Quiet Strength: Psalm 18 (Gentleness)

Read Galatians 5:22-23:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Are you ready to make an investment in the Fruit of Gentleness?

Read John 10:10:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

Make the following declaration out loud:

"Father, the enemy has stolen, killed and destroyed things that you gave me. You sent Jesus to bring abundant life to me! I will fight for that new life! I will take back what the enemy has stolen from me, by Your Power, in Your Name, by Your Spirit!"

Record any thoughts you have about this.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

Declare the following out loud: "Father, I am in Christ! The old truly has passed away; behold the new has come!"

Record your thanks to the Lord.

Read 1 Timothy 6:12:

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

Declare the following out loud: "Father, I will fight for the eternal things that you have called me to: that is my confession!"

Record any other confessions (to the Lord) that you would like.

Read Luke 18:1-8:

"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much persistence (in comparison to the widow mentioned above) are you bringing to bear in your daily battle for the Kingdom?

What specific action can you take to be more engaged in the battle mentioned above?

Go to 'DOCUMENTS' and read Psalm 18: 31-49.

Select the 'Successful' response when finished.

Notice in the Psalm above that David says 'Your gentleness made me great.' Notice also that this is right in the midst of a 'war poem.'

Think about being a new creation, fighting, persistence, and God's gentleness and goodness.

Pray and ask the Holy Spirit how these things intersect. Record any revelation you receive.

Pray this prayer:

"Father, You sent Jesus to bring me abundant life of a new and better kind than I knew before Him. You have given me circumstances where I can practice fighting with persistence, and You have demonstrated Your gentleness and goodness to me. Lord, thank You for all that you are doing in my life! Amen."