"It's a Fixed Fight"

Scripture: "And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee." -Jeremiah 1:19

Back in March of 1999 at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York City, boxing had the chance to crown its first undisputed heavyweight champion since the earlier part of the decade. The two combatants that had this opportunity was WBC (World Boxing Council) champion Lennox Lewis and IBF (International Boxing Federation) and WBA (World Boxing Association) champion Evander Holyfield. Through 12 rounds of action and pure domination by Lennox Lewis, the decision went to the judges. If there was anyone who watched this fight, they know the winner of this fight was Lennox Lewis. However, one judge, from the USA, scored the fight for Holyfield, another judge, from South Africa, scored it for Lewis, and the final judge, from England, Lewis's home country, had it a draw. After this fight, the boxing community was in so much turmoil, that commentators called this fight a "fixed fight" in the sense that all Holyfield had to do was show up and that he would at least get a draw or maybe a decision. In the realm of the spirit, God is just like that. He has given us opportunities to work in His Kingdom and He has blessed us despite the trials and tribulations that has come in our lives. In so many words, the fight with the enemy can be considered a "fixed fight". How can we consider this? Let's examine today's text.

Today's devotional journey brings us to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, who served King Josiah, is known as the weeping prophet and served as a prophet to the people of God for approximately 40 years. This book is the second longest within the five books known as the Major Prophets. Major Prophets received more information and insight from the Father, thus giving them that title. Within this introductory chapter, God and Jeremiah dialogued about Jeremiah's life and the things God had in store for him. At the end of this dialogue, God gave Jeremiah assurance that he would be fine and that his upcoming fights with his enemies are fixed. With this being said, let's examine the text.

God writes to Jeremiah by saying, "And they shall fight against thee". Ladies and gentlemen, don't we all have fights? Whether it's a physical fight, an emotional fight, a spiritual fight, a health fight, an argument, or anything else, we are going to have fights. With the enemy, he has fought us financially, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and every way else. One thing I thank God for is the fact that we are living to be fought!

Since we are alive to fought, God tells Jeremiah and us that thou we may have fights, "they shall not prevail against thee". Hallelujah! Isn't that good news, my brother and my sister? Isn't it a blessing to know that though, the enemy may fight you, he cannot prevail! Isaiah said it best in the preceding book that "no weapon formed against thee shall prosper". Just in case, we forgot it there, God re-emphasized it to us here in Jeremiah! Don't you love a God of confirmation and a God of agreement? Don't you love the fact that the wars against you cannot stop you? Why can God say such a proclamation?

The text is concluded when God tells Jeremiah and us that "for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee." Despite the ugliness of your situation, God is there to deliver you! When your money is funny and change is strange, God is there to deliver you from your rut! Though your family acts salty and act like they do not care, God is there to deliver you from them! Though you may have some friction within your marriage, but God is there to deliver you! Though you may some friction with someone at the workplace, God is there to deliver you! Though you may be battling an ailment on today, but God is there to deliver you! David also gives us confidence in the Father when he wrote "many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth us out of them all". In other words, keep living and know that God has your back! Keep living because you will have some fights, but they will not prosper or stop you from achieving your destiny in God!

In closing, when this world tries to bog you down with its troubles, laugh at it and say, it's a fixed fight because my Father has my back and when I need Him, He will deliver me! Wherever you are today, you ought to give the Father a little praise for knowing that your fights in life are fixed!