January 24th

Promises for Battle

¹⁵He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: ¹⁶He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure.   Isaiah 33:15-16 NKJV 

This passage describes some conditional promises that can be very helpful for us in the journey to freedom from addiction and our walk with Jesus in general.  If we are careful to meet the conditions of the promises, we can call in faith the full power of the promises to manifest in our lives.  The conditions are:

1.      Walk righteously

2.      Speak uprightly

3.      Reject gain from extortion (oppressions)

4.      Refuse bribes

5.      Stop ears from hearing of murder

6.      Shut eyes from seeing evil 

Chances are that we may not be able to perfectly adhere to these conditions every day.  It’s helpful to remember that God will help us to move toward perfection through the Holy Spirit.  Though at first we may fail miserably in several areas, the Spirit will coach us toward success in every area.  He will strengthen us to make good decisions that honor God. At the end of each day, we can approach God in repentance for our sin and gain forgiveness through the blood of Jesus.  We can start the next day with renewed confidence and faith that we can live in righteousness, pleasing God with the Holy Spirit’s help.  

Walking in purity will entitle us to the promises in the above passage:

1.      We will dwell on high

2.      Our place of defense will be a fortress of rocks

3.      Our bread will be provided

4.      Our water will be sure 

We can claim these promises as our provision during the ensuing battles that we may face along the road of purity.  Have you felt like you are in a valley and the enemy is attacking you from the high ground?  If you’ve been walking in purity, you can claim the high ground.  Have you felt the need for more protection from temptation? When you walk in purity, you have a heavenly fortress surrounding you, protecting you from the enemy’s attacks.  Have you felt that you couldn’t live without your pet sin?  When you are walking in purity, God will provide bread for you that will satisfy your longings in the best way.  His bread will heal you of your pain and emptiness, and restore satisfaction in your life.  Are you tired of drinking from the world’s polluted cistern, realizing that it is bitter to your soul and it destroys your insides?  God will give you water that is sure and everlasting.  His water will satisfy your soul with everlasting peace and happiness!  

Questions for further thought:

• In what ways have you noticed the Holy Spirit coaching you in your daily decisions?
• Have you been responding obediently to him in those decisions?
• How important is a reliable food and water supply for an army operating in the battlefield?
• Out of the 6 conditions listed above, which ones are you falling short on?

Prayer:

“Heavenly Father, Thank you for these powerful promises in your word.  Lord, I confess that I have fallen short in the following areas of sin:__________(list).  Please forgive me and cleanse me of my sin.  Holy Spirit, please renew my convictions to walk in purity every day. Please strengthen me to no longer give my pet sin a sheltered place in my heart.  I ask you to help me crucify it right now.  I commit to walking in purity in the above areas from today forward.  Thank you for giving me a dwelling on high, a strong fortress of defense, provision of bread and a sure source of water.  I claim these in advance through my faith in Jesus Christ.  I praise you, Lord God, now and forever!  Amen.”