Prayer

"But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together;
Attackers gathered against me,
And I did not know it;
They tore at me and did not cease;

With ungodly mockers at feasts
They gnashed at me with their teeth.

Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue me from their destructions,
My precious life from the lions.

I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among many people.

Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies;
Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without cause.

For they do not speak peace,
But devise deceitful matters
Against the quiet ones in the land.

They also opened their mouth wide against me,
And said, "Aha, aha!
Our eyes have seen it."

This You have seen, O Lord;
Do not keep silence.
O Lord, do not be far from me.

Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,
To my cause, my God and my Lord.

Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.

Let them not say in their hearts, "Ah, so we would have it!"
Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up."

Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion 
Who rejoice at my hurt;
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
Who exalt themselves against me.

Let them shout for joy and be glad, 
Who favor my righteous cause;
And let them say continually,
"Let the Lord be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness
And of Your praise all day long."

Psalm 35: 15-28

POSTSCRIPT WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH

Ray and I are sitting with coffee, talking about my earlier blog. Both of our dads were in the Air Force. My dad fixed planes to be sent back out. He heard shells exploding in the distance but remained unharmed.

Ray's dad was in a battle. He jumped into a well for safety. If a tall black man had not seen Ray's dad and pulled him out, he may have drowned. 

There are all kinds of pictures in that that I love--not the least being a black arm and a white arm bound together.

Ray and Lonnie

DINGS AND SCARS OF BATTLE

"My favorite piece . . . the shield of faith. There's something appealing in the notion of carrying this picture of who you are into war. Then when, God willing, you come home, it comes, too, changed, as you are, by the dings and scars of the journey and the battle. Your faith can't emerge unscathed or untouched-- not if you've really fought."

Jeff Chu
Does Jesus Really Love Me?   P. 259
Harper Collins 2013

In our human wars, wow! Absolutely true and so well put. In our spiritual battles, what do you think? Is it true that if your faith emerges, unscathed, you haven't fought? I would love discussion.

Picking Up My Shield,
Lonnie

Prayer

I continue to pray Proverbs 3:5-7 for President Trump. I pray that God will help President Trump to recognize His voice.

Lord, when he is walking in Your will, making decisions according to Your will, help him to be as strong and determined as iron, but with humility. God, how do  we do that?! Show him how. Show us.

To You be all Glory and Honor,
Amen

DEATH INTERRUPTED

"If you do not interrupt your life with convictions of death to come, neither shall your death, when it comes, be interrupted by life."

Walter Wandering, Jr.
Reliving The Passion  p. 22
Zondervan

Boy Scouts teach us to be prepared. And so we do: for college, job interviews, children, vacation, possible job loss, retirement; and even our funerals. 

How is it, then, that we don't prepare for the inevitable? 

Planning For My Death To Be Interrupted.
Feel My Anticipation!
Lonnie

AGE-LONG MINUTE

"Hold us quiet through the age-long minute,
while thou art silent and when the wind is shrill,

Can the boat sink, Lord, while you art in It?
Can the heart faint that waiteth on thy will?"

Amy Carmichael
Quoted in Craving Connection  p. 70/Stacey Thacker
Broadman and Holman 2017

Our own pain is hard to bear. Our own fear. But oh, the pain and fear of our child!
Stacey Thacker holds her child through ugly tests--through the age-long minutes.

She asks, "Does our God do any less for His daughters?"

Humbled By The Faith Of Those In Pain,
Lonnie

Prayer

GOD,
It feels like Trump is in a lion's den. Daniel emerged unharmed because of his innocence and his trust in You. None of us are innocent, apart from the blood of Jesus; and I am not so naive as to think that President Trump is free of wrong actions or motives.

I do ask that You would help him to depend more on You every day; that You would grow his trust in You.

GOD, I can ask no less for myself and the Body of Christ.
Amen.