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There's a sound of victory in the valley!
removing the idols AT368

Regular columnist Alison Hill reminds us that the victories in our lives come about when we rely on God to fight our battles.

 
Where do your enemies live? "Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Rephaim." 2 Samuel 5:18
 
The name Rephaim in Hebrew means ghosts, to heal, "the faded ones" and "what we've been healed from." In the Hebrew Bible, "Rephaim" can describe an ancient race of giants.
When Jesus paid the price for our sins at Calvary He brought healing from the giants of sickness and disease.
 
Sickness is spiritual as well as physical. Our lives contain many giants and yet at the same time for every giant there is a victory. What remains is a ghost (a battle that has died). God wants to remind us of all that his son died for, but to also remember the faded memories of our victories so that we continually give Him glory.
 
"When David was anointed king over Israel, the Philistines rose up to attack but David remained in the stronghold, until he enquired of the Lord." 2 Samuel 5:17
 
There are times in our lives in which God asks us to remain in a place of inactivity before him, until He gives us further instructions. This is a safe place to be, as well as a safe place to remain. For those of us who find keeping still in a crisis difficult, take note of David's life and do not give way to fear.
 
David asked the Lord in 2 Samuel 5:19 "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?"
 
The humility David showed as a leader before God is a lesson to us all, when dealing with the difficulties of life. We must remain in a place of humility, realising that we know very little about life and how best to deal with our circumstances. As we humble ourselves to pray when we are under the most extreme pressure, we will receive a great reward as we listen to our heavenly father.
 
The valley of Rephaim was a place of victory, its name speaks of victory. One of the meanings of the word Rephaim is "that which we've been healed from." So before the battle commenced there was a sound of victory in the valley. So for every valley you enter just know that God has sounded the victory cry over your life. You just have to declare it, over yourself in the midst of every battle.
 
The Lord's words of victory spoken to David brought David great confidence as he went into battle. We can also have this same confidence as we walk closely with God into our battles. David began fighting in an area called Baal Perazim which means "The Lord of the Breakthrough".
 
 
God brings great encouragement to His children and this is evident throughout this battle.
Baal Peratsim means possessor of the breaches. A breach is an opening in a wall. God would ask us to find out what openings we have in our lives that give a foothold for the enemy to reside? It was only when the Philistines were defeated that they handed over their idols. 2 Samuel 5:21.
 
Before God can set us free we have to find out what our enemy is. Is it pride, selfishness, anger, bitterness, Independence etc? There are so many enemies that live within us. As we allow these enemies to remain, idols will always be found taking their place instead of God.
 
The idols of pride can manifest through our job, home, children and much more. There is always an idol attached to every enemy of God. Ask God to show you your enemies and to deliver you and set you free from your idols. Remembering that there is always a sound of victory in the valleys of your life.
 
 
The "Removing the idols" image above is courtesy of http://www.visualbiblealive.com/


 

Alison Hill CF 150Alison Hill has been involved in Christian ministry for twenty five years and attends her local church in King's Lynn, Norfolk.
She runs Butterfly Ministries, offering Christian workshops to churches, conferences, small and large gatherings, bringing teaching that encourages growth in all areas of Christian life. She is also an author, now writing her third book.
She believes that Christianity is about walking with God daily and learning about His ways through His Word and hearing His voice. 

Visit:
   www.alisonhill-author.co.uk



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