Two enemies

“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.  A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.  But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”  Psalm 33:16-19

So which is worse?  A sworn enemy deepening in hatred and growing in numbers, or a nation slowly turning its back on God?  What we have on our hands, I’m afraid, is a sobering mixture of both.

Our nation has always fought to protect “our way of life,” especially our freedoms.  But our way of life has changed.  Drastically!  We’ve banned from the public square the God of “unfailing love,” the one who has sustained us throughout our history.  We’ve affirmed other “gods” as being his equal.  (“Pick the one that works for you!  They're all the same.”)  And as though robed and seated on a superior court, we’ve considered his moral judgments and overruled him.

So where do we turn?  What do we do?  We have the strongest military in history, but will God continue to protect a people who no longer fear him or hope in him? 

I think it begins with each of taking a good look inside, for that’s where God would reign as king.  Is my personal comfort each and every moment really the most important thing in the world, or are there higher callings for me today?  Is it OK to keep silent about my God, or is kinder to share him with those still searching?  Should I live in the security of personal isolation, or purposefully engage others who cross my paths today?  Should I continue to fashion a god to my liking and comfort, or should I submit myself and my will to the God of his revealing?  Should I doubt God and second-guess him, or do I trust and obey?

We should we be concerned about the enemy we see.  But we should be even more concerned about the enemy we don't see, the evil one who would destroy our souls. 

Personally, I think this is a time of true soul-searching and repentance.  It is a time for prayer – honest, open, confessing and petitioning prayer.  It is time to listen for the Spirit's voice and then to act.  It is a time to speak to those searching for hope, not words of condemnation, but words that point the way to God – words of truth, words of life in Jesus Christ, who is life itself.

Today and every today, listen ...
How is the Holy Spirit leading you to pray?  Pray that way; he will hear you.
Where is he opening doors to touch someone's life?  Walk through that door; he walks with you.
What truth is he telling you to speak?  Speak it freely; he will bring forth fruit.

And together let’s pray, “May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”  Amen. 

[To see the daily reading, Psalm 33:12-22, click here.]

Prayer is Whispering -

Psalm 31:2 (NIV)
 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

I know of a kindergarten teacher who learned the way to communicate best with her young students was to speak very softly.  She learned when the children are loud and excited about something they were doing; it was difficult to get their attention.  She found herself raising her voice to be heard and discovered that only added to the volume in her classroom.  So, she tried speaking softly, all the time.  When she would greet them in the morning and instruct them throughout the day, she used an 'inside' voice.  It didn't take long before the decibels in the room lowered considerably.

This change helped to provide order and calm to every day.  By decreasing the noise, the desire to listen increased.  Maybe you can relate to this practice.  There was a time when I thought the only way to get noticed was by being bold or loud.  But sometimes the best way to be heard is to be silent.  Being still quiets the heart.  Speaking softly or whispering gives the impression you have something important to say.

I think that is why I love writing down my prayers. This practice helps me feel secure and even calm and peace filled.  There are times when I need to shout out to God, when I fear He doesn't hear me, but more often I am released from fear when I quietly talk to God, write down my petitions.  It is then I feel heard.  

God hears us at any sound level.  "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD." (Psalm 31:24)  God responds to our shouts of grief and agony and pain.  He also responds to those unspoken prayers.  The words we say only in our hearts during those times when words fail us or we are choked by emotion.

Psalm 31 and 32 and 33.