This chapter, too, reminded me that God understands! He is not an 'ivory-tower' God who simply desires for us to live above reality; He has earthly plans and purposes for His people. He recognizes that life is important...new homes, new marriages and new business endeavors do draw our attention. Fear, too, is a reality that impacts our focus--and others. Soldiers of God must be united in purpose and fully persuaded of God's presence and power.
When we are engaged in battles, we must be fully present and totally committed to God. It is intriguing to me that the battle plan differs according to the proximity of the battle. With more distant cities, the Israelites were allowed to use the bounty of the conquered nation. Yet, in our 'inheritance'--in our immediate living situations--ALL is to completely dedicated to God. We are not to compromise or be half-hearted in our day-to-day living. I also see that some battles will be long, and God cautions against destroying what is potentially fruitful in such long engagements.
For the Israelites these commands related to tangible cities and battles; as modern-day Christians I see parallels in the battlegrounds of our homes, churches, school districts, communities and nation. The proximity and distance is determined by our own circumstances: families with children have different issues than seniors but everyone must be concerned about their individual battles and their impact on those around them. Christ will give us victory in every battle if we will heed His guidance and trust in His provision and power!
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