Banners

Ok, I don’t remember a bunch of things from way back but I do remember playing the game "Capture the Flag”, as I am sure many of you do as well.  But just in case you need a refresher:

It is a traditional outdoor sport where two teams have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team’s flag, located at the team’s base and bring it back safely to their own base. 

Well just twist that story a bit and consider there to be one flag, that is centered in mid field and is the valued reward competed for by both teams. Now think of that flag as being a banner, a huge banner planted in the ground that would take great force to up stake and steal.  This was the example explored in my Tuesday morning bible study this week, and I am so very visual that I love this image.   

There are 18 mentions of banners in the bible, all Old Testament verses,  and I never have paid any attention to them until the banner suggestion was shared, and I was anxious to research it. A banner was used as a visual statement of declaration. It was a declaration of allegiance held high over a particular family or nation, maybe symbolically and maybe literally but it was relative to the prophetic authority of God in most instances. 

So in thinking about this flag deal, we as Christians have already captured the flag, not by our own doing but by God’s.  He has moved our territory from the outskirts of the earthly field to the flagship presence of his heavenly throne. His banner has  been boldly planted into the hearts of all who believe in the glorious name and power of His son. And we are winners. The only time when God’s flag is not the banner flying over us and all our circumstances is when we have eased away from it, and have fallen back in the enemy territory.

Remember the story of Moses in Exodus 17:11 when the Israelites were fighting Amalekites. As long as Moses Hands were up they would be gaining ground and winning, but if his hands dropped they would begin to be defeated. Same deal with this flag comparison, as long as we are raising God’s banner in praise and worship and trust, we are winners, it is when we lose hold and our focus in no longer on God’s ultimate authority and victory but on circumstances that is when the enemy begins to profit from our weaknesses. 

Lifting a banner is an announcement and a proclamation of a particular stand. If we hold high the banner of Christ and raise it for the world to see when adversities hit and if we truly believe in the power and love and overseeing goodness of Christ  then we too will be the victors. We will stand in his grace and proclaim his goodness and the deeds he has done.  We, in humble declaration, will, in confidence, declare that God is forever victorious no matter what obvious chaos is planted before us.  For God’s overseeing banner of righteousness always prevails in good times as well as bad.   

We may not see the fulfillment of God’s promises right now, but if we hold tight to the banner and raise it in praise, even in the midst of the heart breaks, heart aches that we have been struck by, we will be gently comforted by his peace and wrapped his love.....and strength will come through the power of His flying bannPsalm 20:5May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.May the Lord grant all your requests. 

Psalm 60:4

But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.

Exodus 17:15

Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.

Psalm 20:5

May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.May the Lord grant all your requests.

Dear Lord, Help us to hold tight to your banner, and raise our own in praise for who you are and the love your share and the grace that you pour into each of us.  Amen
 

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!