Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today's shout-out goes to Chris Gilbert from Elizabethtown, PA.
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Our text today is Judges 11:32-33.

So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. — Judges 11:32-33

After all the rejection, diplomacy, and buildup, the battle finally came. But notice how quickly the narrator reports it: "the Lord gave them into his hand." The emphasis isn't on Jephthah's skill, Israel's strategy, or even the scale of the victory—it's on the Lord.

The sweeping victory across twenty cities shows this wasn't chance or human brilliance. It was God's decisive act of deliverance. Israel's repentance prepared the way, but God's power won the day.

We often act as if everything depends on us—our effort, our strategy, our fight. But Scripture reminds us again and again: the battle belongs to the Lord.

That doesn't mean you sit passively. Jephthah still crossed over and engaged the enemy. But the outcome was decided by God. Faith means stepping into the fight, but confidence comes from knowing it's God's strength, not ours, that secures victory.

Your own battles—whether against sin, fear, addiction, or opposition—are too big for you alone. But they are not too big for the Lord. The same God who subdued twenty cities by his power can subdue the enemies pressing against your soul.

So why not ask him to fight, and you be faithful? Name a battle before you today. Then declare out loud: "This battle belongs to the Lord." Ask God for the strength to step in faith and let him win the victory.

ASK THIS:

1. Where am I tempted to think victory depends on me alone?
2. Am I fighting in my strength or resting in God's?
3. What would change if I really believed the battle belongs to the Lord?

DO THIS:

Name one battle you're fighting right now. Out loud, declare: "This battle belongs to the Lord." Then ask Him for strength to step in faith and let Him win the victory.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, thank You that my battles are Yours. Help me fight with courage but rest in Your strength. Teach me to trust that victory belongs to You alone. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"The Battle Belongs To The Lord."