Great warrior and refuge
We as humans don’t always put the pieces
together till much later. We’re bound by time and we’re linear beings,
but God is not. When we seek his help for problems stressing us out we
often miss the ways he’s at work helping us. I’ve been guilty of it.
He knows about the problem way before it ever happens. To say
otherwise is to doubt God’s sovereignty. God’s already provided the help
we need in the Bible. How do I know that? Because there’s passage
after passage of someone seeking his help and he provided it. I’m going
to show you what the Psalmist and Jeremiah said about God because they had
trouble and turned to God.
Psalm 71:1-6
“O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
don’t let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right.
Turn your ear to listen to me and set me free. Be my rock of safety
where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock
and my fortress. My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the
clutches of cruel oppressors. O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve
trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth;
from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always
praising you!”
That showed us God is a refuge next I want to
show you another aspect we often miss. See if you have the mental concept
that God sits on his throne and takes no action on behalf of his people who cry
out to him then you’re wrong. Jeremiah is about to introduce you to a
mighty warrior.
Jeremiah 20:11-13
“But the Lord stands beside me like a great
warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat
me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor
will never be forgotten. O Lord, of Heaven’s Armies you test those who
are righteous, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me
see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you.
Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For though I was poor and
needy, he rescued me from my oppressors.”
“I thank God for the mountains
And I thank him for the valleys
I thank him for the storms he brought me
through.
For if I’ve never had a problem
I wouldn’t know God could solve them
I’d never know what faith in God could do.”
There’s a bad theology that says “God would
never give me more than I could handle “ or “He gives his toughest battles to
his strongest soldiers.” That’s pride talking! You get convinced
you can handle things on your own. Every problem though is a chance God
can use to get us to seek him and trust him.
I want to conclude with some of the lyrics to
the song Defender by Francesca Battiselli and Steffany Gretzinger.
“You go before I know
That You've even gone to win my war
You come back with the head of my enemy
You come back and You call it my victory, oh-ooh
You go before I know
That You've even gone to win my war
Your love becomes my greatest defense
It leads me from the dry wilderness
And all I did was praise
All I did was worship
All I did was bow down, oh
All I did was stay still
Hallelujah, You have
saved me
So much better Your way
Hallelujah, great Defender
So much better Your way
You know before I do
Where my heart can seek to find Your truth
Your mercy is the shade I'm living in
And You restore my faith and hope again”
Defender by Francesca Battistelli and Steffany Gretzinger
Armed and Dangerous by DeGarmo and Key
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