Half the Battle Sample

Day 1—The Most Important Battle

Everyone faces battles in this life. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how much education you have, or how much money is in your bank account. Battles come in all shapes and sizes; some are brief and simple, and others are drawn-out and complicated. Regardless of the situation, one truth remains constant: without a battle, there can be no victory.

When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, the first thing God asked them to do was to circumcise themselves. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant between God and His people (Genesis 17:10–11). God wanted His people to know that when they went into battle against their enemies, He would be with them. 

Physical circumcision is not a requirement for believers today (see Acts 15), but God does want to circumcise your heart (Jeremiah 4:3). He wants to remove anything that would hold you back—things such as pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc. I am convinced that God wants your heart more than anything else on the planet. Why? Because if He has your heart, then everything else in your life will fall into place with His timing, will, and purpose. 

In Romans 2:29 the apostle Paul writes that circumcision of the heart is performed ‘by the Spirit.” Isn’t that comforting? There is a reason God is referred to as the Great Physician. He can be trusted to cut away the things from your heart that are hurting you. I believe God is saying to you today, “I am shaping you into what I want you to be. In order to do so, I need to trim some stuff from your life. I want to cut some stuff away from you. And if you just let Me, the pruning is going to produce far more fruit than you could ever produce on your own.”

After the Israelites healed from their circumcision, they went on to fight and win the battle of Jericho. I want you to win your battles too. You have a loving heavenly Father who is willing to walk with you every step of this journey. Your job is to climb up on His operating table, expose the tender, broken, and rotten places in your heart, and allow Him to do spiritual surgery. This is the most important battle you will ever fight.

What heart issues could be holding you back from winning your future battles?