Daily Devotions

Posts tagged “siege

A Nasty Siege

Melissa—In researching the battle of Iwo Jima this statement stuck out, “The battle was won by the inch-by-inch tenacity of the foot soldier.” Another interesting piece of that battle is that the enemy was all underground and in caves. Our troops were out in the open while the enemy attacked from out of sight.  Man, if that don’t preach!  Unless you have completely gone off the grid you are aware of the bombardment we have been under and how it feels eerily similar to this type of warfare structure. It’s been a nasty siege but I am quickly reminded that, “He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty, so that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.” (Job 5:12 AMP)  The enemy thinks he has the upper hand, but I think he forgets that God knows where he is hiding.


Outliving a Siege

The last sentence in Joel 2:25 says,  My great army which I sent among you…”.   That tells us that God sent the army of locusts, the swarm of circumstance.   Did He siege_Jerusalemsend them to ultimately rob, kill and destroy His people?  No.  Interestingly, through those times that it feels like we are helpless and chaos is king, our Redeemer is watching and working behind the scenes and at every intersection.   Even during a siege there is a redemptive factor at work and, whether we realize it or not, the conflict is working something out of us and into us.  Overcoming a locust season is an opportunity for sons to build muscle and maturity.  Coming out with both is a redeeming result of difficulty.   Outliving a siege positions us for redemption of our purpose.  Matured and muscled, we are then equipped to embrace every opportunity restored, every resource restored, every potential restored, every strength restored, every harvest restored, every energy restored and the years lost in the difficult, building process. —Kathy Gabler  


Just Fending Off Or Stopping Destruction?

Siege JerusalemAs God gives His mandate to Jeremiah, His mouthpiece to the people, missiles are being launched from siege machines. The pounding, hammering sounds of destruction are in the air. The people seem to have a mentality for retreat and survival in the present, not a mentality for the future and future generations. There is no mentality for gain, increase or growth but rather for getting relief from the present situation whatever price has to be paid. While they are taking structures apart to put up defenses for the present, the coming generation is surely wondering what will remain for their future and adopting attitudes that are nonproductive for future hope. There is no attempt to actually stop destruction, just attempts to try and fend off some of it.

(This is the third excerpt from the article “Just A Call” written by Marty Gabler in Volume 13 Issue 4 of SEEC Magazine. Excerpts will be posted on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.)


Marty & Kathy Gabler invite you to read their articles in the latest issue of SEEC Magazine.
CLICK HERE to read SEEC Magazine

We pray this issue will edify and equip you for our Lord’s Kingdom purposes,

Marty & Kathy

p. 3 – Restoring Honor In The House Of The Lord—-Jim Hodges
p. 8 – Bid Me Come—-Kathy Gabler

p. 11 – Being A Carrier Of A Revelation—-Dr. Patti Amsden
p. 15 – Patriots, Prophets and Policy—-Bob Long
p. 17 – Awareness—-Melissa Gabler
p. 19 – An Unfolding Revelation Of Jesus Christ—-Simon Purvis
p. 23 – The Gifts Of The Spirit—-Lynn Burling
p. 26 – And They Were All Filled With The Spirit—-Earl Pruitt
p. 28 – You Haven’t Seen Everything—-Marty Gabler

 

 

 


Under Siege

When God spoke to Jeremiah, conditions were not escalating; they were already in full swing. Jerusalem was under attack. It was not hit and run, it was a siege. To say that Jerusalem was siege_Jerusalemunder siege was like saying the nation of Israel was under siege. A siege was set up with intent to stay until defeat and destruction of the enemy was complete. The Chaldeans were destroying the outer perimeter of Jerusalem and those whose houses were being destroyed on the outer perimeter were falling back to the inner city.  In the inner city, they were tearing apart their houses to build defenses. The Chaldeans had set up siege machines and battering rams. The enemy was so intent on destroying Jerusalem that they had begun using hammers and axes on the houses in order to tear them completely down and to render them completely useless. The word “house” here in Jer.33:4 refers to a literal house, but also to generations, families. The intent and result was that the present generation was being devastated and disheartened so that future generations would only have one choice: servitude. 

(This is the first excerpt from the article “Just A Call” written by Marty Gabler in Volume 13 Issue 4 of SEEC Magazine. Excerpts will be posted on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.)