different from God's will, no matter how hard you try, it will be in vain. Some people are eager to know one thing. However, just having zeal does not justify that belief. How hard are those who fall into heretical sects? They deceive the souls by saying that they only go to households with religious affiliation and conduct surveys. After all, more important than being zealous is being discerning.
Even when praying, before earnestly asking for something, you must first know how to examine God's will. Just as a servant must know the heart of his master to be loved, so first, try to know the heart of God. Anything is easy if you know it and difficult if you don't know it. Not going on the road is a problem, but a bigger problem is not knowing where to go. Therefore, when you pray, pray often with a clear purpose in your prayers, such as the purpose of life, the purpose of making money, the purpose of educating children and pursuing health. If you have a clear purpose, you will eventually win even when you are faced with difficult situations without losing your joy and enthusiasm.