January 03, 2024
All of us face enemies in life. The immediate response if an enemy is strong enough and the siege long enough is to lose all hope. If we listen to the prognosticators, they all tell us it’s useless. And even if we are trusting in God, they will proclaim that trusting in Him is fine, but it will not deliver us.
THE VETERAN WARRIOR
David was an old man when his son, Absalom, came against him and drove him from his own home and city. While others were fearful and doubting, David was at peace. His prayer reflects what others thought about the situation.
O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God.” (Psalm 3:1-2)
But they did not reckon with a wise warrior who’d been through many battles. He knew God was sufficient. It had started on the hillsides as a young boy and been confirmed in his youth as he fought Goliath. He knew that God was enough.
His history told him that God was always faithful for those who trusted Him, and it lifted his head and led him to do what he had done on a thousand battlefields. He cried out to the Lord and then lay down and slept.
But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. (Selah … pause and think about that). I lay down and slept. I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about. (Psalm 3:3-6)
If you’ve never been through a battle or been there and never trusted in God, this will seem foolish. But if you, like David, have found out about the power of God on the battlefield, you will know that He is more than sufficient … and you will rest in the Lord. You will be entirely vigilant, but your quiet confidence will confuse your enemies and please the One who holds you (and them) in His hands.
May 08, 2025
All of us are dramatically shaped by how we view ourselves. Some have too low a perspective; some too high. To be imbalanced here is harmful in either direction.
May 06, 2025
We spend our lives trying to gain certain things and are full of joy when we get them. Our first car, our first job, our first home. Reputation, and prestige, and influence. The list is long. But is it possible to have all those things and not have the most important thing?
April 30, 2025
And then he said with a twinkle in his eye that had seen nine decades plus, “I believe this may be the best season of my life!”
