2 Samuel 23:9-10 (NIV) Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammin for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.
2 Samuel 23:11-12 (NIV) Now after him was Shammah, the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory.
Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Before my husband gave his heart to our Lord, loads of people told me I should leave him, including several of my Christian friends. My husband was not physically abusive, but he was extremely hard to deal with after too many beers. A close relative even portrayed me as a failure and coward for staying
with him, criticism that I faced day in and day out. Many of their arguments, including his, were quite convincing. Did I ever wonder whether they were correct? Indeed!
However, when I prayed, my heart and my Lord both led me to believe my marriage was worth defending. For quite some time I faced the battle alone. The fact that I had the Lord to strengthen, comfort and encourage me made all the difference. I held on to hope with all that God put in me. Eventually, God also placed other prayer warriors and encouragers at my side. That was such a blessing!
The spiritual battle raged for seventeen years. There were glimmers of hope along the way, but also moments of despair. Our relationship with each other was peppered with frustration and tyranny, frosted with laughter and tenderness. I kept on walking with eggshells jabbing at my toes. I didn’t
know what to do other than to stand my ground. God did so much behind the lines in Doug’s heart, far more than I was able to see. God made corrections in my character too. Finally, the day came when my husband answered the altar call. Unbeknownst to me, he had already made his decision in his pickup truck the night before. How did I respond? I kept on praying fervently and frantically for his salvation. My heart had ‘frozen to the sword’. I was afraid his conversion might not be real. The following Sunday I watched in delight and astonishment as my husband brought the Lord’s tithe to the church for the first time. That is when it dawned on me; the battle really was finally over and our side was victorious! I knew my husband would not have tithed unless he had come to the place of loving and trusting God.
Listen to God and stand on His Word. He will enable you to do it even when the battle seems impossible. You won’t regret it! My husband is such a treasure. It was worth taking a stand for our relationship!