As paintballs whizzed by my head, I cried out to God for protection.

 

I had a false sense of security as I entered the paintball battlefield. I wore a helmet with a shield over my face, and layers of clothing, so if I got hit, it wouldn’t hurt. I had all the confidence in the world this was going to be fun, and somewhat effortless. Besides, I was part of an army, and we were up on a hill. The enemy had taken up position in bunkers – an easy ambush, or so I thought.

 

This was my first paintball war, and I was determined to forge forward and conquer. I set my mind to advance to the front, with the start of combat. This was it, no time to be scared. All thoughts of anxiety were lost, as I snuck down the hill hidden amidst the sticker bushes. I crouched down behind a tall wooden cylinder, and positioned my gun to fire, when…

 

A paintball zipped right by my head! “Whoa! That was close!” I thought. At this point, there was a constant stream of paintballs flying by my head. That’s when I cried out to God for help, and retreated to the back.

 

My idea of a fun and an effortless game of paintball, turned into a lesson of God’s protection in the midst of battle. From the time the paintballs almost hit my head, to the ending of the game, I was constantly praying for the Lord’s protection.

By the conclusion of the first battle, all of my “so called army” was out of the game. That meant one thing; I was the only target left! I did my best to hide out and run when necessary. I learned I couldn’t always fire back, I just had to survive, and that meant not getting hit.

I truly believe that my dependence on God is what got me to the end of the battle. I was in constant contact with my Commander, and as He directed, I moved. Although I eventually was hit, and thus out of the game, I had endured the fight and learned to depend on God for my protection. Not bad for my first paintball game.

As I entered into other wars, I continued to have success because I learned to trust my Heavenly Commander. When the enemy came in like a flood, most of the paintballs that hit me fell straight to the ground, and didn’t explode, which meant I was still in the game! They had to physically leave a mark in order for me to be out.

Are you in spiritual combat right now? If so, are you listening to your Commander (God) and getting your orders from Him, or are you depending on your own thoughts and ideas to win the battle?  Listen to Him, and perhaps you will escape with fewer wounds.

“We depend on the Lord alone to save us. Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield.” Psalm 33:20 NLT