Deuteronomy 25:17-19 “Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt, how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God. Therefore it shall come about when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget.”
Galatians 5:1, 7: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. . . . You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
Observation: God reminded the Israelites that when they had grown weary, they had been severely attacked by their enemy, the Amalekites in this instance. He was encouraging them not to forget, not to fail to come back to a war footing so they could utterly defeat their enemy. And in Galatians, Paul similarly stirred his listeners to take a strong stand against the enemies of my soul; otherwise I will stumble and fall.
Application: As I read this I can think back on seasons in my life where I have stood strong and my heart burned with passion for Christ. Yet in other seasons, my ardor had cooled and I became more vulnerable to attack. Bad habits, bad use of time, poor choice of priorities—these become a downward spiral sapping vitality from my life in Christ. But I am called to war against such ease, to run without growing weary, to remember who the enemy is, and to fight until he has been utterly defeated in my life.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I ask You to be my strength for the battles ahead, not just the “big” battles, but also those small, day-by-day decisions that ultimately end up ordering my life and determining the course I will follow. Father, cause zeal for Your Word, Your Son, to be stirred up in me. Let me be one of those old guys, if I live long enough, about whom others would say, “He has been with the Lord.” Keep me from compromise; let my life be lived sacrificially before You to the very end. I desire to end well, Lord.