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Revising your arsenal

JoyServefiller

Alexander the Great demonstrates the truth of Psalm 33:16.

So do countless other temporary conquerors from history.

Just as does the ultimate earthly despot Hitler.

“No king is saved by the size of his army,” the psalmist says.

No matter how sharp the swords or powerful the explosives, there will always come a battle that is won by a stronger foe if conducted only in the physical realm.

It might be because the king’s enemy has better weapons.

Or, as usually is the case, the king’s army develops weaknesses from the lack of discipline or commitment.

This undeniable pattern of history is not comforting to those who aspire to hold power by human effort alone.

Hitler thought bullets and bombs could build a nation of superior people who would rule the world for 1,000 years.

His bogus idea lasted just a few years before he and his Satanic scheme flamed out in round 1 of his endless fight with flames.

I’m glad that I learned along the way that my success in life is more a matter of trusting God’s leading and provision than it is a matter of my physical or social or intellectual accomplishment.

But here is the sometimes-hard part of this teaching from Psalm 33.

We don’t like the bitter taste of defeat and we’re prone to doing all that we can to arrange earthly things so that we conquer foes rather than feel their boots on our necks.

Who likes the multiple burdens of unemployment or divorce?

Who likes being the workplace “whipping boy” or “catfight scratching post?”

We don’t like being on the losing end of things and we’re prone to go shopping for emotional, social or financial guns.

We’re tempted to think a bigger arsenal will produce greater happiness.

Wrong.

The key to all this, of course, is to trust God’s love, mercy, purposes, provision and timing.

Not easy to do sometimes, I admit.

But faith and “always easy life” are contradictory.

Never forget that our deliverance comes not from what we hold in our hands but instead who we have in our hearts.

God is our refuge and our everpresent help in times of trouble.

Read and re-read the words below from Psalm 33:19.

And then read them again — aloud.

Do whatever it takes to start carving these words into your mind and absorbing them into your heart.


“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.”

Wow.

The eyes that saw the universe before it was made and saw the ark on the flooded world and saw the despair of the Hebrews in Egypt and saw David kill Goliath is the same God who sees my life and what I face.

His unfailing love promises to save my surrendered soul from hell and to make sure that I have food to eat in this life.

It’s all about having the right expectations for faith, isn’t it?

God offers to save souls and provide physical provision for people until He calls them home.

Dear friend, don’t resort to earthly power plays in order to get stuff that others want to take from you and that won’t do anything to boost your faith.

Instead, seek and savor those blessings that help you to worship God more fully and to serve others more frequently.

Please revise your expectations from life. God will see your change of perspective and He’ll revise upward the flow of power and provision into your life as you do more for Him.

As always, I love you
Martin

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