A mighty warrior thunders a challenge and promises death to all who would draw near. The people shake. Seasoned warriors, even the tall and impressive king, cower in fear at the mighty brute. Then a young man, not as great of stature and without armor or sword strides confidently down the hill. He sees no threat, merely an opportunity to once again demonstrate who his God is. The giant falls.
The air is filled with the roaring of the lions, the roaring of the fire. Young men face the roar and rather than cower, honor their God and are confident that whatever happens, they will have victory and demonstrate who their God is. Emerging from the roar, there is no mark on any of them. A sure threat has had no power.
A no-longer-rich man looks upon loss and destruction beyond what many will ever know, yet as even his wife urges despair and death, he declares, “though he slay me, I will hope in Him.”
A culture decides to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” and the people scream and shudder and cry out that war is upon them and defeat hovers overhead, ready to crash down and destroy them. A culture shifts and men and women with decades of service in the Lord’s army groan and mourn that defeat is crouching at the door. Powerful forces threaten.
They forgot.
Greater is He in His people than the power in the world. The very gates of hell cannot prevail and death itself already whimpers in the corner, defeated and defanged, no longer able to touch His beloved ones. He told us to fear not, for He has overcome the world.
There are giants, there are lions, there are flames, there are losses and trials, but they have no power except to allow us to stand and demonstrate who our God is. It is time for the church to stop cowering with King Saul and join David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Job to declare the One who goes before us, and who now calls out to the world, “Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand. Be reconciled to God. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin, so that we may become the righteousness of God!”