Flash Drought

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. --Psalm 63:1

I heard a meteorological term this week that I have not heard before.  The term is "flash drought", and it apparently was popularized (if not actually coined) during the rapid onset of the central US drought in May and early June, 2012.   These events are described as decreases in soil moisture associated with unusually high temperatures coupled with increases in evaporation in a relatively short period of time.

The air temperature rises so rapidly that the moisture in the soil evaporates.  The soil is so dry that the vegetation dries out or dies completely.  It is so dry that any spark, such as that caused by a horseshoe striking a rock, can lead to a major fire, covering thousands of acres.

I have heard meteorologists before speak of "fire season", where wildfires will start in the Western United States.  Firefighters during the summer months may be called to help fight local fires in California, Nevada, and Arizona.  Some of these fires could have been caused by careless campers not dousing their campfires completely.  Some of them could have been started by lightning strikes.  More recently, however, wildfires have sprung up in less arid places, such as Montana and Wyoming.  It is these recent fires that have been attributed to flash droughts.

Apparently, there are two different kinds of flash droughts.  The first is caused by a heat wave.  High temperatures cause an increase in evaporation, and lead to decreases in soil moisture.  Heat Wave flash droughts have nothing to do with lack of precipitation.  The second kind of flash drought is called Precipitation Deficit flash drought.  This type is caused by a lack of rain, which in turn causes the soil to dry out.  The dry soil causes temperatures to rise.

The effect is the same for both kinds.  Both involve heat, evaporation, and lack of moisture.  One dries out the moisture stored in the ground.  The other is caused by lack of precipitation feeding moisture to the ground.  One is caused by heat in the environment; the other causes heat in the environment.

I don't mean to get so technical, but there is a point I'm driving to.  Be patient with me.

The Bible speaks of cataclysmic events in the end times.  Revelation 9 describes the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse:

And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone.  A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths.  --Revelation 9:17-18

Many modern Bible scholars have theorized that the cataclysm that would cause the death of one third of mankind would have to be a nuclear war or something similar.  Thoughts like this are fresh in our minds with current events such as the saber rattling of North Korea, a fledgling nuclear power, and the fierce response by the United States, the only country to have used nuclear weapons in war.  Indeed, the major deterrent for the use of nuclear warheads over the last fifty years has been something called Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).

I don't know much about eschatology (the study of the End Times), or about nuclear war.  I believe that if there was an all-out nuclear war, much more than one-third of all mankind would die.  Much more than one-third of the fish in the sea would perish, as was prophesied in Revelation 8:9--besides, this prophecy about the sea appears to be a separate event.  I think it could be just as likely that there could be widespread flash droughts, causing multiple wildfires, that could set off a chain of events resulting in cataclysmic death rates.  If the wildfires are near major metropolitan areas, the flames and the smoke could cause the deaths of millions, even a couple billion.  God could use a discarded cigarette butt here, a lightning strike there, a few unattended campfires and even a horseman riding over a rock causing a spark--all of these could be used by God to bring about His will and the fulfillment of His Word.

Unfortunately, I am all too familiar with times of drought closer to home.  No, I don't mean a lack of precipitation.  I am talking about a spiritual drought.  There have been too many times when I have neglected prayer and Bible study.  The lack of communion with God through my speaking with Him (through prayer) and Him speaking to me (through His word) has often caused me to wander in a spiritual wasteland.  Other times, the worries of the world and the pressure Satan builds up against us has worn me down, causing a deep thirst for God.

In the Old Testament, there are two different words for "drought".  One is the Hebrew word choreb, which is translated heat, dry, drought, waste, and desolation.  This is the word used in Genesis 31:40: "Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes."  This use of the word "drought" can be thought of as environmental.  It is like the heat wave flash drought--it has nothing to do with precipitation; that is, it doesn't matter how much we pray or study Scripture, the devil brings this drought to bear on us.  And if we don't hydrate, if we don't continually be subject to "the washing of the water and of the word" (Ephesians 5:26), then we can become parched, desolate, and laid waste.

God's mercy covers this possibility.  Isaiah 4:6 says, "There will be a shelter (or Tabernacle) to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain." Later, that same writer said, "For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a rain storm against a wall." (Isaiah 25:4).

The second term used in the Old Testament for "drought" is the word tsiyah, translated dry land, wilderness, dry places, solitary place.  It is the word used in Job 30:3, "For want and famine they were solitary, fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste." (KJV).  I think of this kind of drought as more self-inflicted or voluntary.  If we isolate ourselves from God and from His provision for us, it is like the flash drought caused by a lack of precipitation.  Without water, the soil of our soul evaporates what little moisture is left, and it causes life to heat up around us.  "But they sinned even more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness." (Psalm 78:17).

Even then, the solution is by the grace of God.  If you are a Christian, you can see Him strike the rock and see Living Water flow out and fill the dry places.  If you have not  yet accepted Him, you can come out of the wilderness and accept His free gift of eternal life.  "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5).

We can wallow in sin and reap destruction, or we can come to the Fountain.  "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11).  Hebrews 10:22 says, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

I hope you are seeing a pattern here.  The key to avoiding spiritual drought is hydration.  When the heat is on, or a heat wave comes in out of nowhere, realize that evaporation will follow.  If that water is not replenished, you could be consumed.  Alternately, if we fail to tap the Source and partake of the Living Water frequently, then our reservoir will run dry and we will be in danger of faltering in our faith, or wandering in a desolate death spiral.  The time of testing is coming.  The prophet Zechariah said this:

And it shall come to pass in all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it;  I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested.  They will call on My name and I will answer them.  I will say, "This is My people," and each one will say, "The Lord is my God."  --Zechariah 13:8-9

Bring on the heat--just don't forget where the water is.


I KNOW WHERE THERE'S WATER
by Ponder, Sykes & Wright

In a dry and thirsty land I know where there's water,
In the burning desert sand I know where there's water;
There's a place where I can go where the living waters flow,
To refresh my weary soul I know there's water.

I know I can't live my life based on how I feel,
But at times there is a famine across the land in which I dwell;
But I know there's a mountain where blood from His side fell,
And the blood became a fountain, the fountain a living well.

In a dry and thirsty land I know where there's water,
In the burning desert sand I know where there's water;
There's a place where I can go where the living waters flow,
To refresh my weary soul I know there's water.

This world takes my strength until there's nothing left,
And it's a hopeless battle to fight it by myself;
So when the times I'm weak from this journey I am on,
There's a wellspring that I drink from flowing from the Cornerstone.

In a dry and thirsty land I know where there's water,
In the burning desert sand I know where there's water;
There's a place where I can go where the living waters flow,
To refresh my weary soul I know there's water.

To refresh my weary soul I know there's water.
I know where there's water;Yes, I know where there's water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVUJbSfZTAc

The Battle is the Lord's

If you are a Christian, you are a theologian.  You have no choice.  Theology is simply knowing about God.  In fact, since Christians are called to grow in their knowledge of God, part of the very goal of the Christian life is theology.  Theology is a normal part of the Christian life--a part that gives rise to everything else.  --James White, The Forgotten Trinity.

I have had the day from you-know-where today.  If not for the grace of God, well, all kinds of things--let's not go there.

On second thought, let's.

Last night in my quiet time, I was reading in 2 Samuel 10.  The enemies of Israel were arrayed against David and his kingdom.  More importantly, they were arrayed against the Kingdom of God.  The Ammonites hired mercenaries from Aramea.  20,000 battle-tested soldiers were joined by 12,000 men of Tob, and a thousand more from the king of Maacah.  Don't worry, I don't know who these people were, either.  That's the point--only the victors are remembered in history.

Aw, nuts!  I've gone and spoiled it already.  Let's start again.  Thirty-three thousand battle-tested soldiers and mercenaries storming the gates of Jerusalem.  Half were standing at the main gates in front, and half stationed in the fields behind the city.  Joab, David's general, knew this was a good battle plan, a wise war tactic.  If David's army fought against those at the front gates, the enemy would come in from behind.  If the Israeli army fled out of the back of the city, those at the front would storm the gates while the Lord's army was engaged with those in the fields.  Brilliant!

Joab's solution was to set half of the King's Guard at the front gates, led by himself.  The other half would fight in the rear under the direction of Joab's brother Abishai.  His plan was simple--if Joab's forces were having trouble, Abishai's troops would help them; but if Abishai's warriors were overwhelmed, then Joab's men would come to their aid.

Joab left them with this rallying cry:  "Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight."  (2 Samuel 10:12, emphasis added.)

He did not give them false hope.  They were outnumbered and outflanked.  There was no, "We've got the power!"  No "This is OUR HOUSE!"  He didn't say, "This is where we fight; this is where they die."  An honest assessment meant that they were not entirely sure of victory that day.  Yet they gave it to God.  "May the Lord do what is good in His sight."

I like that.  We are engaged in a spiritual battle. By ourselves we are out-manned and out-maneuvered.  Our trust is not in ourselves, it is in God alone.  You find this sentiment echoed in many Old Testament scriptures.  One of them is Esther 4:16: "If I perish, I perish."  The thought is that if I live or if I die, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Even today, we trust not in ourselves.  Our trust is in God alone.  This is the very meaning behind grace.  After this riveting Old Testament story in my quiet time last night, I read the New Testament story of the birth of John the Baptist in Luke 1.  In my Bible I highlighted the prophetic word John's father Zacharias spoke over his new-born son.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant--as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old--"Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;" --Luke 1:68-71

Now that sounds more like a battle cry, doesn't it?  He goes on to describe what we are saved to, or saved for:

To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.  --Luke 1:73b-75

Now, most of us are not soldiers, airmen, or marines.  We are civilians, engaged in commerce, not commando raids.  We are more used to the sound of idyllic banter than to the noise of intense battle. However, just beyond the realm of what is seen is an enemy who "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8).

In light of the spiritual battle before us, let's read further the prophetic word that Zacharias spoke over his son John.  "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways." (Luke 1:76).  Jesus Himself verified this statement, and validated John's mission when He said in Luke 7:28, "Among those born of women there is no one greater than John."  Jesus made this statement even while John was in prison, awaiting execution at the hand of Herod.  Think about that.

Zecharias went on to prophesy what his progeny's purpose would be:  "To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins."  (Luke 1:77).  The Greek word for "salvation" is the word soteria, which can mean deliverance, preservation, and safety.  How can we be delivered, preserved, and safe from Satan and the effects of sin?  By the forgiveness of our sins.  John's message was "repent", but it was a message of grace.  Sin separates us from a holy God.  The only antidote to sin is God's forgiveness.  We cannot be good enough on our own--we are always stained with sin.  Only the covering of the righteousness of Christ through His blood shed on the cross can cover our sin. God Himself saves us from Himself, unto Himself, for Himself.  Who knew the doctrine of soteriology could be so simple and yet so deep?

The prophecy of Zecharias goes on to say, "Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us." (Luke 1:78).  The word translated "mercy" can mean "Kindness or goodwill towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them."  Charitable men and women can exhibit this godly quality, but at the end of the day we humans are only in it for ourselves.  We do charity to feel good about ourselves, or to be seen as good to other people.  God's mercy is not for our applause but for our need.  He doesn't show mercy so we will think better of Him; He shows mercy because it is His very nature.  It can be counted upon as surely as the sun rises in the East every morning.

As if to underscore the mercy of God, Zecharias's prophecy over his son John the Baptist ends this way: "To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."  This is the gospel, the good news.  No matter how bad your day has gone or is going, we have the promise of peace.  Not peace like the world gives, but the peace of God, which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).  Strong's concordance (the major study aid of this entire post) defines peace in this way:

1. Exemption from the rage and havoc of war.
2. Peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord.
3. Security, safety, prosperity, and felicity. (Because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous.)
4. Of the Messiah's peace, the way that leads to salvation.
5. Of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.

Are you having a bad day?  The worst day on earth is better than the best day in hell. Peace be with you.  Are you facing and enemy that has you overwhelmed? Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart: I have overcome the world."  Peace be with you.  Are you facing certain death? "May the Lord do what is good in His sight."  God's peace be with you.

We have a sure defender
A strong and mighty captain
Leading us in battle
His Name is Lord of all

Celebrate His conquering raise his banner
Lift him high, lift Him high

Not with a sword to destroy
Not with a shield to defend
Not with a spear to kill
But in the name of Lord
The battle is the Lord's

Not with a sword to destroy
Not with a shield to defend
Not with a spear to kill
But in the name of Lord
The battle is the Lord's

His Name is Our salvation
A strong and mighty tower
We will exalt Him
The Son of Righteousness
Worthy of Glory, sing His praises
Lift Him high, lift Him high

Not with a sword to destroy
Not with a shield to defend
Not with a spear to kill
But in the name of Lord
The battle is the Lord's

I will lift up the Name
The Name above all names
All Heaven and earth must bow
Before the Name almighty, God (all mighty)

Not with a sword to destroy
Not with a shield to defend
Not with a spear to kill
But in the name of Lord
The battle is

Not with a sword to destroy
Not with a shield to defend
Not with a spear to kill
But in the name of Lord
In the name of Lord
The battle is the Lord's 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJb6PY_U8S8

Lord of the Breakthrough

So David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, "The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters."  Therefore he named that placed Baal-perazim.  --2 Samuel 5:20

I did business today with a new client.  He is Hispanic, and his first name is Melquisedec.  I asked him if he knew that this was a Bible name.  He said I was the first person to notice that fact.  All of his friends and co-workers call him "Mel".  Most of the gringos he knows can't even pronounce it correctly:  mehl KEE seh dehk.  On a whim, I looked up the name in an online baby names app.  On the one hand, the name is listed there.  On the other hand, there was no meaning listed.  In fact, it said "Meaning: unknown."

I can tell you what it means.  It comes from the Hebrew name Melchizedek, and it means "King of Righteousness", and by extension, Priest of the Most High God.  The name is found in Genesis 14:18 in the story of Abraham being blessed by God.  You remember that Abraham obeyed God, left his home and his family, and went to a land that God would show him.  When he got there, Melchizedek was king of Jerusalem.  Abraham paid him a tithe, or a tenth, of everything he had.  In the New Testament, the name is associated with Jesus.  Hebrews 5:9-10 says this:

And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Yesterday in my daily Bible reading, I read 2 Samuel 5 about David unifying the country under his leadership once Saul died.  At first, David ruled over Judah from a town called Hebron.  It took him seven years to be recognized as king over all of Israel.  During this time, David marched on Jerusalem.  It was held by the Jebusites, a Canaanite tribe that had been there from before the time of Moses.  Remember in Joshua, chapters 10 and 11, the Lord commanded the people to drive out the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites.  Joshua apportioned the area around Jerusalem to the tribe of Benjamin, but they were unable (or unwilling) to utterly destroy the Jebusites as God had commanded.  Therefore they were still around when Saul was king.  Saul had tolerated them; David would not.

There was a little taunting going on between David and the Jebusites.  Jerusalem was built on a hill, and was very easy to defend.  It had been nearly impossible for any army to overcome Jerusalem before David's time. Lamentations 4:12 says, "The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem."

David knew that God was on his side; the Jebusites trusted in their idols, which have "eyes, but they cannot see....they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk." (Psalm 115:5b, 7).  The men of Jebus taunted David.  "We can send out our blind and our lame and they will defeat you."  There is kind of a double-meaning here.  If David said that the idols were blind and lame, then the Canaanites were stating outright that their gods would defend them.  On the other hand, the city was so well positioned that the generals were confident that they didn't need to send their best soldiers, and even the weakest among them could defend the city.

David shot back a similar retort, one that could be taken two ways.  He said, "Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul, through the water tunnel."  In essence, the commander-in-chief was telling his generals to gather up all the idols, which David hated, and dump them in the river. They would watch the false gods float out the water tunnel of through the city walls.  In another vein, David was basically telling them to leave no quarter: kill them all, including the weakest men among them, just as God had commanded Joshua 400 years earlier.

Later in the same chapter, after David had set up his headquarters in Jerusalem, the Philistine army came to fight.  They set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim, west of Jerusalem.  They brought their idols with them.  David sought counsel from the Lord his God.  God promised victory.  So David went out and defeated the Philistine army, who fled, leaving their idols behind.  David and his men carried the idols away, either to destroy them completely, or to melt them down and put the silver and gold into the treasury.

Upon defeating the Philistine army, David said, "The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters."  Remember when he captured Jerusalem, and had instructed the army to "reach the lame and blind" at the place where the water broke through?  I think David remembered it.  He re-named the Valley of Rephaim, and called it Baal-perazim, which means "Master (or Lord) of the Breakthrough."

Friend, do you need a breakthrough today?  Take a lesson from David.

1. Seek the Lord's counsel.  You don't want to go against His will.
2. Destroy anything that could stand between you and God.  He will not abide where there is idolatry.
3. Be obedient. Even if it is an uphill battle, be strong and courageous.  The Lord our God will be with you.

It won't be easy.  You will have to fight for it.  You may have to break generational curses, i.e. take ground that has been held by the enemy for centuries.  Keep the faith.  "For without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11:6).

Remember whose you are.  Be led by Jesus, the High Priest forever of the Most High God.  You are ruled by the King of Righteousness.  He has prophesied over you, the Prophet, Priest and King.

Know the Needs--Do Good Deeds

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  --Titus 2:11-14

You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.  --Acts 10:38

I love a good mystery.  I grew up reading the Hardy Boys series, and when I couldn't find any more of those to read, I started reading Nancy Drew mysteries.  In high school I read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allen Poe, and Charles Dickens.  When I was in college I discovered Ellery Queen (Google it!).  As an adult I enjoy John Grisham and Robert Parker.

On television, I watched Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Dragnet.  More recently I have seen CSI, Criminal Minds, and NCIS.  There is a great sense of satisfaction when I pick the prime suspect before they do.

As every fan of the genre knows, you must find three things to find the prime suspect and solve the case.  First, you must find motive.  Second, one must have means.  And third, one must have opportunity.  You can't leave any one of these elements out.

A teacher is killed, say.  If an entire classroom of students hates the teacher, they may all have motive. If all those who attend the class will see him every day, they all have opportunity.  But you cannot convict any one of them without a the means to shoot him, aka "the smoking gun."  Similarly, if a woman goes missing, the primary suspects are those that might hold a grudge (motive) and a weapon (the means).  But if an old boyfriend was in another state when the woman went missing, he had no opportunity (aka, "has an alibi").  Finally, killing a loved one accidentally with a gun, say, or a car without any motive (even if you had means and opportunity) would not land a murder conviction--the worst that could happen to them would be a charge of manslaughter or accidental death.

The problem with all of the mystery books and dramas I have cited is that they involve violent death.  A moral person would not identify too closely with the killer, because killing is not in our nature.  "You shall not commit murder" is the sixth commandment.  We may be intrigued by what goes through a person's mind to lead them to such a violent act, but we are just as interested in the logic and forensic science utilized by the detective who brings the killer to justice.

Wouldn't it be cool if there was someone in your church or social group who committed random acts of kindness?  A couple in my daughter's church decided to pay off some of her student loans.  They wanted to remain anonymous, but curiosity won out.  What did we look for?  People with motive--those who loved my daughter (that's just about everybody).  People with means (that narrowed the list of "suspects" dramatically.)  And people with opportunity.

I have thought recently about what I would do if I won the lottery.  The more my debts pile up, the more I fantasize about being a person of more sizable means.  I would love to be able to hear about a need and take care of that need without anybody knowing it.  I would really enjoy studying people and then presenting them with a meaningful gift--paying the light bill for a struggling family whose electricity has been cut off; paying rent for the rest of the year for a person who is facing eviction; buying a new car for someone so they can get to work reliably.  The problem is my fantasies turn into an excuse.  I can't pay your rent, so I won't do anything.  But then I read Philippians 4:19: "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."  If I have motivation to serve, then God will help me to meet the needs of my neighbor.  I could be their answer to prayer.  I could be the hand of God in their life.

There are people with needs everywhere.  Opportunity abounds.   In fact the world is so full of needs that it can be overwhelming.  We see everyone everywhere, seemingly all with their hands out asking for something.

If we were really motivated to be like Jesus, we would see people's needs, and do what we can to meet them.  Paul wrote in Colossians 3:17, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

You see, we don't have to wait until we are rich to start giving people what they need.  I can't afford to pay off someone's car, but I can buy their lunch when they are hungry.  And it doesn't have to be about money, either.  When Jesus saw someone who was sick, did He pay their doctor bill?  No.  He healed them.  In the same way, if your neighbor has a project at work that requires him to put in long hours on nights and weekends, don't just complain about his lawn--mow it!  If your co-worker has to get her car serviced, offer to drive her to work with you--you're going there anyway.

When my daughter was in high school, a neighbor was going to be in the hospital for awhile.  The neighbor offered my daughter a little money to watch her cat for her.  She was to make sure the animal had food and water, and she was tasked with changing the litter box.  For some reason (church camp, I think) my daughter wasn't able to complete the tasks for the entire time the neighbor was out.  So I said I would help.  Did I mention I hate cats?  Nevertheless, I fed and watered the beast, and even changed the litter box.  Was it for my daughter?  Yes and no.  Was it for the money?  I didn't get a dime.  It was a kindness to a neighbor.  It was because I saw a need (opportunity), because I could (means), and because I said I would (motive).

Here's an idea.  Let's have a CSI team in every church.  Their job would be to find someone who had their need met by a stranger.  They would investigate anybody with means, motive, and opportunity to do the good deed in question.  If they found out who it was, then the CSI team could refer them to a Court of Blessing.  They could commend them to the One and Only True Judge.  It might convict the members of the jury to do good themselves.

Life is a Soap Opera

Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David.  --1 Samuel 18:20

Some fools think of happiness, blissfulness, togetherness.  Some fools fool themselves I guess.  They're not fooling me; I know it isn't true, I know it isn't true.  Love is just a lie made to make you blue.  Love hurts.  --Boudleaux Bryant

This is the story of Michal, a real Jewish Princess.  Her name means "Who Is Like God?"  Her father, King Saul, was a warrior, a politician, and a little bit crazy.  He was very jealous of a young man named David.  Michal's brother Jonathan was David's BFF.  Jonathan and David were, like, blood-brothers.  Comrades in arms, BAY-BEE, slayin' Philistines and stuff.  But Michal loved David.

It's also the story of you, daughter of God.

When David killed Goliath, the Philistine giant--you know the story, right?--King Saul promised he'd give David his daughter in marriage.  No, not Michal.  The older sister Merab was promised as a reward for delivering Israel from their enemies.  Yet when it was time for David to be given his reward, to become a son-in-law to the King, Saul instead gave his daughter Merab to another man to be his wife.

It was kind of like another Bible story, when Jacob ran from Esau.  He ran to his uncle Laban's house, and fell in love with a girl named Rachel.  Jacob loved Rachel.  He promised Laban that he would work seven years for Rachel, as a dowry for her so she could become his wife.  But on his wedding night, Laban got Jacob drunk, and in the morning Jacob found out that he had married the ugly older sister, Leah, instead.  Yeah, that was messed up.

I'm sure your life is not such a soap opera.  But I'd be willing to bet you have been hurt.  You may have loved someone, and it didn't work out.  Or maybe you were promised something, something very precious to your heart, and at the last minute it was given to someone else.  That's why I said this story is for you.

So David was ruddy and handsome.  When they returned to Israel, in every city they came to, the young women would come out and dance before them.  They would sing in celebration, "Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands."  Saul got jealous, and wanted to kill David, but he feared the people.  So Saul started thinking of ways to destroy David.  His advisers, who may have been trying to change his mind, told Saul that his daughter Michal loved David.  This gave Saul an idea.  He said he would give his daughter Michal to David to be his wife, and then maybe Michal could keep Saul updated about David's comings and goings.  Plus, he thought she loved him for being a soldier; soldiers are often put in harm's way.  If David were to, say, be put at the front lines against the Philistine army, then maybe something *cough-cough* terrible might happen to him.

David had heard this song and dance before.  He said he had no dowry to give the King, nothing to bring to the table, so to speak.  "I'm just a poor man," he said.  "Who am I to become the King's son-in-law?"  Saul said, "Son, the only dowry I want is the foreskins of a hundred dead Philistines."  Now, you have to remember, cutting off the foreskin (circumcision) was what set the Jews apart from other peoples in the region.  So he was not asking that David go and evangelize their enemies, to make them convert to Judaism.  No, instead he wanted proof of death of 100 Philistine soldiers.  David went above and beyond, killing 200 Philistines, and bringing back proof.

Michal's love must have grown by leaps and bounds.  The man she loved had performed this mighty act of valor just to get her father to let him marry her.  She must have thought David was as strong as Samson.  You remember the story of Samson?  He loved Delilah, a Philistine.  During his wedding feast, Samson threw out a challenge to the Philistine wedding party.  He told them a riddle.  If they couldn't guess the answer in 7 days, they would give him 30 changes of clothes.  What did they do?  They asked Delilah to wheedle the answer from Samson, and go back and tell them.  When she did, and he lost the bet, Samson went and killed 30 Philistines, bringing their clothes to the wedding party to cover his losses.  Samson had only killed and uncovered 30 Philistines; David had killed and uncovered 200.  What a guy!

Maybe you have given your heart to someone and been burned.  Or maybe you thought you loved someone only to have them change.  Read on.

After they were married, Saul sent soldiers to David's house to kill him.  He was still that jealous.  Word came to Michal, and she warned David to run.  She lowered him out of a window, and he escaped.  Maybe she remembered the story of Rahab, the woman in Jericho who had hidden the ten Jewish spies.  She had lowered the men out of the window so they could escape.  In return, the men spared her when the army came back and marched against Jericho, so that the walls fell flat and the city was routed.  Maybe Michal had visions of David rescuing her from her father's house just like Rahab was rescued.  It didn't quite work out like she had planned.

Saul pursued David for years.  David spent some time hiding out in a Philistine city, just across the border from Israel, so Saul wouldn't be able to find him.  When David came back, he had multiple opportunities to kill Saul, but he purposely let Saul live.  Each time, Saul told David he was sorry, but then he would go back to chase David and try to kill him.  Saul took Michal, who was now David's wife, and gave her to another man.  She was being used as a pawn, like property, stolen from David, whom she loved, and made to marry another man she did not know.  Meanwhile, David took at least six more wives, and had children by them.

After Saul was killed in battle, David was at work gaining the trust of the clans of Israel, so that they would follow him as king.  Saul's general, a man named Abner, continued to fight for the house of Saul.  Then he had an argument with Saul's grandson.  Abner sent a message to David,  promising to join forces with him against Saul's descendants.  David demanded his wife back.  Abner went and got her out of the house of Paltiel, her husband.  The poor guy followed them, weeping as he went, all the way to the next city.  Abner told him to go back home, since she now belonged to David.  And so the two were reunited.

They didn't live happily ever after.

Michal probably thought she had been jerked around.  Her first love, David, had not come to rescue her himself.  She had lived with this other man for years.  She gets kidnapped out of her comfortable life, away from a man who clearly loved her.  Then when she gets to David's house, she sees he has a number of other wives, and they all have children by him.

She may have felt like the prophet Hosea.  If you don't remember that story, Hosea was told by God to take a prostitute for a wife.  He was to buy her on the open market, and take her home as her husband.  This was supposed to show how Israel had prostituted themselves with other gods, and how Jehovah was willing to redeem them, to buy them back.  Later in the story, Hosea's wife escapes from her home, and goes back into prostitution.  Hosea was told to go and find her, again, and to buy her freedom, again, on the open market.  This was to show God's faithfulness.

Maybe there have been times when you felt abandoned, left all alone by the one you loved.  Maybe you landed on your feet, maybe not.  There will always be scars.  God may ask you to do something that is not in your nature to do, like forgive somebody, or take them back after they left you.  Love hurts.

We pick up Michal's story a little later.  David has been king for awhile.  He has been gone fighting and defeating Israel's enemies.  When he came back, Michal looked out the window and saw David dancing naked in the street.  The Bible says, "And she despised him in her heart."  When he comes home that night, there she is, hand on her hip.  "What's wrong with you?" he demands.  Her answer drips with sarcasm.  "How the King of Israel distinguished himself today!  He uncovered himself in the eyes of his servant's maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself."

Jealous much?

David clenches his teeth and answers, "It was before the Lord (that I danced), who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint ME ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel.  Therefore I will celebrate before the Lord.  I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished."  OOOH, burn!  Those maids she was worried about all esteemed him more than Michal did at that moment.

The very last mention of Michal in the Bible says that she had no child until the day of her death.  She who loved David first, loved him most, and then felt abandoned by him, had no children by him.  Even after he had rescued her and put her in the castle, along with all the other wives and concubines, she gave David no heirs.  It is not clear whether she was barren, or if she was never intimate with her husband from that point forward.

Maybe this describes your life in some ways, maybe not.  Maybe your life doesn't have this much drama.  If so, you are truly blessed.  But it is that blessing that I want to key on right now.

In the book of Revelation, God gives John a specific message to deliver to the seven churches in Asia.  The very first message is to the church in Ephesus.  Remember Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesians, and in it he recounted the love story God had written just for them.  "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-6).  But John's message to that same church was more stark: "You have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary.  But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Therefore remember from where you have fallen and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent." (Revelation 2:3-5).

Maybe, like Michal loved David, you were really in love with Jesus at the start.  But after life happens--every day you get up, go to work, see to the kids, clean the house, cook the meals, pay the bills, drop exhausted into bed so you can get up and do the same thing again tomorrow--after all that your love may have flattened a bit.  Oh, you are still faithful to Him.  Your heart has not left, it just doesn't, well, beat for Him the way it used to.  Maybe, like Michal arguing with David over an act of worship, you have a disagreement with God over some issue.  Maybe you resent His taking someone near and dear to you too soon.  Maybe you are mad at Him for not giving you that job, or that promotion, or that great house you always dreamed of.  Maybe you are miffed that the Christian life didn't meet your expectations, whatever they were.

Let me encourage you to fall in love with Him all over again.

In the beginning of this post I quoted from a song called "Love Hurts."  The most famous recording of that song was in 1975 by a band called Nazareth.  Try to think of your life from God's perspective.  He created you to love Him.  He found you in somebody else's arms.  He sent His Son, who grew up in Nazareth, to redeem you, to buy your freedom.  He was overjoyed when you said yes to Him.  But as time goes on, you spend less time with Him.  You think of Him only occasionally, and even then those thought may not always be positive toward Him.

Who is like God?  God is faithful.  He is calling you and me to be faithful, even when life throws us for a loop.  We must get up, dust ourselves off, and confess that God is God, whatever happens to us.  We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  If a wolf carries us away, He will come looking for us.  If we wander off and lose our way, He will find us where we are and bring us back to Himself.  Don't focus on the drama, or on what has gone on before.  Instead, look into His eyes and fall in love with Him all over again.

Trust In You

Lauren Daigle

Letting go of every single dream
I lay each one down at Your feet
Every moment of my wandering
Never changes what You see
I try to win this war
I confess, my hands are weary, I need Your rest
Mighty warrior, king of the fight
No matter what I face You're by my side

When You don't move the mountains
I'm needing You to move
When You don't part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don't give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You

Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings
There's not a day ahead You have not seen
So let all things be my life and breath
I want what You want Lord and nothing less

When You don't move the mountains
I'm needing You to move
When You don't part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don't give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You
I will trust in You

You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foudation
The rock on which I stand
Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There's not a place where I'll go
You've not already stood

When You don't move the mountains
I'm needing You to move
When You don't part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don't give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
I will trust in You

Spiritual hypoglycemia

God, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you?  --Psalm 10:1a, The Message Bible

....God's grace and order wins; godlessness loses.  The victim's faint pulse picks up; the hearts of the hopeless pump red blood as you put your ear to their lips.  Orphans get parents, the homeless get homes.  The reign of terror is over, the rule of the gang lords is ended.  --Psalm 10:16b-18, The Message Bible

Several years ago there was an ad campaign for Snicker's candy bars with the tag line, "You're not yourself when you're hungry."  You probably remember the commercials when an actor known to be a villain in movies was offered a Snickers, and suddenly changed into a normal person again.

It's so easy to migrate away from God's pasture.  He has provided everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and yet we are drawn to the world.  Sin drags us down into an abyss, a bottomless pit, such that even when we reach for the Bread of Life, the Word of God, it seems stale to us.  Admit it, we've all been there.  In January we commit to read 3 or 4 chapters in the Bible every day, and we're really into the reality of what God did all those years ago.  We read about the Creation, and the Original Sin, and God casting us out of the Garden (consequences) while simultaneously covering us (provision).  Meanwhile, the rest of our time is spent in business or commerce or entertainment where we hear messages that are not of God.  Most of the time the things we do or the people we come into contact with are not necessarily antithetical to Christianity, they are just secular.  Once in awhile we may hear an outburst from someone that is anti-religion, or utterly godless, or even giving reverence to a god that is not the God of the Bible.  We stew in this melting pot for awhile, and pretty soon we find our daily Bible reading is not very exciting.  We get bogged down in the laws in Leviticus, or the names and clans in Numbers, and we get bored.

In some cases our sin nature may take over.  We may fall into old habits.  Our everyday speech, which used to be seasoned with Scripture, now becomes peppered with put-downs.  We curse others under our breath, and before long it becomes more overt.  We are less careful with other areas of our lives.  Until, that is, we wake up in despair.  How can God love a person like me?

Stop.

Take a breath.

Re-center.

Truth:  God does love you.  He gave his only son to die an agonizing death for you, then raised him up to rule and reign forever.  Truth:  Through acceptance of and identification with the son of God, we, too, can rule and reign, both in this world and the next.  Truth:  God created you to be something special, something exciting for his own glory.

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you:  Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering.  Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.  Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.  Instead, fix our attention on God.  You'll be changed from the inside out.  Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.  Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.  --Romans 12:1-2, The Message Bible

I had never read that passage like that before.  To me, it's not so stale, like a verse I've read a thousand times before.  You might want to read it again.  I'll wait.  Good.  Let's go on from there.

I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you.  Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God.  No, God brings it all to you.  The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.  --Romans 12:3, MSG

In my own strength, I am broken and weak.  It is only by his great grace that I am alive.  On my own, I cannot bring anything worthy to God.  Yet every morning his mercies are new (Lamentations 3:23).  It is only by him dwelling in us that we find worth.  It is only by him working through us that we accomplish anything at all.

In this way we are like the various parts of a human body.  Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.  The body we are talking about is Christ's body of chosen people.  Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body.  But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we?  So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christs's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.  --Romans 12:4-5 MSG

Wow.  As broken as we all are, we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).  Satan loves to isolate us away by ourselves, because by ourselves we only see the brokenness.  Sin creeps in, and we compare ourselves to others.  The comparison can be tearing ourselves down (enviously comparing ourselves with others), or tearing others down (prideful comparison) to elevate ourselves above what others appear to be.  I think that's why Hebrews 10:25 encourages us not to abandon coming together for worship together--not to compare ourselves with one another (either positively or negatively), but rather to be the body of Christ.

If you preach, just preach God's message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them.  Keep a smile on your face.  --Romans 12:6-8, MSG

What better description of ministry can there be?  We are all called to minister in this way, according to the gifts we each are given.  We don't become ministers for personal gain, either.  Remember to humbly put others before yourself (Philippians 2:3).

Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it.  Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.  Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.  --Romans 12:9-10, MSG

When you find yourself a spiritual hypoglycemic, feed yourself first.  You cannot feed others if you are starving.  We know what causes hypoglycemia:  Sure, it can be caused by diseases like hepatitis or other liver diseases, but we know that "by his stripes we are healed" Isaiah 53:5. Get you some of that, and you will feel better.  But we also know it can be caused by overwork, or over-indulging in alcohol.  The same condition found in athletes who forget to re-fuel can also be found in lazy people who drink too much.  The same Jesus is the cure for both, for he is the fountain opened, the Rock smitten (Isaiah 55:1-5).

Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled ad aflame.  Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant.  Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder.  Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.  --Romans 12:11-13, MSG

What encouragement.  What sound advice.  You are always busy doing something, so why not busy yourself studying the word and letting it spill out in expectation of the next opportunity he gives you.  Busy yourself in prayer, so that  you can help those in need.  Even if you don't have any money, you can be a blessing.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath.  Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down.  Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up.  Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.  --Romans 12:14-16, MSG

We're called to empathy.  We can't put others down and put ourselves in their shoes at the same time.  Remember, there but for the grace of God go I.  Be the face of grace to everyone.

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone.  If you've got it in you, get along with everybody.  Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do.  "I'll do the judging," says God.  "I'll take care of it."  --Romans 12:17-19, MSG

You might be laughed at.  You might be persecuted.  Satan will not let any good deed go unpunished.  Don't worry about it.  Extend grace, and grace will be given to you; some may have a greater need for grace, and they won't be able to give you what they don't have.  Don't stress over them.  Keep throwing blessing their way.

Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink.  Your generosity will surprise him with goodness.  Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.  --Romans 12:20-21, MSG

I heard a Christian psychiatrist and author this week quote from this chapter, in this translation.  I liked what she had to say.  She said a man after God's own heart may still have a problem with lust, promiscuity, or porn.  That doesn't make him less loved by God.  A woman after God's own heart may still have a problem with overeating or low self esteem.  God cannot love her less than he does right at this very moment.  If we are to help people where they are, we can draw from where we've been or even where we are.  By God's help, we can be the body of Christ to the helpless and the hurting, the isolated and intolerant.  We just need to not be stuck there ourselves.

 

 

 

 

 

In the Rear With the Gear

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  --2 Corinthians 1:3-4

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.  --2 Corinthians 2:14

Sometimes, I find myself identifying with a character in the Bible.  I don't mean dressing up like them, or taking on their persona.  I mean that the Bible is full of real people with real problems.  Sometimes I identify with Simon Peter, who always seemed to find a way to put his foot in his mouth.  Sometimes I feel like Joshua and Caleb, who went against the majority and stood up for what was right, even if it means the majority label me as an idealist or a "pie in the sky" Christian.

There might be other Bible characters that you can identify with.  You may feel like Naomi, who lost her husband and sons, and was so distraught and alone that she pushed away her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth.  You might sometimes feel like Martha, who saw her sister Mary sitting with the men at Jesus' feet, and could only think to ask Jesus, "Hey, a little help here!?"

Lately, I have identified with Saul, the first king of Israel. (Side note--Saul was actually the second of Israel's kings.  The first to declare himself king was Abimelech, one of Gideon's sons.  In Judges chapter 9 he sets  himself up as king and deals wickedly with the people.  Saul was just the first king to be anointed by God.  Now you know.)  Why would I identify with Saul?  Not because I stand head and shoulders above all my country-men--I'm only five feet seven.  Not because I have been anointed by God, although 1 John 2:20 talks about all Christians when he says, "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know (the truth)."

Saul was the first person in Scripture who was described to have signs and symptoms of clinical depression. One modern-day psychiatrist believes that Saul suffered from bi-polar affective disorder.  Severe bouts of depression followed by manic episodes--think about that next time you read the story of Saul calling for David to come and play the harp to lift his mood, only to get so angry that he hurls a spear hoping to pin David to the wall.

I have not felt those extremes, but I have had feelings of being overwhelmed by life.  Sometimes normal stressors of marriage, finances, job, relationships, etc. get overblown.  They seem bigger than life.  Sometimes we feel like Samuel Stennett, who wrote "On Jordan's stormy banks I stand and cast a wishful eye to Canaan's fair and happy land where my possessions lie."  We aren't quite at the place where we ask God "just take my life", but we pray fervently "Even now, Lord Jesus, come quickly."  Rapture us out of this place.  Rescue us from this trail of tears.

Yet when we feel this way, we are disingenuous.  We put on our best smile, and when people at church ask us, "How are you doing?" we snap back, "Great!  Couldn't be better."  If they press a bit more, and ask, "How are things going?" we double down with something like, "Everything's good.  It's all good."

I was at a Men's Night at church recently.  I shook hands with people I know, and some that I don't know.  Every man there has a story.  Every man has his own hurts, his own struggles, his own disappointments.  I know a few of them.  A few of them know mine.  This was not the time or place to be too real, however.  Too many people.  Too many distractions.

The featured speaker that evening was retired Lt. Colonel and former Congressman Allen West.  In his message, he shared a lot of scripture with military connotations.  "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us." (Romans 8:37).  He said that his favorite character in the Bible was Joshua, whom he said if he was alive today would qualify as a Special Forces paratrooper, Green Beret, leader of men.  When Moses passed the baton to him, he took it and ran with it.  He led the army of God into the Promised Land.

Yet when he suffered his first defeat at the small city of Ai, because one man had taken some spoils of war that were under a ban, Joshua fell on his face.  In anguish he cried, "Alas, O Lord God, why did you ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?" (Joshua 7:7)  God's response?  "Get up.  Why are you crying like you've given up?  I'll tell you what went wrong--Israel has sinned.  You need to stand up and consecrate the people, so you can find out who did this thing." (my paraphrase).  Col. West said there comes a time when the men of God need to stand up--stand up against sin, and stand up for the right and the good.  He said we need to stare the culture straight in the eye and declare that God is holy and just, and even if it costs us everything, we will obey Him.

At one point in his message, Col. West said something like this--God calls us to be men, not males; we need to lead out in front, not seek a "safe space".  We need to lead the charge against hell, because God promised "the gates of hell will not prevail against us."  If we fail to do that, he said, we can just "go to the rear with the gear."

I couldn't help but think about Saul.  In 1 Samuel 9, Saul is out looking for some lost donkeys.  After an exhaustive search, he comes near the house of the prophet, and decides to go ask where else he can look.  Samuel hears from God that this man will be king.  Samuel goes out to meet Saul, and says that good things are about to happen to him, things beyond his wildest imagination.  Samuel holds a feast, and sits Saul at the head of the table  He tells the cook to bring the choicest cut of meat and set it before Saul.  After the feast, Samuel invites Saul to come home with him.  He gets out a flask of oil, and anoints him king over Israel.

A bit later, in chapter 10 Samuel calls the elders and the people together, to introduce to them God's anointed, the king himself.  Samuel gives a great coronation speech, then in a lot of pomp and circumstance, he asks God to point out the tribe and the family and the man He had in mind.  The lot fell to the tribe of Benjamin, and then to the family of Kish, and then to the man Saul.  But they looked, and Saul was nowhere to be found.  "Therefore they inquired further of the Lord, 'Has the man come here yet?' So the Lord said, 'Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.'  So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.  Samuel said to all the people, 'Do  you see him whom the Lord has chosen?  Surely there is no one like him among all the people.'  So all the people shouted and said, 'Long live the king!' " (1 Samuel 10: 22-24).

You can see why I thought of this passage when the speaker said, "in the rear with the gear."  Col. West was using that as a derogatory statement--we should be out front, not standing behind. We should press forward in battle, not choose to hang back with the baggage.  I want to piggy-back on that message.  God had given Saul exactly what he needed to do the job that He called him to do.  He had the physical appearance and of a leader, one who could lead armies into battle or negotiate treaties with other nations.  On at least two occasions, the Bible says that the Spirit of God fell upon Saul, so that he was counted among the prophets.  With those experiences and natural ability, Saul should have jumped at the chance.  Yet because of his paranoia, depressed mood, and manic tendencies, he was a failed king.

Don't be like Saul.  Even if he carried so much emotional baggage that he preferred to be "in the rear with the gear," he had an opportunity to let God be God.  Friend, so can we.  God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.  He has called me to faithfulness, to righteousness and purity.  What has He called you to?  I cannot possibly do His will in my own power and strength.  He must work through me.  There is no other way.

In God's strength Saul could establish a government where there had not been one before.  He could set up a system of taxation, employ an administration of advisers and counselors, and muster a standing army for the nation's defense.  In his own power, Saul would drive away the psalmist David and pursue him mercilessly.  In his own power, Saul would not wait for Samuel to offer a sacrifice to bless the battle, but decide to offer it himself.  In his own power, Saul would consult with a psychic to conjure up the spirit of the prophet after Samuel had died.

What about me?  In my own strength I struggle with sin.  In my own might I move cautiously.  In my own power I pray for the world to end.  Yet I read God's words: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  In His strength I am strong.  In His might I can move mountains.  In His power I can pray, I can pursue righteousness, I can prove Him good and just and holy.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.  And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.  For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them.  Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time." --Revelation 12:10-12

Remember: Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the word.