Of Thunder and Lightning

I've shared that some of my struggles leading up to M:A have involved fear. On Monday morning the following passage was in the chapter I read as part of my daily reading:

"He shall say: 'Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.'" (Deuteronomy 20:3,4)

It couldn't have been more relavent for me than that. Whether we like it or not, outreach ministry is all about going out into enemy territory. The only difference is that our enemies are no longer mean-looking hordes of fighting men. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Last night I was thinking about the storms of the past few days. The ancient Greeks imagined that thunder and lightning was actually gods warring against each other. I can't help but imagine that the storms of the last few days have been evidence of God fighting for us against the enemies in those heavenly places. Could it have been a physical manifestation of God moving and fighting and establishing camps for us in the enemy's territories?

I'd like to think so.