Arise and Shine!

Judges 5:8

"When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel."

Lest we be caught off guard with idolatry and covetuousness (which can creep into our lives in a very subtle manner and manifests in many forms), true peace and rest cannot settle in our hearts.

I humbly ask God to prepare all our hearts daily, so no matter what attack, untoward incidents, hiccups and surprises we encounter in our everyday work and living, we are not rattled and we never panic, but we face our daily challenges in a spirit of calm and resolve. On our part, that is also to be alive and alert as we experience life. I pray that we all live our lives with intention and actively shape our circumstances and not the other way around. As mighty warrior princes and princesses of God's Kingdom, we create our future, in line with God's direction and vision.

Hebrews 3:10-11

"That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' "

And so the call is also to "Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, O Barak! Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam." (Judges 5:12)

Arise and shine!