Wednesday, March 28, 2007

To God Be the Glory...

was the only thing I could say today. And not because great and glorious things were happening. In fact, quite the opposite was occurring.

Something that I care a great deal about, that I have invested much time and energy into seemed to be threatened by the enemy. You know, that old garden enemy that slithereth around and wreaketh havoc.

And the enemy's attack came right after a tremendous weekend of renewal and reminder that I serve a victorious Lord. Just when I should have suspected an ambush, I was too busy basking in glow and moving ahead with *my* plans.

So he came, he struck, he bruised.

I cried, I prayed, I sang.

He came, He died, He lives.

Enemy, watch out. He holds the keys to your destruction, and I still serve Him.

Knowing Whom you believe means you can confidently, even if out of tune, sing "To God Be the Glory!"



*This post was originally posted over at my first blog attempt, hosted by Blogger on August 22, 2006. Something today made me think of how since there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc 1:9), I'm burying my head in the sand to think that the enemy isn't always about the business of striking.  The question on my mind tonight is how to respond.



Of course, in God's sovereignty and not just a happenstance, I've spent the week studying Romans 12:9-21.  Paul's parenesis, string of moral exhortations, almost sounds like a checklist of things every good little Christian should do.  The punchline for a good little Christian is how tough each one actually is to do.



Aye, there's the rub. 



Without expositing each separate exhortation, I think it justified to say that the umbrella doctrine for all of them is the cross for a believer.  Meaning that the example of Christ's full obedience to His Father in the work of the cross is, and must be, the only example to model.  The sum total verse for that teaching is the last one, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."



For my part, the not being overcome by evil takes its form in different expressions--no response, a soft response, a blessing response, a reproving response, or even a take a witness with me response.  However, the common denominator of any expression is my prayer and trust that God watches over the actions of all and will repay each man according to his work. (Pro 15:3, 24:12)  The fact that my work is included in the what's being watched is both fearful and comforting because if I'm not willing to entrust my life to God's hands, then whom can I trust?



So I return to what drove me to write the initial post.  I know Whom I have believed, and I choose to stake my life on His Word--that He alone has completely conquered evil with the glory of His goodness.  I plead before His throne that He would cause me to express and zealously exercise this truth.  Acknowledging my frailty, my fallibility and my failures, all within me reaches to receive His forgiveness, His faithfulness and His fulfillment.

"For great is the Lord, and greatly
to be praised,
and he is to be held in awe
above all gods."
1 Chr 16:25





1 comment:

  1. I know Whom I have believed...amen, oh amen. Praise Him for being so far above, yet ever our Refuge. Praise Him.

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