For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few. (1 Samuel 14:6)  Do you know who coined that phrase?  A man who was getting ready to take on an entire army, accompanied only by “the young man carrying his armor”.

His name was Jonathan.  He was the son of a King.  The Bible lays out for us the major events in the story, but leaves out a lot of little details.  Like — what prompted Jonathan to suddenly turn to “the young man carrying his armor” and say, “Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised Philistines; perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few”?  I’ve come up with my own version of what prompted this outburst.  Would you like to hear it?

Tags: 1 Samuel 14, armor bearer, army, battle, God, impossible, Israel, Jonathan, possible, Saul, Victory

It’s not difficult to feel hopeless about the world’s economic state. Especially since the media is always there, just like a faithful friend (or perhaps more like an unwanted enemy) to remind you of the decay and destruction and death that will soon be poured onto your finances. That is why, in times like these, I strongly encourage use of the OFF and MUTE buttons. But shouldn’t I be aware of everything that’s going on right now? You ask. No. Don’t fool yourself. Just as I said on Monday: The righteous walk by faith, NOT by sight (2 Cor 5:7, Hebrews 10:38). That’s not a call to deny reality. It’s a call to a greater reality — God’s Word, because it doesn’t return void.

Tags: battle, Economy, Faith, Famine, finances, financial crisis, God, God's Promises, hopeless, Isaiah 40:26, Isaiah 51:6, media, Prosperity, Psalm 121, righteous, Sword, truth, Victory, word of God

Today I experienced something that I’ve never experienced before. I was laid off from my job. How ironic that I posted the following blurb in my last post before I left for work this morning:

People at your job may be being laid off right and left. But you need to stand on the promises God’s given you, knowing that even though “a thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, [that no such thing will] come near you.”

Tags: Abraham, believe, Faith, God, God's Promises, hopeless, hurt, jobs, losing jobs, psalm 91, Romans 4:17-18, Tough Times

A friend from work was telling me the other day about a certain church that sat right next to the World Trade Center twin towers, before they were tragically destroyed on 9/11.  Do you remember seeing the news coverage of people running from the towers, running from stores and shops and businesses that were blocks from the towers?  Especially when the towers toppled down.  It looked like destruction spanned for blocks and blocks.  But that church I just mentioned — it was completely unscathed.  It wasn’t destroyed by the debris.  It didn’t topple over.  No, it was fine.  In fact, that church went on to offer food and supplies to the people whose lives were turned upside down by that devastating event.  That church became a resting place for the fireman and emergency workers working non-stop to save people from the debris surrounding the towers.  As my friend finished telling me this story, she reminded me of Psalm 91:  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  You will only observe with your eyes.  …  If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways (verses 7-11).

Tags: 9/11, battle, Economy, Famine, finances, God, God's Promises, help, Prosperity, psalm 91, Victory

God wants His children to prosper in the midst of famine.  Isn’t that good news?  Especially as economies around the world are taking a very big hit.  So wash out of your mind right now all of the negative words the media may have spoken into your heart.  The drop in your income that they told you to expect?   Stop expecting it.  Or maybe you’ve already experienced that drop in your income.  If so, get ready for it to turn back up in the right direction.  Maybe you don’t even have a job or you’ve just lost your job.  Stop worrying and get ready for things to change.  Why?  I’m going to tell you why.

Tags: battle, Economy, Faith, Famine, God, God's Promises, Politics, Prosperity, Victory

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32

The Bible is powerless in my life if I don’t believe it.  I can hear the truth, I can read the truth, I can copy the truth onto 3 by 5 notecards and tape them on my mirror, I can memorize the truth, I can shout the truth over my situation, but until I know the truth… I will not be set free.

Tags: battle, Bible, David and Goliath, Disease, Free, freedom, God, Jesus, Sickness, Sword, truth, Victory, war

The other day, as I was driving, I came up behind a car with a bumper sticker that read: Something wonderful is about to happen. I smiled. I had just lived through another one of my Really Bad Wrong-Turn episodes. I was driving home from the mall, which I stopped at after work. This mall is quite a stretch from where I live, but I’ve been there a million times. And every time, I always take the same highway home. But somehow, I ended up exiting on the wrong street and taking some wrong turns, and pretty soon, there were signs introducing me to a whole different highway. A highway I don’t like. A big, big highway. A highway that’s 5 lanes wide. But I wasn’t scared. If I was, I would have pulled a U-turn and gotten myself out of that mess. Instead, I whispered to myself, “Oh goodie, this way may get me home even faster!” In the last few years, I must have spent 10% of my life sitting in traffic. Thus everything is about find a faster route, a better way to avoid traffic. It was false hope though. I just didn’t know it yet. I planned to get on the big, big highway and then exited onto the highway that I always use to get home. But, turns out I had gotten on too late to merge onto the highway. Instead, my only option was to go south…. and I did go south. Until finally, I knew my only hope was to exit at the next city and pull a U-turn. So I did. And then I had to figure out how to get back on the same highway but going in the opposite direction. So I pulled into a gas station and drove around it three times until I figured out what to do. After three times, I still hadn’t figured out what to do, but I saw a couple of people pointing and laughing at me, so I got right out of there. Then I got to a stop light. Maybe I should call my Dad. I always call my dad in situations such as these. And he always knows exactly where I’m at and guides me back on the road that leads to home. I pulled out my cell phone. The light turned green. I got ready to turn. Then a guy, from the middle of nowhere, comes driving right at me. Silly guy. He was in the wrong lane to go straight. I slammed on my breaks. My cell phone flew off my lap and onto the floor. Guess I won’t be calling dad. When I did finally get back onto the right highway, the highway that I love and know, the highway that leads me straight home, I found myself in a log jam. A million cars, bumper to bumper, moving at a snail’s pace.

Tags: don't give up, driving, God, I believe Him, promises, Something wonderful, u-turns, wrong-turns

I was just brushing my teeth… and I had a thought. I haven’t been to the garden in a while. My heart fluttered. How could I go so long without visiting? The garden, unlike the dentist, is not some place I’m supposed to visit every six months (though, if you’re like me, you’ve been meaning to call for the past year and just haven’t gotten around to it). No, the garden, isn’t somewhere I have to or am supposed to visit at all. And that’s a good thing, because… let’s face it: if someone told me that I needed to go, I probably wouldn’t. It’s like cleaning the bathroom. If someone would simply say to me, “Please stop cleaning the bathroom. Please don’t ever do it again!” I would. I would clean the bathroom. Probably that very minute. But instead, I’m always hounding myself to clean it - and well, I rarely do (I am being generous with the word rarely). Or… if my English teacher would have told me, all those years ago, to not bother reading To Kill a Mockingbird. To just take it home and look at the front cover and maybe, maybe read the back cover… but only if I really felt like it, then by golly, I probably would have scoured the whole thing from front to back. Curiosity would have got the better of me. But it was the exact opposite. And curiosity and wonderment had no part in it. As a result, I was drawn into the arms of Spark Notes. I didn’t even read the back cover. Oh, but I did watch the movie (sorry, Miss Aden… thanks anyways for the A though).

Tags: 40 million, abortion, caught in the storm, conviction, democrat, fight, freedom, God, godly leader, Help me LORD, politcal confusion, political opinions, Politics, Politics and God, pride, republican, righteous laws, the garden, truth

His eyes are piercing. His gaze, unbroken. His face is decorated with a stray cut on his forehead, a stream of dried blood dried between his eyes. His cheeks are bronzed by dirt. His lips are cracked.

He doesn’t know fear, but fear knows him. It calls his name; he doesn’t hear it. It chases him; he doesn’t hide. He rides and the ground trembles beneath him. His fist clenches tight around his inseparable companion: a sword. Splinters from the hilt threaten to pierce his skin but lose every time. His skin is tough and worn, like a piece of good leather that softens and becomes more pliable but never looses its seal.

Tags: battle, hands frozen to the sword, relentless, war