Chaff in the wind

It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria;and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. - Chronicles 20:1-4

Have you ever wondered why it seems that God sometimes works a miracle and sometimes He doesn't? Why is that?

When this happens in my own life I always find myself wondering if there is anything I can be do? Pray harder? More often? More fervently? Is there something else?

Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.

So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

“Praise the LORD,
For His mercy endures forever.”

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped - 2 Chronicles 20:13-24

I don't know for sure How God works but 3 things come to mind when I read about this event:
1) The people all came together to petition God

2) They believed in God and sang praises to Him

3) When they began to sing and praise Him He set invisible ambushes for their enemies

“Look, I go forward, but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him;
When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.

But He knows the way that I take;
When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. - Job 23:8-10

Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me;

fight against those who fight against me.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.

Also draw out the spear, and stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life;
Let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt.

Let them be like chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the LORD pursue them. - Psalm 35:1-6

For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him. - Isaiah 64:4

Unspoken

I kill the children before they're born
As their little feet begin to form
Don't buy them shoes, they won't be worn
I kill the children, I am not scorned - Fiend or foul

Between 1933 and 1945 Hitler's Nazi's killed approximately 1.5 million children http://www.auschwitz.dk/docu/Faq.htm. The cold efficiency with which they carried it out is horrifying. Canadian hospitals and clinics are coming close to this number with 1,059,925 million unborn children aborted between 1996 and 2005.

I think its crazy that I live in a political world where people who share my opinion of abortion are seen as dangerous and narrow-minded.

I remember travelling home from work one day in the crew boat and one of the guys who liked to "stir the pot" (as well as smoke it) all of a sudden said "hey Jimmy what do you think of abortion?"

Now this guy was commonly referred to as "dirtbag". Ok you're probably wondering how a guy goes about earning an unfortunate handle like that. Well, he had an unfortunate habit of seducing guy's girfriends. I don't like to call people names so I'll refer to him as Mister "D".

There were also 5 or 6 other guys in the boat and one of the guys had brought his Brazilian girlfriend out for the day. Anyway, I guess the crew boat ride was too boring for Mr D because he already knew my opinion about abortion but when he asked the question he looked at me expectantly with a wry smile creeping across his face. I had no idea what to say.

If I said it was a woman's right to choose I would be lying. If I said it was wrong, he would shout "En garde, you patriarchal religious fiend!" and debate me into a corner with one hand tied behind his back. Defeated, my head low and the crowd howling for blood he would deliver the killing blow. All of this of course would play out in front of this woman who would be thankful that he stood up for women's rights.

Then my spine showed up in the strangest place.

"It's wrong", asserted a voice from the back of the boat.

It was the girl from Brazil.

Her educated, politically-correct boyfriend then began to shush her and gently explain how women had the right to choose. To his obvious chagrin, she was unrelenting. Probably raised Catholic and brainwashed to believe that all life should be protected.

I don't think Mr D ever imagined that he would end up in a duel with the very woman he was likely trying to impress.

Most of my life I've always either felt one of two ways after an emotionally charged conversation: "Why didn't I think to say (fill in the blank)?" or "I wish I hadn't said that." God sometimes gives us the wisdom to say exactly the right thing, this time He gave me the wisdom to say nothing. And when I was unable to say anything someone else spoke up for me. I pray God will continue to cause people to speak for those who can't speak up for themselves

O that you would be completely silent, And that it would become your wisdom! - Job 13:5

This you know, my beloved brethren But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. - James 1:19-20

Once bitten

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.”

So Moses prayed for the people.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”

So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. - Numbers 21:7-9

I've often wondered why the medical profession uses the symbol of a serpent. One theory is that it's a reference to the bronze serpent of Numbers. Even knowing that it still seems strange to see the serpent as a symbol of healing but not as strange as seeing the bronze serpent as symbol of Christ.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. - Galatians 3:13-14

Suffering and dying, anyone who looks at Christ through the eyes of faith can be saved.