March

I sit at the kitchen table early, the icy darkness peering through the glass door at my back. Wrapped in a blanket with a candle burning in front of me, I recite, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10 ESV).

I struggle to establish these words and those that march after them into my brain because I need the bulwark they build.

“In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” (6:16). I imagine arrows of pride, worry, sadness, fear, and doubt flying fast and furious but bouncing off that shield and burning out at my feet.

Victory.

“Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…To that end, keep alert.” (6:17-18).

God’s Word. Wield it. Keep alert.

I am in a battle. I fight to hold my weary eyes open and cling to the Word in front of me with both hands, wielding it against the Enemy.

I dress for church and the pastor preaches from Joshua. I hear him speak only to me, because he recites some of the same words still marching through my head.

“Be strong and courageous.” (Joshua 1:9). God briefs Joshua on an impossible battle plan. The army is laughably weak. The Lord is laudably strong.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it…for then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8).

God’s Word. Meditate on it. Be careful.

I picture the armory from the Tower of London—those suits of armor still standing at attention after hundreds of years, once worn by kings. The kings have gone; the armor remains. It represents Strength. Royalty. Defense. Power. Readiness.

All of this–and more– I am holding when I am holding God’s Word.

My battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil. It is not by my strength that I am made ready to fight. God is with me. The command in Ephesians says it is the strength of HIS might. And then in Joshua: “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9).

I think of the words to Lauren Daigle’s song, “Rescue”:

I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you
I will never stop marching to reach you
In the middle of the hardest fight
It’s true, I will rescue you.

I am comforted.

The icy darkness will stay at my back. The flame of God’s presence goes before me, always leading, ready to rescue.

I march.

Hope and Be:Longing.