As excavators brought Megiddo back to life, they saw a stronghold. This place was the intersection between Assyria and Egypt – the main trade route between the east and the west. In Revelation 16:16, Har Megiddo is even referred to as Armageddon.
When we think of Armageddon, most of us think of Hollywood with movies like Terminator, or…yes…certainly Armageddon…and too many more to list. Guns, nuclear warfare, destruction, stars falling from the sky – violence beyond belief.
While terrible violence will certainly be an aspect of The End, The Lord is wanting to redirect His children to strategy. The kind of strategy led not by carnal tools or of “…might or power, but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6).
What does that mean for you and me?
We can arm up, store food and water, become almost “prepper” in mindset. None of these tactics being necessarily wrong, but when they become our focus, it most likely means we’re operating in fear.
If God has made it clear to us that He already won not just the battle, but the war, we should be making every move in our lives based on TRUST. Even the enemy knows his time is short (Rev. 12:12)!
And if our every move is based on trust, then what should we be focused on right now? How should we be preparing for this battle… and every battle for that matter?
I believe our focus should be on deepening our relationship with The Lord and listening to Him about what gifts He’s given us that can be used to glorify Him during the crisis’ we will face.
To make my case, I’d like you to give you a peek into my life in order for you to know the passion behind words…
After a few years of employment after college, and then 20 years of owning a business, I just recently started studying to put my gift to work.
For me it’s counseling. I’ve always had a passion for helping people emotionally, particularly working with couples to stay strong in their marriages and families. And what I discovered is in most, if not all cases, these folks pursued me for help… which pointed to my gift, even if I resisted it over the last two decades.
Enough about me. What’s your gift? If we bring this conversation back to Megiddo, realize your gift isn’t simply something for you. It’s meant to usher in the Kingdom of God!
It’s these gifts in the Holy Spirit, grounded in the Word of God that will allow us to bring in the ultimate harvest. When we focus on growing these giftings, we’ll be able to focus on loving others instead of trying to save (or love) ourselves (Matthew 16:25) – which is exactly how the early church brought so many to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
But there’s a much more important lesson to be taken from Megiddo…
it’s not just about the final war, it’s about everyday battles. Megiddo represents a place of many battles – battles so important, they changed the course of civilization!
If you don’t think the daily battles you face are as important, you don’t know the Kingdom you a part of – we are in the Kingdom of God. As Believers, we are waging daily battles against enemy strongholds – strongholds attacking marriages, families and relationships of all kinds.
As you grow your gifts, the battles you win with the power of the Holy Spirit and guided by God’s Word, are accomplishing fetes you may never know the importance of until the other side. They are vital to your purpose here on earth, and most importantly your relationship with the One Who created you.
