Our God is such
a wonderful teacher. The shepherd boy, David, had been anointed by the
prophet Samuel, became a famous warrior, married King Saul’s daughter
and had escaped time after time from his hate filled father-in-law’s
attempts to kill him. Finally his fears got the best of him so he
decided to go hide in enemy territory. It didn’t take him long to
discover that following his dream of safety had put him in more danger
than when he had been at home. Relying on the enemy for safety always
gets us in serious trouble with God. David began living a lie and
almost found himself fighting against his own people. God used this set
of circumstances to teach David a lesson he never forgot. When danger
increases, we can choose to run for the false safety of our dreams and
be controlled by our fears, or we can choose to run to the God who
planned the circumstances and have the peace and protection he has
promised us. David learned that God’s power, his promises, and his love
would always control the outcome of his life. People are never a match
for our God. God always controls what they can do.
Now our generation is facing
the same challenges that David faced so long ago. In America, our
founding fathers built their new nation on the principles that came from
the standards that God gave us for life. They tried their best to
balance God’s laws with checks and balances that would provide stability
in the face of the challenges from ungodly men and enemy forces. These
standards for freedom held until the pressures of two world wars and
the dream of freedom based on science and wealth and personal
fulfillment enticed us to move into enemy territory. Now, as a nation,
we have turned our backs on the God who gave us the freedom and peace
that allowed us to grow and prosper. The independence that the average
American is celebrating this week is the freedom to rebel against the
God who gave them life. Now, for those of us who are God’s children,
the fingers of fear begin to claw at our hearts and minds with the
possibilities of what will happen next. Like David, we have the choice
of relying on the enemy to take care of us or trust our God to keep his
promises and protect is from those who are too strong for us. What can
mere mortals do to us that isn’t a part of God’s master plan?
Psalms 56:3 But
when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4 I praise God for what
he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can
mere mortals do to me?
Roy Wisner
