PSALMS - Sticks and Stones

Sticks and stones

May break my bones,

But words will never hurt me.

Who ever came up with that one??

It's the silliest thing I've ever heard.

Any of us know that words have the power to injure us deeply – to hurt us where the wounds don't show.

And taunting is a powerful weapon.

I've had times in my life when other people hurt me by giving me unflattering nicknames, by making fun of me, by teasing and poking at my shortcomings.

I'm sure you have, too.

It isn't fun.

It hurts – a lot.

Today I am reminded of something else, though. We are told in God's Word that we do not battle against flesh and blood. That we have a very real, and very fierce, enemy.

Satan – the Accuser.

And he loves taunting the faithful. Nothing delights him more than persecuting God's own children.

He is cruel and conniving and clever and cold-hearted. His words have the power to destroy. He fashions weapons uniquely – tailor-making them for each individual. Honed to evil perfection, he aims those weapons at our weakest spots. And oh, how it hurts when they find their target.

Sometimes I think I can hear him cackle…

It gets discouraging sometimes, doesn't it? Constantly being attacked by someone who hates you so much. His words feel like spiritual sticks and stones – and they break us.

You know what I think his worst words are?

"Where is your God?"

Sometimes the enemy has other people deliver those words, and sometimes he whispers them himself into our very souls.

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" is found in Psalms, and I think it is a rousing answer to that particular taunt:

"So many are saying, 'God will never rescue him!'

But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

I cried out to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy mountain.

I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me.

I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.

Arise, O LORD!

Rescue me, my God!

Slap all my enemies in the face!

Shatter the teeth of the wicked!

Victory comes from you, O LORD.

May you bless your people." (Psalms 3:2-8)

Can I get a holy WOO HOO from my blogging audience?!

I want to break this passage down a bit.

First of all, sometimes the best answer to any taunt from the enemy is these words – But God…

In spite of all the accusations, all the attacks, all the posturing and taunting – there are the simple words – BUT GOD.

Tell me what you may, enemy of mine, BUT GOD has saved me. You may try to enslave me, BUT GOD has broken the power of sin and death in my life. You may try to make me feel guilty, BUT GOD has forgiven and redeemed me. You may try to tell me that I am worthless, BUT GOD loves me.

Second, God is a shield.

From the book of Ephesians, we are told that the shield of God is a powerful defensive weapon: "…hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil." (Ephesians 6:16)

The shield of God – Faith, the unswerving belief in God's Truth – is impenetrable. It surrounds us with protection. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but faith will save our souls.

Third, God is our glory.

We are weak, He is strong. Paul tells us to boast only in what Jesus Christ has done for us. But oh, we can boast on THAT proudly, confidently, hopefully! It is our Savior's gift of salvation, and His promise of life everlasting, that enables us to hold our heads high. We can be proud because we reflect HIS glory.

Fourth, the Lord hears us.

He listens to our cries. He doesn't miss a thing. He hears the loud wails, the silent tears, the grief that's too deep to express. We are given this tremendous promise:

"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle." (Psalms 56:8)

And I believe that one day all those tears will be poured out in Heaven – mixed with the blood of Christ – a final offering that will be swallowed up in the joy of everlasting life – never to be wept again.

Next, God gives us peace.

He never slumbers, He never sleeps. He is watching over us all the time. He hovers over us like parents over the crib of a newborn baby. Ever watchful, ever vigilant, ever our jealous and protective Father.

We are not out of His sight…ever!

Not even when we are surrounded by enemies – not even when we are accused or attacked, not even when we're the victims of persecution. Not even when it's the devil himself posturing and taunting. Rest assured, God sees.

So finally, because of all this, we can do some *trash talking* back to that old enemy of ours – (a sports term for "the art of telling another person off"):

The LORD will arise, my enemy.

My God will rescue me.

He will slap you in the face!

He will shatter your wicked teeth!

Victory comes from Him.

And He WILL bless His people.

Take that, you tired old devil.

God has spoken.

WOO HOO!

How can you claim these verses in your fight against the Accuser?

(I'm linked today with Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays, and Peggy at Soaking On SONday. And please feel free to visit me during the week at my other blog, Sharon Sharing God!)

"When in doubt, search God out!"

2 SAMUEL - Like a Deer

I used to be a lot more coordinated when I was young.

I’m not saying that I’m a klutz – (there’s plenty of other people that can say that for me!!) – it’s just that I’m not quite as steady as I used to be.

I had a rather nasty stumble this past September. One second I was walking – SPLAT – the next second I was flat on the ground. Falling can happen quickly.

It can happen quickly in our spiritual lives, too.

One second we’re walking along securely, confidently, in the Lord – content in our lives, sure in our faith – when something comes along to trip up our feet of faith.

We stumble, sometimes we fall.

We get “off track.”

There are many things that can happen to “trip us up” spiritually. It can be a “curve ball” life circumstance. It can be something that happens to us or to a loved one – an injury, or illness, or even death. It can be financial, or emotional, or physical. Sometimes it’s spiritual. It can be an attack from the enemy, a temptation.

What are we to do?

It doesn’t matter what the "upset" is that gets us off track. It doesn’t matter what took our focus off of God and His purposes.

He wants to restore us to sure footing.

Today’s “Bible Pick ‘Ems” comes from the book of 2 Samuel:

“He [God] makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.” (2 Samuel 22:34)

How surefooted is a deer?

I like to watch documentaries about nature, especially about animals. I remember watching one that showed a deer trying to escape a predator. The predator was very swift, and was closing in on the tiny deer as it attempted to run away. All of a sudden, the deer began a rapid descent down a craggy, sheer cliff face. The predator tried to keep up, but the deer was always a little faster.

It was an amazing sight!

The little deer leaped from one stony outcropping to another. It balanced on surfaces barely larger than its little hooves. It scrambled over loose rocks, up and down, until the predator grew tired and gave up.

The deer ran with abandonment. It ran securely.

In today’s verses, David is praising God for being delivered from his enemies. He is acknowledging that it is only God who can make us “surefooted” enough to run with abandonment, to run securely.

God doesn’t promise to eliminate challenges from our lives. There will be treacherous cliff faces to negotiate. We will have to scramble our way through some tough life circumstances. We might even need to outrun an enemy.

But, God does promise to give us strength to meet these challenges. He will enable us to stand.

We cannot grow spiritually, we cannot have a strong faith without having to navigate some treacherous cliff faces from time to time.

Rough roads to walk, mountains to climb, battles to fight – these are what make patience and endurance manifest in our lives. These are what make us learn trust and obedience. These are what forge steadfast, immovable hearts that stand firm in the Lord.

Through all things, whether of our own mistakes, or the mistakes of others, or the frailties and fickleness of life circumstances, or the traps and temptations of the enemy – God is faithful to “keep us on track.”

He will strengthen us to run with abandonment, to run securely, to be “surefooted” on the crags, loose rocks, and sheer cliff faces of life.

For He desires to place us on the “heights!”

“You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.”

(Psalm 18:36)

“When in doubt, search God out!”

BIBLE "PICK 'EMS"

Back when my sons lived at home, we had this “tradition” when we went out to eat. Everyone usually ordered something different, so we would kinda “share” our meals. Or if you were done eating, someone might reach over and “finish” your food. (Incidentally, I didn’t really understand the whole “doggie bag” concept until those boys got past puberty. For several years there, EVERYONE was a member of the “Clean Plate Club!”) Anyway, we called our little practice – “pick ‘ems.”

For a couple of months now, I’ve been doing a version of that – I call it, “Bible Pick ‘Ems.” I know it probably isn’t spiritually “PC” to randomly open the Bible and expect to find a meaningful verse – it opens the door to the whole “out of context” dilemma. And...you might just find yourself in Leviticus!! But, I decided that I wanted to do this, along with my regular reading through the Bible. The way I figured it, I wasn’t “testing” God – in other words, “prove something to me, Lord” – but I was “trusting” God – “show something to me, Lord.” After all, don’t we know that His Word is living, breathing, and powerful?!

So, from time to time, I will be sharing my “Bible Pick ‘Ems” with you.

Today’s verse is 1 Samuel 30:6b:
“But David found strength in the LORD his God.”

David was literally running for his life at this point. He was surrounded by enemies, afraid, doubtful, overwhelmed – certainly not feeling like that boy who killed Goliath. BUT…he found strength in God – HIS God. God wasn’t just a name to David, or an abstract concept – No, the Lord was his PERSONAL God, his friend, his ally, his EVERYTHING.

Can’t you identify with David? How often do we feel surrounded by our enemies – our personal struggles and trials? How often do we feel afraid, doubtful, overwhelmed – are you like me…MOST DAYS?! But…where is our REAL source of strength, our ONLY source of strength? Isn’t it truly in the Lord – the Lord who is our PERSONAL God, our friend, our ally, our EVERYTHING?

So, I read this verse like this: “But (in spite of all the surrounding circumstances, the struggles and trials, the feelings) Sharon found strength in the Lord HER GOD!”

Do you?

"When in doubt, search God out!"