Who shall prepare himself…? 

     In 1967 Hank Iba (1904-1993) was chosen to organize and coach the U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team for the 1968 Summer Olympics. Due to much social unrest in the United States at that time, many college athletes refused to tryout for the team. Of the 12 players chosen, none were basketball superstars. The U.S. Olympic officials sadly shook their heads when they saw the team Iba had put together. To them they were nothing more than a bunch of second rate players who never had a chance of winning. Later that year things began to look different. One by one the competition began losing to the Americans who had prepared themselves with much practice. Their final challengers were the Yugoslavians who appeared to be on a winning streak. On October 25, 1968, after a very intense game, the team of "second rate" Americans overcame their adversary and won gold by a 15 point lead.
     Like Iba's Olympic basketball team preparing themselves to overcome their adversary, you've also got to prepare yourself if you want to overcome "your adversary, the devil" (1Pe 5:8). Therefore "be... prepared" (Ezek 38:7) by putting your "trust in the Lord" (Ps 37:3). For "the Lord shall help… and deliver them… (that) ...trust in Him" (Ps 37:40).