Gems of Knowledge

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Micah 1:1-4:13, Revelation 6:1-17, Psalm 134:1-3, Proverbs 30:1-4

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Why Go to Battle Alone?

“Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile… Your king will lead you; the LORD himself will guide you.” – Micah 2:13 (NLT)

Before I opened my Bible today, the Lord spoke a word that revealed His grief—and His willingness to fight for His people. What He said aligned perfectly with today’s One Year Bible readings, which all point to the same truth: victory belongs to the King, and only those who stay with Him share in it.

Here is the message the Lord spoke to me. Though condensed for this devotional, His words and heart remain intact:

“Stop making excuses for leaving Me. I ask you to stay but you always leave. Is there anything more important than us? What could be more important? Why do you put other things before Me? You often don’t think of Me at all. You just go about your day as if I didn’t give it to you. My love is for not with you because you deny Me at every turn, making your own way, fighting your own battles, relying on your own strength. No wonder you are always tired, weary, and burdened.

I don’t understand when you have the promise of allegiance from the King why you would run into battle by yourself. “Where can victory be found?”, you exclaim as you look only ahead and refuse to look back at Me, the King of Heaven’s Army who is mounted and ready for battle. “Where did he go?” I wonder, “Why did he leave with out us?”…

If you would have just come to Me quietly as a friend and talked to Me. I would have helped. I would have summoned My entire army and fought to the very ends of the earth for you…

So there they will sit wounded and weary in the rubble to mourn. Not because you have to, because you choose to. Amen.”

I basically see this being played out in today’s scriptures. In Micah 1–4 today, God mourns over a rebellious people who claim His protection but refuse His counsel. They build their lives on corruption and self-reliance, then march into battle alone. Yet even then, God promises to gather the remnant, break them out of exile, and lead them Himself as King – if they will accept Him.

In Revelation 6, the Lamb releases the riders—each given authority by the King. Their missions cannot fail. No power can stop them. Their victory is final, because no one can stand against the authority of the King. The contrast is striking: those who stay with the King move in unstoppable authority; those who leave Him collapse wounded on the battlefield.

Psalm 134 calls the servants of the Lord to praise Him, because He is the One who brings victory and blessing. And Proverbs 30 gives voice to the weary and worn—those who admit their defeat on the battlefield alone, seeing their own weakness and their lack of understanding, and finally ask, “What is His name, and what is His Son’s name?” (vs 4).

That inquiry is the turning point – who is the Holy One and where can I find Him?

The wounded are not abandoned.
The weary are not forgotten.
But they must seek the King and take His hand.

Victory, healing, and eternal rest belong to those who choose to stay with Him. 💎

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Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take five minutes with the King today and ask:

• “Lord, what do You want to tell me specifically about this today?”
  • Journal what He whispers by His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He whispers – then do it!

Take His hand today and let Him be your King of protection and provision, as He seeks to heal and restore you.

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Prayer

King of Heaven, forgive me for trusting my own strength and leaving Your presence. I choose to stay. I take Your hand. Lead me into victory, rest, and healing. Amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.