LORD of Heaven's Armies

"'The fortified towns of Israel will also be destroyed,

and the royal power of Damascus will end.

All that remains of Syria 

will share the fate of Israel's departed glory,'

declares the LORD of Heaven's Armies."

Isaiah 17:3 NLT

The One True God is not impotent.  He is mighty to save in and of Himself (Zephaniah 3:17).  Even so, He is also the commander of legions of heavenly hosts, angelic warriors who can be dispatched at any time.  What does this mean for those who are branded through faith by the blood of Jesus (Galatians 6:15-17)?

Yahweh.  Unnameable (Exodus 3:14).  Inexplicable.  Self-existent.  Self-consistent.  Unchangeable.  All in All.  Promise Keeper.  Redeemer.  The Lord our God, Maker of heaven and earth, is everything to everyone, so holy and high that a word cannot describe Him.  This is the kind of God who is worthy of my trust and always capable of receiving my faith.  He will never let me down and can always be counted on.

Therefore, when He speaks I can rely on His Word, knowing without a doubt that He will deliver on His promises.  When I feel alone, I can know without a doubt He is with me (Isaiah 41:10).  When I fear things in this world, I can know without a doubt there is nothing I can lose in the here and now that can compare to what I gain in eternity (Mark 8:35-37).  When my world seems to be falling apart as I bear loss after loss, one crisis after another, I can know without a doubt that everything is a part of His masterplan which is His best for me as He uses all things to mold me into the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29).

The LORD of Heaven's Armies is a God who can be trusted.

Command.  He is the Orchestrator of my life, the Redeemer of my destiny, the Savior of my soul.  As such, there is nothing He will not do to protect me, guide me or preserve my life.  In fact, He already proved His devotion to His wayward children by sending His own precious Son as a ransom for us (Romans 8:32, Mark 10:45).  His eye is always on me, and He sees fit to command His angels concerning me (Psalm 91:11).

So, no matter where I go or what I do, He is directing His angels to accompany me through thick and thin, to defend me against harm, and to preserve me as I walk in His ways and serve out my duties of love.  Not only is He always with me, but He's got the spirits He designed especially for the purpose of ministering to be on my case.  I truly can stand tall as I walk confidently through the battlefield of this world, knowing that if He is for me, none can be against me (Romans 8:31).  I'm covered.  He's got my back.

The LORD of Heaven's Armies will stop at nothing to get me through any difficulty (Isaiah 4:3).

Rulership.  David understood it.  He realized that God is the Ruler of all the forces he could ever encounter.  Even if said forces never acknowledged this truth, he believed that God rules supreme over them.  Therefore, as long as he trusted in God, he knew that no one could overwhelm him.  No wonder this little shepherd boy could kill a formidable warrior giant with a slingshot as his only weapon (1 Samuel 17:45-47).

How would my life be different if I believed as David?  If I lived like God is ruler over all, that even unbelief cannot diminish His power and sovereignty?  I would be bold and fearless as David, willing to face any giant with the courage that comes from knowing that God is the true leader of every foe whether it be the adversary of Cancer, Bankruptcy, Persecution or Death.  All of creation is His to direct as He pleases.  My job, then, is to walk in the shadow of His wings, trusting that He will do what is best for me, according to His plan that brings Him great glory through all the earth.

The LORD of Heaven's Armies has rulership over every aspect of His creation.

Knowing God's power and dominion helps me to trust Him more.  To recognize and acknowledge that He is Yahweh, Commander, and Ruler of all gives me even more reason to trust Him.  And when I do, I have the LORD of Heaven's Armies directing my life.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can begin to acknowledge the scope of God's sovereign power.

When do I minimize His abilities?

How do I get discouraged in the face of opposition, forgetting the power I have when I trust in God?