"For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me." (Psalm 44:6)
This can be easy to say, yet how easy it is to deny by our lives.
You will recall the incident in the Book of Joshua where the Israelites were going against Ai. Now remember, these were the same people who told Joshua that they would always do everything the Lord had spoken to Moses, i.e., that their trust should be the Lord God Himself. Now the intelligence said that Ai was a small, relatively weak community; therefore, the conclusion was, "Not all the army will have to go up,.. for only a few people live there." They thought they could handle the situation quite easily. Rather, they ran with their proverbial "tails between their legs." How many "little things" in our lives, are they to which we respond, "No problem; I can handle this." Historically we can look at Rome, which "lasted for a thousand years," and which trusted in bows and swords. All that is left is ruins for tourists to photograph. Their bows and swords are now nothing but rusted archeological finds.
No one was any better with a bow and sword than David; his reputation as a warrior substantiates this. Yet David testifies that in no way would he, "trust in my bow, nor...my sword [to] save me." The key word here I believe is, "trust." Why is it, though, that so many of us who are mediocre with the "bow" and "sword" nevertheless depend so strongly on them? How many "bows" and "swords" have we used in our lifetimes to, "save me"? Some of them were obvious; others were not, yet they were there, always contending with Jesus Christ, Who alone can save, rescue, deliver, heal. Doctors and pharmacies are perhaps some of the most powerful "bows" and "swords" which we use. Now they are not the problem. The problem arises when they become, "I will...trust in...." The Bible tells of King Asa, "in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians." You could get the idea here that the physicians were not the problem. The problem was his, "trust in."
The word translated, "trust," can mean "confidence, security." Remember Linus and his blanket? If it were ever taken from him, he went into panic mode. One of our children had the proverbial "security blanket." It was always with her. There was a soft, smooth binding around it which she loved to hold against her face. What/whom do you and I hold against our face? If it/He is Jesus Christ, if Jesus is our confidence, security and trust, then we can be confident and will be secure. If He is not, "my bow, nor shall my sword save me." If Jesus is the One, "I trust in," however, "no weapon formed against you shall prosper."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that those things in which I find some help will never be my, "trust in." Amen.
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Stats on Planned Parenthood's 2011 accomplishments:
www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
You will recall the incident in the Book of Joshua where the Israelites were going against Ai. Now remember, these were the same people who told Joshua that they would always do everything the Lord had spoken to Moses, i.e., that their trust should be the Lord God Himself. Now the intelligence said that Ai was a small, relatively weak community; therefore, the conclusion was, "Not all the army will have to go up,.. for only a few people live there." They thought they could handle the situation quite easily. Rather, they ran with their proverbial "tails between their legs." How many "little things" in our lives, are they to which we respond, "No problem; I can handle this." Historically we can look at Rome, which "lasted for a thousand years," and which trusted in bows and swords. All that is left is ruins for tourists to photograph. Their bows and swords are now nothing but rusted archeological finds.
No one was any better with a bow and sword than David; his reputation as a warrior substantiates this. Yet David testifies that in no way would he, "trust in my bow, nor...my sword [to] save me." The key word here I believe is, "trust." Why is it, though, that so many of us who are mediocre with the "bow" and "sword" nevertheless depend so strongly on them? How many "bows" and "swords" have we used in our lifetimes to, "save me"? Some of them were obvious; others were not, yet they were there, always contending with Jesus Christ, Who alone can save, rescue, deliver, heal. Doctors and pharmacies are perhaps some of the most powerful "bows" and "swords" which we use. Now they are not the problem. The problem arises when they become, "I will...trust in...." The Bible tells of King Asa, "in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians." You could get the idea here that the physicians were not the problem. The problem was his, "trust in."
The word translated, "trust," can mean "confidence, security." Remember Linus and his blanket? If it were ever taken from him, he went into panic mode. One of our children had the proverbial "security blanket." It was always with her. There was a soft, smooth binding around it which she loved to hold against her face. What/whom do you and I hold against our face? If it/He is Jesus Christ, if Jesus is our confidence, security and trust, then we can be confident and will be secure. If He is not, "my bow, nor shall my sword save me." If Jesus is the One, "I trust in," however, "no weapon formed against you shall prosper."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that those things in which I find some help will never be my, "trust in." Amen.
*************************
Stats on Planned Parenthood's 2011 accomplishments:
www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
