By My Spirit Says the Lord

# 173 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 13:19-23, “Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears." 20 But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man's plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle; 21 and the charge for a sharpening was a pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads. 22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. ( 1 Sam 13:19-23) One of the first things a conquering country seeks to do is remove the weapons from the people they have conquered, and so the Philistines placed all the blacksmiths under their control. There would be no sword-making in Israel. The only thing the Israelites were allowed to have were agricultural tools, and even these tools had to be sharpened by the state blacksmith at a ridiculous fee. So here you have the mighty army of Israel. Saul and his son Jonathon are the only ones with swords, every one else is armed with pitchforks and hoes. This is what they have to fight with on the day of the forthcoming battle. God has placed His people right where He wants them.....dependent upon Him to fight their battles. As we read in Zec 4:6b, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.” And in Ho 1:7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.. And as David said just before he took down Goliath, “the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands. And in 2Ch 20:15, we read, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.” Understand this in your spiritual battles today. Empty yourself of all self-reliance, surrender totally to Jesus and allow the Lord to fight for you today.