Carla opened her box of yarn last night.  Beautiful colors, but a lot different than I expected – of course I know absolutely nothing about any of this.

I asked her, as she began the process of untangling it and wrapping it into a ball if that is what she had expected – she said, yes, it was.  Actually pretty much what most yarn looks like, only these are for socks – I imagine they could be used elsewhere but socks is its primary purpose.

As she rolled it into a ball, she lamented that she hadn’t put it around a chair as she normally would, thus it was a bit tangled up.

She said a friend of hers husband used to do this for her.  We both laughed, knowing how patient I am, we knew it wasn’t going to happen here.

Anyway, she is delighted with the colors and quality and now she can start knitting more socks.

The box of bbq tools is all but forgotten.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8  Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:

⁸ With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

To be surrounded by those that would do you harm can be a frightening thing.

One night we received a call of a bar brawl, not just a fight, in a local bar.  We responded.

You don’t go into these situations by yourself, it is just too dangerous.  Even though I was only about a minute away another officer, also dispatched, went out of service and into the bar.

I radioed I was there and went charging into the bar.  I couldn’t find the other officer.  He stood about 6’4” and I couldn’t see him.

As I broke up a fight that had several going at it, I found that I was surrounded by hostile patrons and figured I was in for a fight – and then the cavalry arrived.

We were to go off shift in a few minutes and Graveyard was to go on, they were in the office and responded to the call.  We were able to get the situation calmed down and a couple of guys off to jail.

The other officer said he was ‘over there’ when I came in.  We still don’t know exactly where he was, the department had concerns about the man and he was eventually released off probation.

When you are surrounded by angry people you have that feeling that you are by yourself.  You aren’t.

Things may happen that you would rather not, you may indeed be injured and many Christians HAVE died at the hands of others when they stood up for Christ.

So, why do it? 

If the above verse is true and there are more of us than our enemy, why do we feel such oppression from the enemy?

We look at the world.  We see the results of sinful behavior and decisions.

We see a multitude of sinners who not only dislike to be called such, but they will attack those that accuse them of it.  They may use physical means, in America, right now, they use labels and create laws making sinful behavior legal – and those that disagree, criminals.

Where is God in all of this?

Why doesn’t He smite them down and destroy those that would challenge His sovereignty?

Why doesn’t He ‘protect’ His people?

When Jesus was confronted in the garden, Peter reached out with a sword and cut off an ear of a servant of the High Priest.

Jesus reattached the ear and said to Peter, Mathew 26:53-54  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

⁵⁴ But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

The numbers that stand with us are often not seen.  We have angels and guardians all around us.  I confess, I do not understand, fully, their roles or their numbers, but they are there and when God gives them an order they obey.

Christ knew He must trust in God; He knew what He would be going through, but also knew that He was the fulfillment of God’s Word and promise to the Jewish people.

The Apostles, save John, were all murdered for their stand for Christ.  Millions of Christians have also suffered and died by the hands of the enemies.

Were their deaths in vain?

We are truly in a battle, one that by ourselves we cannot survive.  Since Satan chose to rebel against God, he has attempted to destroy Him and His chosen people.

God has promised that there will be a time where he takes satan away from the world, but until that time He expects His children to live for Him.

Revelation 6:10-11 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

¹¹ And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

God has chosen to wait.  We cannot fully understand the mind of God – most of us would say that we expect Him to destroy – now – all our enemies and lift us up.

But we do know that God has a plan and purpose for our lives, as we live for Him He will guide and direct our paths. 

We come to the point of not asking why, this is happening, but what does God want of me that His salvation may be made known to others.

Sometimes our mission is to lead one person to Him.  Other times it is to lead many more.  While the mission is important, the obedience of doing it is of the utmost imperative. 

Sometimes it is for us to gain strength so that He can use us later in a more ‘vital’ mission.  We can look at the Bible to see examples of how men and women endured the wrath brought about by satan, only to overcome and become a shining example of God’s Grace and power.

Obviously we are not Christ, but we have the same responsibilities to respond to God, with I will, not why?

Christ had to die for the salvation of all who accept His death and resurrection, He didn’t want to, but He accepted and fulfilled His mission from God – we may have to suffer and maybe even die in order for someone to see Christ in us and allow the Holy Spirit to lead them to Him.

When we take a stand for Christ, satan decides he needs to attack us.  When we sit down and do nothing, he goes elsewhere, unconcerned, since ‘this Christian’ is not going to do anything to promote God.

We may go in fear, but we never go without a circle of angels there will us; with the Holy Spirit going ahead of us; and Jesus paving the way.  In them we gather our courage to stand for Christ.

Later, Art :-)