Powerful and Precious

The promises of God are powerful and precious.
They speak generally, to ALL of us at once.
They speak directly to each of us.
They have deep personal meaning.
They give us hope of eternal life!
They reassure us in doubt, worry, and frustration.
They comfort us in times of trouble.
The remind us of God's feelings toward us; His love, His compassion, His tender mercies.
They empower us to win in spiritual battle!
They correct us when we are off track.
They help us to become better than we are without them.
They thrill us with the awe of God's greatness.
They remind us of our frailty and our need for Him.
They make us anxious for home.
They give us hope to face each day, no matter what may come our way.
They sustain us in drought.
The revive us when faint, like fresh cool water.
They tell us His will for our lives, our health, our future.
They reassure us of life abundantly in Christ.
They tell us good news, in a world of that desperately needs good news!
They give us something to reach for.
They give us joy for our journey.
They give substance to our faith.
The promises of God are powerful and precious.

"On Guard!"

Do you recall the old ‘Three Musketeer’ movies?  When I was a boy, I loved to watch them. Of course, every boy who has ever watched one of those movies has then had to have his own share of sword fights.  We didn’t have the fancy store bought swords, so I recall using whatever was available as a sword. A stick would work in a pinch, but as I recall my favorite was an old curtain rod that mom had replaced with a new one, or at least that’s the way I remember acquiring it. ;-)

The Musketeers had muskets too. It was where they got their name. A musket was a long barreled, black powder, handgun; but it was the sword that thrilled me.  Handguns were commonly in use in the westerns and the police shows of the day, but only the Musketeers, Zorro, or the occasional Pirate had a sword.

Now, all these years later, I carry a sword with me everywhere I go.  I’m not the most talented at wielding it, but the sword that I carry is very powerful and makes up for my inadequacy.  Certainly by now, you know that I’m referring to the Word of God.  It is called the “Sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17. It is said to be “sharper than ANY two edged sword” in Hebrews 4:12. I’m all grown up, and have been for a long time, but I still think the Sword is one of the coolest weapons of all time.

We often find ourselves in spiritual warfare.  Like the old movies, it seems that the good guys don’t have to go looking for trouble because trouble comes looking for you.  But this is reality…  This is life, and sometimes it isn’t quite so fun as it was when I was a kid.  The sword fights really matter.  The prize isn’t fantasy, it’s real.  The damsel in distress might be a daughter, or a niece, or a family friend and the peril we are trying to rescue them from is not fiction.  It is a real and present danger and in some instances it is eternity that hangs in the balance.

In the old movies, just before a sword fight, one of the opponents would say, “On guard!”  In life, it isn’t always that way.  The Devil is sneaky, he doesn’t tell you he’s about to attack.  So just stay ready.  I MUST be on guard!  I must be vigilant! I must be alert, and not only for my own wellbeing, but for the people who need the help, or strength, that I might be able to provide.  I must guard against sin in my own life.  I have to guard against offense from a brother; just let it go.  I need to guard against complacency.  I need to watch out for the wide range of attacks of the enemy.  But how can I help someone else?  I’m just a man.  I’m just an overgrown boy who was fascinated by swords, Musketeers, and sword fighting.

I can help others the same way YOU can: By being skilled with the Sword that I have been given and staying on guard.  The Word will do the work. Remember, I told you this Sword is very powerful. I need to know it. I need to declare it.  I need to believe it. Then, I need to stand in agreement with it and watch it work.  The enemy doesn’t have a Sword like this.  This Sword is backed by the power of the Almighty God. "On guard!"