Prepare for Battle

Jeremiah 46:3-4 “Prepare your shields, and advance into battle! Harness the horses, and mount the stallions. Take your positions. Put on your helmets. Sharpen your spears, and prepare your armor.

In this scripture, we need to realize how to be ready for anything that could come our way. Back in this time period, this battle was going to mean a shift in world power. This was the first battle that King Nebuchadnezzar had won, establishing him as the king of the entire Babylonian empire. When Israel formed an alliance with Egypt, they didn’t listen to God, and because of their disobedience, they suffered a huge defeat.

No matter what happens in our lives, we need to be prepared for battle. We need to learn to do it God’s way. We might think we have all the knowledge and power, but in reality we don’t. We are at the mercy of God Almighty. God is the One that has given us everything we have. When we don’t thank Him and honor His ways, we face His judgment.

The Israelites had to learn the hard way. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way too. Our punishment might not be as harsh as the Israelites encountered, but God will be fair and just with our sin. God is holy and will not tolerate sin. God does not delight in judgment, but in salvation. God shows no favoritism. He judges by the same standard. God sees sin the same way. If you committed one, you’ve committed them all. That’s why we need a Savior. That’s why we have Jesus to trust in and take our sins away, so we can experience new life through the blood He shed for us at the cross.