The Making of Spiritual Warrior - Week 2 - Monday Morning Devotions
Good morning and welcome to Daily Chapel - today's focus is on 'The Making of a Spiritual Warrior.' The making of a spiritual warrior involves three basic training components. These three components are to be repeated on a daily basis. The components are: Prayer, Meditation on God's Sacred Word and Temptation or suffering. Now please allow God's Spirit to speak to you as you listen to Psalm 119, beginning with verse 73.
Psalm 119 י Yodh
73 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.
74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.
79 May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes.
80 May my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.
As you reflect and meditate on these words I want to zero in on the trials/temptations and suffering that a Spiritual Warrior encounters when he or she realizes that he has failed, failed to live up to the demands of God's just Law. For the Christian warrior - we are assured of the peace that is ours and yet we still suffer. The Holy Spirit uses our suffering for our own good. Listen to these words from the Apostle Paul to the saints at Rome:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. [Romans 5:1-5 NIV84]
Please pray with me: Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and take them to heart that, by the patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.