Winning The Battle: God My Defender
"Help us," they cry. "Defend us against our enemies. Protect us from their relentless attack. Do not betray us now that we have escaped. Isaiah 16:3 (New Living Translation)
In Isaiah 16:3 Isaiah pleads with the rulers of Judah to hide the outcasts of Moab. He asked that they do not betray the women who had escaped. Isaiah wanted Judah to be a place of refuge and protection for Moab under judgment. According to Genesis, the Moabites were relatives of the Israelites, both peoples tracing their descent back to a common ancestor, Terah. Terah's son Haran fathered Lot, whose son Moab was born after an incestuous relationship between Lot and his eldest daughter (Genesis 19:37). Moabite women were faced with sexual immorality for generations and God's judgment was on the Moab nation. The women had escaped and Isaiah pleads that they would not be taking advantage of by the rulers of Judah, but they would be protected and hidden from their enemies. Isaiah knew that God would defend the homeless, the outcast and us from our enemies. He would provide a place that could be safe and hide until the terror past. God will never betray us, not even when we betray Him. He will provide a way of escape for you as he did for the Moabite women.
Take the story of Jeri Sundval-Williams (Based on a story by Kelsey Thalhofer); She grew up in Salem, Oregon; both her parents worked. She got good grades in school, and she was an athlete — basketball and track. When she graduated from high school and married at a young age — to someone who turned out to be an abuser — then life started changing for her. She was in that marriage about five years before she got away from him. When she came to Portland to be near family, she was in her twenties with two young children. Because of all the years of being beat up and abuse, she had zero self-esteem, and a easy target for a pimp to click onto and force her out on the streets. One day she races, half-clothed and bleeding, down Milwaukie Avenue in southeast Portland. Cars fly by and she clutches the fanny pack holding her night’s earnings, terrified of the man pursuing her with a knife, equally horrified at the thought of returning home to her pimp empty-handed. She said, “God, if you’re there, I know I messed up my life, but I’ll serve you for the rest of my life if you just get me out of this.” Later that day her pimp was arrested, freeing her from the 5 months she spent in prostitution. She eventually entered the West Women’s and Children’s Shelter in northwest Portland and began coming to grips with the abuse that had haunted her since childhood.
Maybe your life is not that drastic, but all of us at some point have been horrified of being taking down by the trials of life or the enemy. Maybe for you it is the threat of losing everything. Or maybe you are like Jeri and have spent years in abusive relationship with no where to run.
God assures us no matter what situation we are in He will provide a way of escape and protection for us. David prayed in Psalms 18:1-3 (NLT)," I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies."
The ropes of death was entangling him, the floods of destruction swept over him, but he knew that God would lead him to a place of safety. He knew God would rescued him because of his faith in the fact that God is our Defender. No matter what you are battling today, His arms are with strength, He will not drop you or let you fall into the enemies hands to be crush.
One of my favorite Scriptures is Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!"
Believe it for yourself. Believe that this year in 2011 the Lord will make you as surefooted as a deer, enabling you to stand at the highest place against the enemy of your soul. Yes, indeed God is my Defender, but if you pray and ask, he will be yours as well. He will arm you with strength for the battle. He will subdue your enemies under your feet! Believe and trust that he can take you from "victim" to "Overcomer" this day.
For Him Always and Only,
Pastor Patricia
In Isaiah 16:3 Isaiah pleads with the rulers of Judah to hide the outcasts of Moab. He asked that they do not betray the women who had escaped. Isaiah wanted Judah to be a place of refuge and protection for Moab under judgment. According to Genesis, the Moabites were relatives of the Israelites, both peoples tracing their descent back to a common ancestor, Terah. Terah's son Haran fathered Lot, whose son Moab was born after an incestuous relationship between Lot and his eldest daughter (Genesis 19:37). Moabite women were faced with sexual immorality for generations and God's judgment was on the Moab nation. The women had escaped and Isaiah pleads that they would not be taking advantage of by the rulers of Judah, but they would be protected and hidden from their enemies. Isaiah knew that God would defend the homeless, the outcast and us from our enemies. He would provide a place that could be safe and hide until the terror past. God will never betray us, not even when we betray Him. He will provide a way of escape for you as he did for the Moabite women.
Take the story of Jeri Sundval-Williams (Based on a story by Kelsey Thalhofer); She grew up in Salem, Oregon; both her parents worked. She got good grades in school, and she was an athlete — basketball and track. When she graduated from high school and married at a young age — to someone who turned out to be an abuser — then life started changing for her. She was in that marriage about five years before she got away from him. When she came to Portland to be near family, she was in her twenties with two young children. Because of all the years of being beat up and abuse, she had zero self-esteem, and a easy target for a pimp to click onto and force her out on the streets. One day she races, half-clothed and bleeding, down Milwaukie Avenue in southeast Portland. Cars fly by and she clutches the fanny pack holding her night’s earnings, terrified of the man pursuing her with a knife, equally horrified at the thought of returning home to her pimp empty-handed. She said, “God, if you’re there, I know I messed up my life, but I’ll serve you for the rest of my life if you just get me out of this.” Later that day her pimp was arrested, freeing her from the 5 months she spent in prostitution. She eventually entered the West Women’s and Children’s Shelter in northwest Portland and began coming to grips with the abuse that had haunted her since childhood.
Maybe your life is not that drastic, but all of us at some point have been horrified of being taking down by the trials of life or the enemy. Maybe for you it is the threat of losing everything. Or maybe you are like Jeri and have spent years in abusive relationship with no where to run.
God assures us no matter what situation we are in He will provide a way of escape and protection for us. David prayed in Psalms 18:1-3 (NLT)," I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies."
The ropes of death was entangling him, the floods of destruction swept over him, but he knew that God would lead him to a place of safety. He knew God would rescued him because of his faith in the fact that God is our Defender. No matter what you are battling today, His arms are with strength, He will not drop you or let you fall into the enemies hands to be crush.
One of my favorite Scriptures is Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!"
Believe it for yourself. Believe that this year in 2011 the Lord will make you as surefooted as a deer, enabling you to stand at the highest place against the enemy of your soul. Yes, indeed God is my Defender, but if you pray and ask, he will be yours as well. He will arm you with strength for the battle. He will subdue your enemies under your feet! Believe and trust that he can take you from "victim" to "Overcomer" this day.
For Him Always and Only,
Pastor Patricia
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