Written from my time as prayer leader for Rice University's chapter of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship.

On the corner of my laptop screen, is a virtual sticky note with the following verse:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." (2 Chronicles 32:7-8)

King Hezekiah’s words remind me of a story that I hold close to my heart, particularly when I am fearfully crouched before an obstacle that seems to tower over me:

³³ Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:33-37)

Later, when Goliath mocks little David for fighting with mere sticks:

⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

David’s confidence in the Lord’s righteousness — simply amazing. And God gives David victory in a miraculous way that defies common rationality: a young man whose day job is sheep-herding beating an experienced & monstrously sized warrior with rocks? In the eyes of the world, this is the stuff of fairytales. But for those of us who believe the Bible to be true, we leave this story feeling inspired & awed of God’s awesome power — that he could use so humble a vessel for such greatness.

A voyage through the OT books of Kings & Chronicles reveals similar lessons. As long as we go forth in God’s name for His glory, there will be providence. In every instance where a ruler like Hezekiah humbled himself before the LORD and sought Him with great faith, God provided in huge ways that defied the expectations of the world.

On those “spiritually weak” days, our tendency is to forget all that the Holy Spirit has shown us through our Bible reading. We know there is an almighty God who is for us and loves us, but we’re not absolutely sure that he’s going to deliver us from our situation, once more. We end up lifting our prayers tepidly up to the LORD, qualifying our requests in a way that reveal the limits of our confidence in God. However, brothers & sisters, I submit to you all that this is not way that our loving Father would want us to live out our faiths. Faith that moves mountains. Humble hearts with outstretched hands. Courage & confidence in His limitless strength & abounding presence. 

Whether you’re battling habitual sin today, having a wonderful God-filled day, or clinging onto your faith in the face of intimidating trial, I pray that as you meditate over the verses that I have shared with you today, you are reminded of the times in your life that God has provided for you & the people around you. May you thank Him for those blessings that He need not give, and hold onto those memories of God’s deliverance as you love & serve in His name, throughout the week. Today, may you lift all your fears & desires up to the LORD with confidence, knowing that our Father in heaven will see us through all that life brings, even if the odds for our success & survival, are stacked against us.