Fortitude

 

Fortitude

1 Samuel 14

1 Samuel 14:10 “But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.”

Genesis 14

Genesis 14:14 “And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.”

     Fortitude is to display courage in the midst of adversity.  These are only two accounts of ones so possessed it would seem.  In the face of danger, they mounted up their horses and did the killing.  Putting themselves in harm’s way, they won hero status.

     Johnathon and Abraham, on the same level.  How about Jael?  She mustered the wherewith and drove the stake.  Barak and Deborah followed closely behind; the glory being taken from Barak since he did not take the bull by the horns. 

     Consider Caleb in taking the promised land.

Joshua 14:12 “Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.”  Caleb being eighty-five pleads with Joshua to give him the land of the giants.

     We have no push over religion, people.  Our God propels us to fight.  In fact, our ancestors resisted in the time of Esther.

Esther 9”5 “Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them. “

     Why does God record such bloodshed?  He cites the ones willing to give all this way.  But in Jesus’ days, He puts a stop to it.

Matthew 26:52 “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”

John 18:36 “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”

     He therefore turns our fight to the heavenlies.

Ephesians 6”12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

     His Church He has instituted here to police the earth.  Authority given to Him, He delegates to ones holding the faith.  A fight of a different kind.  Going to the source of rebellion, we bear our swords of truth.

     What does today’s fortitude look like?  We move about men and women so trained by the enemy.  They are called the World.  Not moved by compassion, they seek their own.  If we stand up, we risk being run over. 

     Our fights we stage in the lunchroom and coffee break areas.  Upholding righteousness, we are singled out.  Quite often we find ourselves loners because there are more of them than us.  Is this diminished because we are not burned at the stake?  No, we face the resistance everyday bearing our crosses and walking His walk.  Fortitude knows no boundaries.  If we confess His name before men, He will surely confess our names before God.

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