Strength under Fire

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid" (Psalm 27:1)?

An emergency in my brother's family required me to give up our normal homeschooling day to watch his children. Looking out the window, I observed his children and mine playing together in the big tractor tire sand box. Considering that seven children were crowded into one small area, they were getting along quite well. Then, the inevitable happened. One of my brother's sons got upset because his space was violated, and he pushed my oldest daughter out of the sand box. Amazingly, my four-year-old son stepped up to defend his big sister. Raising himself to full height, he said, "You can't treat my sister like that!" My son never even considered the consequences of defiantly challenging his older cousin. The love for his sister filled him with a righteous courage that was ready to take on someone twice his size!

Defending our family is something we all experience as homeschoolers. Although we don't intend to take a defensive posture, many times the world pushes us around or throws punches that require us to take a stand. However, in Christian love, we must allow the Lord to be the One who speaks through us. Like Jehoshaphat as he stood before the armies of Moab and Ammon in 2 Chronicles 20, we need to defend ourselves from those who oppose homeschooling in God's strength instead of our own. "Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's" (2 Chronicles 20:15b). When the Lord is in the battle, all we need to do is sing the praises of homeschooling and let God do the defending.

Has homeschooling put you in the middle of a battle? Maybe you're ready to take things into your own hands to protect your family from unkind remarks or attacks. Don't let Satan tempt you to fight in the flesh. Let the Lord give you the words to say and the wisdom to respond in a way that glorifies Him. "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves" (2 Timothy 2:24-25a).

Father, thank You for being a mighty God who is perfectly capable of protecting my family. Give me the wisdom to know what to say and how to respond when others do not understand homeschooling. In the name of Your Son, Amen.

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Comments(13 comments)

HEIDI U 01/17/2009 11:40:28

I just wanted to thank you for writing these daily encouragements. I just recently found it and signed up for it, and what a blessing it has been to me. May God bless you richly for helping to feed His children!

Love in our Precious Christ,

Heidi Urrutia

JILL M 01/17/2009 17:52:55

As always, God has perfect timing. Inside, I was nervous about certain peoples responce to my recent homeschooling choice. I KNEW God asked me to do and confirmed it in my heart, but I still worried at times. I was just praying about as I rocked my litttlest one to sleep and then I canme to read this. Maybe I should have read it first thingin the AM! Thank you for being part of God's perfect timing.

Keeping life an adventure,

JillMartin

PATTI C 01/17/2010 06:14:48

Thank you! Keep them coming! And...thank you for using Kind James. You have blessed our family and many other families I know.

Thank you!

Patti

PATTI C 01/17/2010 06:15:20

Oops! I mean King James....

DEBORAH J 01/17/2010 15:38:29

In Oklahoma, where we homeschool our children, we are just starting to here about the governmental bills that will be filed in our State Legislature this year. I have been feeling defensive just reading about the new regulations that some are trying to place on homeschooling. What a wonderfully, comforting set of verses these are for me to focus on. We must stand in God's strength against those who oppose homeschooling, let the Lord speak through us with His words and remember that He is perfectly capable of protecting our freedoms. I really needed to hear this today. Thank you.

AMANDA B 01/17/2011 04:53:00

I would also like to thank you for these devotions. It's tough when even some of your closest family members can offer you no encouragement and seem to have no faith in what the Lord can do (even in the matter of homeschooling). Thank goodness for my husband and the fact that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord wants us to homeschool. My husband is a great encourager as well as these devotions. Thank you so much for using the King James Version.

Valentina B 01/17/2011 10:09:25

Thank you for the wonderful time with God and all of youThese devotions bring all of us together, as one family, and give to each of us support. BE STRONG AND PRASE GOD – HE IS COMING

Valentina Brichuk

* So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the Lord *

JILL C 01/18/2011 08:20:02

At first, I was unsure of how to respond to others comments regarding taking my son out of public school and homeschooling him. After seeing the results in his grades and his whole outlook each day I knew that after much praying and making this change , it was the best thing for my son. This change was made two years ago. My son is now an "A" student and is much less stressed. He is able to concentrate and stay focused without all of the distractions of being in a public school. School is no longer a headache!!!

CHERYL L 01/17/2012 05:42:07

I needed to her that !! I recently withdrew my 8th grade daughter for many of the same reasons listed above. I have had several supportive parents but more who think I have lost my mind! I have to remember your story and remember that if God is with us, then who could stand against!! Thank you!

SARA C 01/17/2012 07:01:02

Reminds me that love is "doing" not a "feeling". We homeschool because we love our children and educating them is our responsibility. If public or private school works for a child, great; but I believe just as the government is not suppose to dictate how or where we are to worship, neither should it dictate how or where we educate our children.

DYANN M 01/17/2012 08:17:25

Been a homeschool family for many years and at times have taken on a defensive attitude. However, now, because it has been many years that we have stuck to this, most people see the results and are amazed. We often speak volumes without speaking at all if we allow the love of God to just shine through!

MARIA B 01/17/2013 05:55:08

Thanks to God. I am under the fire, not with outsiders, they understand, my husband doesn't agree, he just doesn't understand when we pulled him from a private Christian school, the 5 yrs of public schools all the damages accademacly and mentally, he is against home school core areas and part time electives at public school. The fires are at home. Prayers God will open his eyes.

KARA K 01/17/2013 10:42:50

I also want to thank you for writing these, you have a gift and I look forward to reading your passages everyday. Im a recent follower of christ, roughly 3 years and the bible is still very difficult for me, but Im getting better, and with your passages Ive feel more encouragement to open up my bible and understand it, thank you for that... and the homeschooling experiences... My family has been led to homeschool we have started my oldest in prek this year, its been one of the best decisions my husband and I have ever made.... I can only hope you know the magnitude of your writings... God Bless you, Kara


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