Be Faithful and Courageous
BRD REFLECTIONS:
1 Kings 20:1-43 and Psalm 90 (NIV)
( Lawrence Lim, SGM Core Team Leader)
READ:
1 Kings 20:1-43 and Psalm 90 (NASB)
OBSERVE:
I was amazed by the faithfulness and courage of the junior officers and Israelites. Despite overwhelming odds, they trusted God and were courageous to take the initiative and marched out of the city at noon (in plain sight) to attack the Arameans. The other time, the Israelites camped like two little flocks of goats while the Arameans filled the country. But the Israelites did not falter in their resolve and camped for 7 days before inflicting a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in a single day.
I realised they had such faith and courage because God is faithful and gracious. Before the battles, God specially sent His prophet to assure King Ahab by saying, “I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord”. They trusted God’s promises and encountered God amid daunting challenges and battles, and received His calmness and strength to win miraculous victories.
Reading Psalms 90:16-17, I imagine that the young men and Israelite soldiers might have prayed a prayer like this before the battles, “Let Your work appear to Your servants and Your Majesty to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.”
APPLY:
I hope to be faithful in my service to God and courageous in witnessing to others. I am reminded of God’s faithfulness and grace in the recent Alpha run. Both the Alpha Weekend Away and Alpha Day Away were run smoothly. Like the battles fought in 1 Kings 20, I too have my own battles to fight with God’s help in trying to be a good witness for Him.
DO:
I will use Psalms 90:17 to pray as I serve God. I thank God for His faithfulness and for the fellowship I have with my team of volunteers.
I will pray for the salvation of my parents-in-law, that they will accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. I will remind myself to be a faithful witness for God.
PRAY:
Dear Father God, thank you for Your faithfulness and grace in our lives. Let Your favor be upon us and confirm for us the work of our hands. Help us to be faithful witnesses for You, trusting Your guidance and obeying Your commands. We ask for Your Holy Spirit to touch our pre-believing friends’ and relatives’ hearts so that they will encounter You, Lord Jesus, and experience Your saving grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
