Times of Trouble

Psalm 3

1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah 3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. 7 Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Selah

How many times have we raised a cry for help because it seemed nothing was going right for us? How many times has it seemed that nobody cared about us, and that those people who did care just wanted to hurt us? Every circumstance is negative, every decision a bad one, every relationship failed. The job, the finances, the spouse, the children, and even the church all seemed to plot against us. In times like these, what is a person supposed to do?

When King David wrote this psalm, his son Absalom had led a rebellion against David and had tried to murder him. I can't think of much worse than losing my kingdom and my life because one of my own children tried to kill me. Not only was David facing an enemy in his own son, but Absalom had raised an army to fight against David. He had a lot of support in this temper tantrum and attempted overthrow. David faced more enemies than he could count, and many of them were all saying the same thing - there was no hope, not in David himself, his abilities, or his friends, and certainly not in God. What, then, is a person supposed to do in this circumstance?

Go to sleep.

That's right, just go to sleep. That's what David did. He just went to sleep.

David knew where his protection came from. As hopeless as the situation seemed from a human perspective, David knew that all was not lost. David called Jehovah his shield (protecting him), his glory (giving him his position and place of honor), and the lifter of his head (encouraging him). He also knew exactly how to receive what he neeeded from God. He prayed, and when he prayed, God answered. So David went to sleep.

Sometimes that is all we need to do after we pray. God hears us. God also knows how He is going to take care of us. Sometimes He will give us details, but most of the time he does not. Regardless, we don't have to worry about anything because, as David reminded us, "salvation belongs to the LORD."

So, whatever is going on in your life, pray about it and give it to God. He'll hear and answer. Then, just go to sleep.

Let me know how things work out.

My Future Brides

I read an article the other day about feminist weddings, which at the start didn't make sense because feminism is all about breaking free from the trappings and oppression of traditional roles. Marriage is one of the things that feminism rages against, because they seem to think that being married forces women to conform to some standard that inhibits growth, or something of that sort. Anyway, this not being a treatise against feminism, I'll get to what really hit me in this article. The writer closed with a quote from a bride who said she would not have her father give her away at her wedding, because she couldn't stand the thought of being considered "property to be given away." My heart broke when I read this. I thought that there was a real possibility that this young woman did not have a good relationship with her father. Even if this were not the case, and she is really close to her father, I felt like she at the very least did not understand why a daddy gives his daughter away. This is sad, because a real daddy does this duty as an act of love, not as a business or property transaction.

I have three daughters, ages 1 year, 3 years, and 8 years. God gave each one of them to me and my wife for a reason. The oldest came to us because we followed His will. The second was given to prove that God will take care of us through any trial. The youngest was just a bonus gift, because He loves us and wants to add joy to life. Part of the joy of life is having children and taking care of them. I will spend a lifetime caring for these three beautiful girls, watching them growing into beautiful young women. I will fight to the death for them against anyone who would dare hurt them. I will stand up for them in any situation, but also hold them accountable when they make bad decisions. I will help them learn how to deal with life and all of the challenges that will come. Through all of their lives, they will know that whatever they do, I will love them unconditionally, because they are my children and I am their daddy. This is the privilege and opportunity that God has given me.

One day, some young man will come into each of their lives. He will captivate their hearts, and they will decide to get married. I will go through this three times, and it will be a unique experience for each one. Because I am a minister, I will be able to perform the ceremony for each one. Hopefully they will want me to do this. However, before they get to the vows, I will give them all away to the man who will take over my role of provider and protector. Now, here's the deal, and maybe the part that the young lady in the article did not understand. I will be bringing many of my fatherly duties to an end. The daily provision, protection, and education will be over for me. I will be giving her to another man who will be responsible for providing and protecting her. I'll do this willingly, but each one of these men will know one thing - if they ever fail in providing and/or protecting, and if they ever willfully hurt my baby, I will come after him. There will be no rock big enough to hide him. I will come with all the force of an atom bomb to help him understand that he has failed my child.

No, I will not be giving away a piece of property. I will be giving away three precious jewels that have been carefully preserved and shined to an amazing clarity. I will be letting go of three of the most valuable things I have ever held. I have cherished them and protected them. I will expect their husbands to care for them with exactly the same dedication for the rest of their lives.