Poor to be blessed

In Matthew 5:1-3, Jesus begins his sermon on the mountain. As the crowds followed and gathered on the mountain, Jesus sat down and began to teach his disciples. He started in verse 3 by saying "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. " The disciples had left all that that they knew to follow Christ: homes, families, jobs, everything that defined them to be who were. Before the disciples could do the work of ministry, they had to be humbled further, to be poor in spirit to depend on God for all things, spiritual and natural, and inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Hiding behind the shield

Before an enemy would send in their troops, they would catapult flaming arrows and other objects at the opposing army to disorientate them. In Ephesians 6:16, Paul says "take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." The Roman soldier's shield was made of wood and covered with thick leather, so when the darts were hurled at the soldiers, they would raise up their shields for protection. The same is true with us, as Christian soldiers; when the enemy attacks us with his fiery darts of lies, accusations, and temptations, we only need to raise our shield of faith to extinguish those darts.

Peaceful feet

Your feet are considered the foundation of your body; if a soldier's feet are not firmly planted, they will not be able to march, run, or stand. In Ephesians 6:15, Paul says to "Stand firm...with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." Through Christ, you are able to stand as you conform your feet, your foundation, to the Word of God that will give you peace even when engaged in battle.

Guarding your heart

When engaging in battle, it is critical to protect your vital organs, especially your heart. If a soldier is hit in their heart or lungs, it is unlikely that they will live, and certainly won't be able to fight. In Ephesians 6:14, Paul instructs us to "stand firm...with the breastplate of righteousness in place." Our righteous living and relationship with Christ is our breastplate that protects us from the attack of the enemy, regardless of how the attack is coming, the breastplate of righteousness will guard our hearts when we lift it up.

Firm foundation

At times, when a woman wants to wear a form-fitting outfit, she will put on a foundation garment, or girdle, to give her a smooth appearance. In Ephesians 6:14, Paul instructs his readers to "stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth." When a Roman soldier was called into battle, his belt was the foundation of his armor to move his clothes out the way. The same is true for as Christian soldiers; we must put on the belt of truth, the Word of God, to push the things of the world out of the way, and make room for the will of God.

Just stand

Oftentimes, when we face challenges, our focus is to win the battle at any cost, just to get out of the heat of battle. In Ephesians 6:13, Paul declares "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." In Chronicles 20:17, God Himself says that we don't have to fight the battle, because He will fight for us; God did not intend for us to win the battle, only to show up to battle in uniform and take a stand.

Clothe yourself

Regardless of the occasion, a soldier's uniform has the same basic elements; the soldier will be covered and protected from head to toe. In Ephesians 6: 14-17, Paul describes the believer's uniform that includes the "belt of truth buckled around your waist, the breastplate of righteousness, and the gospel of peace to cover your feet." Verse 16-17 describe "the shield of faith to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one", the "helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit."All of these elements are critical for believers to survive and prosper through the attack of the enemy, but this uniform is of no use to any of us until we put it on.

Stand ready

A soldier has two primary postures when they are on duty: standing at attention and resting at ease. When the soldier is in the presence of a superior officer, they are almost always standing at attention, ready to receive instruction and spring into action at the officer's command. In Ephesians 6:13 "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Christ, as our commanding officer, has the same requirement for us as Christian soldiers, to stand ready and at attention.

Know your enemy

One of the most important aspects of preparing for combat is training to recognize the enemy. The purpose of this training is so you don't injure your fellow soldiers, civilians, or other bystanders. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul reminds us that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." As Christian soldiers, we must be able to recognize the true enemy; it's not our brother and sister in Christ, our co-workers and neighbors, but the powers of darkness in the spiritual realm.

Soldier in uniform

When a soldier is in their uniform, everyone who sees them is able to recognize their alliance, even when they are off-duty. As Christians, our uniform is the full armor of God, as Paul says in Ephesians 6: 11, "put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Both our friends and enemies are able to recognize us when we are dressed in the full armor of God, so that we may be both recognized and protected when we experience the enemy's attack, we are able to stand together.

Strength and Power

In this life, we will inevitably face circumstances of which we are not able to handle in our own strength. In Ephesians 6:10, Paul encourages us to"be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Thankfully, we have the privilege of being strengthened in the Lord by His mighty power, but that privilege is ours as a benefit of our relationship with Christ. As we begin this new week, consider the source of our strength.

Standing ready

When we face trials and threats, physical, spiritual, or otherwise, we should stand ready to fight, but continue to do the work that God has called us to do. In Nehemiah 4:16-18, the prophet recalls "half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me." In the midst of trials, don't fade into the background; stand ready to fight, position others around you who are willing and able to fight with you, and continue the work.

Encourage yourself

Things didn't look promising for Nehemiah and his people; their enemies insulted them, threatened them, and banned together to stop the work; the people were getting tired and the work was extensive, and walls of the city were still in shambles. In Nehemiah 4:13-14, the prophet declared to the people "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." In Verse 15, the prophet says" when our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work." Even when the situation looks hopeless, remember that our God is still great and awesome; be encouraged to continue the work, even if you have to encourage yourself.

Fight of your life

When God has given you a seemingly impossible task, and your enemies see that you are making progress, get ready for the fight of your life. In Nehemiah 4:7-8, the prophet recalls "when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it." It wasn't enough to insult the people for rebuilding the walls of their beloved city; the enemy garnered support from other enemies to plot against the people, who continued to work in spite of their threats.

Pray and keep working

The city of Jerusalem, Nehemiah's home, had been destroyed and was full of rubble. To make matters worse, his enemies joined together to ridicule him and the Jews while they worked to rebuild. In Nehemiah 4:4-5, the prophet prays "hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. Verse 6 says "so we rebuilt the wall until all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart." Instead of fighting with their enemies or exchanging insults, they kept their focus; they prayed and kept working .

Rebuilding in rubble

Whenever you make up your mind to build something great for God, get ready for your haters, as everyone may not support you. In Nehemiah 4:1-2, the prophet recalls the opposition to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. In chapter 2, Sanballat, Nehemiah chief enemy, says in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?" When the task seems impossible, and in the presence of your enemies, maintain the work that God has ordained for you.

Value of Wisdom

Yesterday, the New York Stock Exchange plummeted nearly 100 points within minutes; people all over the world lost hundreds of dollars in a matter of minutes. In Proverbs 3:14-15, Solomon says that wisdom is "more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her." The value of silver, gold, and precious gems fluctuates often, but the value of wisdom is immeasurable.

Never lost

When travelling to foreign cities, it's always a good idea to upgrade the rental contract to include the "Never Lost" Global Positioning System (GPS) to help you navigate to your destination. The same is true with God's word. In Proverbs 3:6, Solomon says "in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path." Even when you are unsure of where you are going, or if you strayed off of God's predestined path, His word is able to redirect you to your destination.

Trust in the Lord

The dictionary defines trust as an action to "to rely upon or place confidence in someone or something." In Proverbs 3:5, Solomon instructs his son to "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."When you trust someone, you rely upon them and place confidence that they will be faithful and never betray that trust. In our best efforts, we will never be as trustworthy as the Lord, so we may as well put all of our trust in Him.

Benefits of wisdom

In most professional positions, fringe benefits serve as additional advantages to working in your prospective organization. Wisdom is just one of the great benefits of having a close, personal relationship with God. In Proverbs 3: 1-2, Solomon describes the benefits of wisdom, as it will "prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity." In addition to the great love, kindness, mercy, protection...that God provides for his people, we have the privilege to obtain Godly wisdom that allows us to live many years in prosperity.

Wisdom and Understanding

Wisdom is one of the greatest gifts that God has given to us as his people. In Proverbs 4:7, Solomon instructs his son that "wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." Wisdom is supreme, above power and wealth, as Godly wisdom is the great teacher, that will instruct you beyond obtaining the power, wealth, and all that God has set before us; He will also instruct you on how to maintain those blessings.