Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

NIV

In my research, I came across an article that said the word “mighty” is used over 200 times in the Bible. God is referenced as a MIGHTY warrior 27 times and has a MIGHTY hand that saves.

In Hebrew, El Gibbor means The Mighty God. In the verse of Isaiah that prophesies the birth of the Messiah, we see Him given a name inspired by military language: God revealed as the great warrior who will vanquish all the enemies of the Lord, either physical or spiritual, and all will bow at His feet.

Psalm 93:4

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea- The Lord on high is MIGHTY

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is with you, He is MIGHTY to save

I was raised in a Disney culture filled with princesses and the prince who saved them on a white horse~ not a terrible fantasy, but not overly realistic as I was not, and am not, a true princess.

However, my fairy tale thinking led me to the knowledge that I desired someone bigger and stronger to come into my life and “save” me.

I thought my husband, in true hero fashion, was that guy.

When I quit being apathetic toward God and decided to live my life for Him, my marriage (which was already on shaky ground) began to split: a chasm formed in between my husband and I.

In her wisdom, my friend Ali said to me, “he (Dan) doesn’t know what to do now that you (me, Amy) have a NEW Savior”.

I would add to that, “a Savior who walks on water and rose from the grave”.

Her opinion pointed out this question: how could my husband compete with that and where did that leave him in my life if I no longer needed saving?

I guess the questions to ask myself are why did I need saving; why did I know it needed to come from outside of me; and why did I limit the saving to a man?

As a woman who prides herself on being somewhat forward thinking, shouldn’t I have at least considered the idea that I could actually save myself through independence and self-sufficiency?

Well.

There are times in my life when I have felt extremely insecure; that I’m not good enough; that I can’t do “this”; that I won’t get over “that”.

Those feelings leave me weakened. Flat. Empty. Incapable. Paralyzed. Immobile.

Those feelings leave me in desperate need of someone who CAN do this…leap over that…tell me it’s going to be ok…encourage me that I am enough.

I do not consider myself to be much of a “handywoman”. My skill set does not usually lie in a toolbox. Am I able to fix certain things even though I have chosen not to before?

Perhaps.

But I have chosen not to do things for so long that I am rather convinced that I never will and probable wouldn’t do a good job at it anyways so why bother trying.

I sound like a defeat-est, don’t I?

Certainly not my usual tone.

Yet, it is a true side to my personality that pokes at me quite a bit. Not being able to do something because you don’t know how or think you could never learn to do it LIMITS a person, you know?

It places a box around you that you do not know is there…until you get close to the perimeter of it and feel its edges pressing you in.

And when you find out you need to get out of that box on your own because there is no one else there to keep you tucked snuggly inside it?

Hello anxiety. Hello defeat. Hello anger.

That’s me, anyway.

When my husband started traveling for his job I realized certain things that I had boxed myself in with. We all develop “roles” in our marriage and I am certainly not useless…it’s just I don’t do certain things because he does them for me.

Like our bills and maintenance things.

Remember how I said I am not a handywoman?

Tell that to the furnace that quit working at 5 in the morning when Dan was in Seattle …or the sump pump that sprung loose and sprayed everywhere when he was in Georgia…or the brakes when he was in Pennsylvania and was leaving quick after his return for Isle Royale and didn’t have “time” to deal with it.

I’ve never turned on the lawn mower or snow blower. I have zero idea how to work the generator if we lost power. I can barely use the grill.

However…after working in CCU for twelve years, I made a huge job switch as an RN to work in the Endoscopy Unit years ago. I went from critical thinking to managing tools in a giant leap of faith. In my interview I was asked how I was with “technical things” and I replied that I was confident I could learn.

And I did.

Fast forward to making the decision to attend Nazarene Bible College through an online program…my husband (my personal IT guy) was leery that I could pull it off -it isn’t a sign of his lack of support, it is a sign of MY lack of computer skills.

But…here I am finishing my final class in the program after almost 7 years attending!!

The computer is my nemesis, but I embrace social media for the good it can produce such as this blog or through positive, encouraging posts made…so I have self taught myself how to maneuver in certain arenas.

I’m capable of far more than I give myself credit…if I’m will to push the lid off that box.

A MIGHTY WARRIOR is not always the one to fight the battles…a wise general is the one who makes the battle plan and encourages the troops that they can do it in the fight.

A MIGHTY WARRIOR on my side is one who HAS defeated the enemy and gives me the confidence to step forward in faith to accomplish the plan set before me…to follow in HIS footsteps to do it and to trust that He is on my side.

In the story of David and Goliath, we learn that Goliath was giant of a man who stood approximately 6’9”-9’9″ to David’s 4’10”- 5’0″. Goliath’s armor weighed 125 pounds and he carried a spear with the tip weighing 15 pounds.

Goliath mocked the Israel army and God daily….daring anyone to attempt to defeat him. David overheard the jeers and could not be quieted in his rage.

When no one else stepped forward to silence the giant, King Saul was persuaded to allow young, small David to stand up for their nation. David was convinced and convincing as he testified to the strength that God had blessed him with in his time of protecting sheep as a shepherd: he had defeated both a lion and bear through the skills God had given him.

David stepped out from the army to stand in plain view of Goliath bringing only with him the tools that he knew how to use: no armor, no sword – just a sling and some rocks.

1 Samuel 17:45-47

David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies- the God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head…And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD RESCUES HIS PEOPLE, but not with sword and spear.

THIS IS THE LORD’S BATTLE and He will give you to us!”

NIV

The battle belongs to the Lord.

Your battle belongs to the Lord.

What is it that boxes you in? Keeps you immobile? Makes you believe you need saving?

Do you need forgiveness? Jesus died for your sins and when you believe in Him you ARE forgiven.

Do you need strength? The JOY of the Lord IS your strength.

Do you need provisions? As God cares for the sparrows, surely He will care for you.

Do you need protection? As the song says, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”.

God fought the battle THROUGH David. David HAD to step forward in faith using all that he knew to use…and the Lord rescued His people.

My marriage is stronger when I am an equal participant in it… when I am not helpless…when I do not blame my husband for doing for me what I could easily do for myself.

My faith is stronger in the same way…when I use my faith as an ACTION word instead of an adjective: something that I DO as opposed to something that is used to describe me.

I BELIEVE that God is mighty therefore I am strong in my weakness.

I believe that God is mighty therefore I trust that with God all things are possible.

I believe that God is mighty therefore I stand up and make the decision that I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.

Our God IS The Mighty God:

El Gibbor.