Choosing our Enemies

The notice I received was very urgent:

"There is a virus going around that can destroy your system!!! It is called the "Good Times" virus and if activated, it will delete all the files on your system!!! Please be on the lookout for this virus and be sure to delete it before it deletes You!"

The warning was a wake up call and I began immediately to scan my disk to see if I had somehow loaded this virus on my system. Then I began to send notes to all my friends and neighbors to warn them of this virus. I even contemplated writing a batch file that would scan my In-Basket to look specifically for this file so that it might never have the chance to get on my system.

There was just one problem: this virus never existed. There was no such virus as the "Good Times" virus. All my efforts were unnecessary, even a waste of time. I was hunting for a problem that did not exist.

"They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to stand before your enemies." Leviticus 26:37 (NIV)

The time was a few thousand years before Christ. The place was the wilderness outside Egypt. The people were God's chosen people, the Israelites; those people closest to the heart of God; those who had followed God out of the oppression of Egypt; those who, on occasion, forgot all that God had done for them, and began to do things their own way.

They were headed to the Promised Land, which was inhabited by people who had no intention of casually giving their land to whomever might stop by and tell them that God said they could have it. The enemies waiting for Israel were real and would prove to be a force with which to contend. But Israel had a little problem focusing on the most important issues. It seems as if the real enemies were not enough and Israel became preoccupied with enemies of its own creation: enemies that did not exist, but that Israel would fear, fight or flee if they heard a rumor or saw a cloud of dust on the horizon. The end result was that Satan did not need to create real enemies to defeat Israel, they could create enough on their own to keep themselves preoccupied and distracted from what God would have them do.

Sometimes we give Satan too much credit. We lose our focus, we become frustrated in our jobs, we struggle with our fears and insecurities. We focus our minds on potential struggles that never happen. We develop complex strategies to defend positions that are never questioned. We argue with unseen antagonists, rationalizing our behaviors and thoughts. We focus our energy fighting enemies that simply do not exist. All the while, Satan is sitting back saying: "Boy, this is easier that I thought."

God's plan for the Israelites was simple:

"But if they will confess their sins... I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. ... I will not reject them or abhor them... I am the LORD their God." Leviticus 26:40,42,44

His call was for them to return to Him. To focus on Him. To allow Him to direct their paths. His call is the same for us today: to return to Him, focus on Him, to allow Him to pick our enemies and provide us the means to defeat them.

"God, I cannot even count the number of times each day that I lose my focus on you. The battles I create and fight out of my own nature seem never-ending. I spend more and more time on things of less and less importance. Forgive me. Renew my mind. Choose my enemies. Secure the victories. Receive the Glory and Praise. Amen."

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Contributed by Ellis Bush (All Rights Reserved) 74357.246@compuserve.com