Years ago, God used a piece of wood to convict me of my lack of faith in Him. When I bought a pool table second-hand, a few old cues were included by the seller. One of the cues was warped to the point it was not worth repairing. As I went to throw it away, however, I was impressed by the solid feel in my hand. This wouldn't be a bad club, I thought to myself. If someone broke into my house, I would feel capable of defending myself with this in my hand. So I discreetly stashed my improvised personal defence system in my bedroom.
It wasn't long before I started thinking: hasn't God promised to defend me and my family? Was it possible I was trading divine protection and safety for my own strength? Wouldn't it be better to do my part to responsibly secure the home with locks and lights and entrust myself to His care? My club wouldn't do me any good if I was asleep, but the God of Israel does not slumber or sleep. A club offered limited protection against a gun in the hands of a desperate thief. If I cried out to God couldn't He strike an intruder with blindness as He did the men of Sodom or make people with evil intentions hear sirens and flee like the Syrians outside the walls of Samaria? There is a limit of my strength and skill to fight, but there is no weakness in my God. Strengthened with faith through remembering my God, the club went in the bin and I slept peacefully.
Do you believe God can protect you and your family, believer? Or have you exchanged the divine protection God provides with reliance on your ability to shoot with precision or swing a club in the dark? Psalm 118:6-8 says, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The LORD is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. 8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." If fear of man or government control is our motive in arming ourselves, we may be displaying a lack of confidence in God. Isn't He the one who sets up kings and deposes them? Hasn't Christ commanded if His disciples are persecuted in one city they should flee to another (Matt. 10:23)? He did not tell them to hunker down in compounds but to make disciples of all nations.
The only weapon I have in my house today is the Word of the Living God, the Sword of the Spirit: the Bible. It cannot bludgeon trespassers or make thieves flee, but it reveals the character and power of my God who loves and protects me. Its pages are packed with instances of God miraculously saving His people. Thieves can break in and steal, and murderers can kill and destroy. But if I am God's and He is mine, I can joyfully entrust myself to His protection. I am an overcomer through Jesus Christ, and those who do His bidding God can employ as His battle-axe and weapon of war (Jer. 51:20). Our fight is not against flesh and blood or governments but against spiritual powers of darkness which can only prevail when we rely on our strength and wits instead of the power of God. Praise the LORD for His protection, for our Good Shepherd will faithfully keep His flock forever.
It wasn't long before I started thinking: hasn't God promised to defend me and my family? Was it possible I was trading divine protection and safety for my own strength? Wouldn't it be better to do my part to responsibly secure the home with locks and lights and entrust myself to His care? My club wouldn't do me any good if I was asleep, but the God of Israel does not slumber or sleep. A club offered limited protection against a gun in the hands of a desperate thief. If I cried out to God couldn't He strike an intruder with blindness as He did the men of Sodom or make people with evil intentions hear sirens and flee like the Syrians outside the walls of Samaria? There is a limit of my strength and skill to fight, but there is no weakness in my God. Strengthened with faith through remembering my God, the club went in the bin and I slept peacefully.
Do you believe God can protect you and your family, believer? Or have you exchanged the divine protection God provides with reliance on your ability to shoot with precision or swing a club in the dark? Psalm 118:6-8 says, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The LORD is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. 8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." If fear of man or government control is our motive in arming ourselves, we may be displaying a lack of confidence in God. Isn't He the one who sets up kings and deposes them? Hasn't Christ commanded if His disciples are persecuted in one city they should flee to another (Matt. 10:23)? He did not tell them to hunker down in compounds but to make disciples of all nations.
The only weapon I have in my house today is the Word of the Living God, the Sword of the Spirit: the Bible. It cannot bludgeon trespassers or make thieves flee, but it reveals the character and power of my God who loves and protects me. Its pages are packed with instances of God miraculously saving His people. Thieves can break in and steal, and murderers can kill and destroy. But if I am God's and He is mine, I can joyfully entrust myself to His protection. I am an overcomer through Jesus Christ, and those who do His bidding God can employ as His battle-axe and weapon of war (Jer. 51:20). Our fight is not against flesh and blood or governments but against spiritual powers of darkness which can only prevail when we rely on our strength and wits instead of the power of God. Praise the LORD for His protection, for our Good Shepherd will faithfully keep His flock forever.
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