The Battle Plan! (Part 1)

Spiritual must come before the physical

The world is in post-truth, post-religion, post-America, and post-constitution tail spin.  Truth is whatever we think is right.  Everyone has their "own truth."  This leads to powerless and meaningless religion.America is being removed from the world stage and ushered into the Global machine.  The U.S. constitution is shipwrecked.  Our founding principles are circling the drain to make way for the lawlessness we see in our country.  The globe is writhing in pain with corruption and pestilence.

What does the spiritual have to do with fixing the mess the world is in now?  How is God going to inform our decisions in the present, physical realm to fix this?

Good question. Our hero King David had these very questions.  

David said it this way in Psalm 42

I wonder, “Will I ever make it—
arrive and drink in God’s presence?”
I’m on a diet of tears—
tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
All day long
people knock at my door,
Pestering,
“Where is this God of yours?”

Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,

“Why did you let me down?
Why am I walking around in tears,
harassed by enemies?”
They’re out for the kill, these
tormentors with their obscenities,
Taunting day after day,
“Where is this God of yours?”

In the same Psalm, David answers his own question by identifying his real need:

A white-tailed deer drinks
from the creek;
I want to drink God,
deep drafts of God.
I’m thirsty for God-alive.

Once he acknowledges his need, he beats back his hopelessness by putting the spiritual things first. He does this by praying and praising!

These are the things I go over and over,

emptying out the pockets of my life.
I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
right out in front,
Leading them all,
eager to arrive and worship,
Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.

When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
sing songs all through the night!
My life is God’s prayer.

Start here, my friend!  

1.    Recognize your issue-- You need the Lord more than you need food.

2.    Cry out to him and empty out your pockets -- Barf out all of the emotions and needs and disappointments to him.  Use a journal. Do it in your car when you are driving to work.

 3.    Turn your eyes to TRUE NORTH--Fix your eyes on Christ and recall God's goodness. Rehearse everything you know of how God has rescued in your life!

God will make good on his promises!  Your soul will begin uplift in the direction your mouth is turned toward.