Psalm 27:3
Though an army encamp against me
My heart shall not fear
Though war rise against me
Yet I will be confident.
My gaze drifts out over the open field
The army advances
The only sound, that of marching feet
The sun has just begun to rise
But its light can not chase away the gloom
The sense of doom and foreboding
That clutches at my heart
How has it come to this?
Conflict on a scale of all out war
Hundreds; Thousands of lives
The stench of death hangs in the air
Though not a single shot has yet been fired
Scavengers circle above in anticipation
Fear grips my heart
There can be no peace
My opponent has counted the cost
He wants blood
He wants death
Enough to pay the cost of countless lives
It is for me that he comes
Dread and anguish fill my heart
The advancing army halts
Silence descends over the field
Glancing down the rows of my army
Not a soldier moves
They stand at attention
Awaiting the order; an order of war and death
An order I dread loosing from my lips
It is in this silence that it happens
A dove descends from the sky
Pure white, shining in the morning sun
Alighting on my noble horse
It's gaze fixed intently upon me
The world seems to blur and fade
And in a still small voice…
"Have you forgotten who fights for you?"
"Have you forgotten where strength lies?"
"Have you forgotten to whom victory belongs?"
"I am your light and salvation."
"I am the stronghold of your life."
"Whom shall you fear?"
"Of whom shall you be afraid?"
Tears wet my cheeks
Descending in rivers of sorrow and joy
Sorrow over my fear and forgetfulness
Joy at the words of THE Mighty King
Creator of the heavens and earth
The true source of my protection
The only source of strength and hope
Even as the tears fall
Hope is renewed
Strength floods into my soul
Confidence fills my mind
Joy drives back the gloom
Peace destroys the tumult
And I look upon the field with new eyes
"You don't need an army of your own making."
The words came in tenderness
"They are powerless to stand against the foe."
"I will fight for you, my child."
The dove glances left
My gaze follows.
My army fades and disappears
The dove glances right
Again, my gaze follows
My army is gone, no longer standing at attention
I stand alone upon my steed
The sun now high in the sky.
The advancing army still stands
Silence hangs over the field still
And yet that same silence and stillness now fills me
What have I to hear when THE King is near?
What have I to dread when He stands between my foe and me?
The sound of horns shatter the silence
The cries of my adversary rend the sky
The ground shudders as they pound and stomp
All at once, they advance in a flurry of menace
Dust fills the sky from their hurried advance
Mocking laughs of derision and scorn fill the sky
The adversary, confident of victory, rushes in
But my heart…
Oh my heart….
It shall not fear
It will remain confident.
For I am not alone
My KING, THE King
He is all the defense I need
It is my adversary who will stumble and fall.
What have I to fear?
Let the army come.
I stand in the presence of THE King.
Abba,
Let me never make the mistake of thinking that I don't face an adversary and foe. I am in a war. One in which my opponent does not care about the cost. In fact, the more collateral damage; the more carnage and destruction he can ravage, the better. He is bent on blood, death, and destruction. Anger, malice, and hate consumes his being. Yes, Abba, I face an opponent fierce and deadly.
However, let me never make the opposite mistake either. Let me not think that I fight alone or that I fight with an army of my own making. No army I raise up stands a chance against such an ancient foe. You are my army. You alone stand between my adversary and myself. You alone have the power to defeat my enemy. You alone have the power to protect me. You alone are sufficient and able.
I have no need to fear. Facing such a foe need not invoke fear in my heart. For I do not stand alone. And I do not stand with an army of my own making. The very God who made me; the very God who died and rose for me; This very God, You, stand between my enemy and myself.
Therefore, I will not fear. I will be confident. Victory is assured.
Let me live in light of this truth.
Let us, your church, live in light of this truth.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation
Whom shall I fear.
The Lord is the stronghold of my life
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
To eat up my flesh
My adversaries and foes
It is they who stumble and fall
Though an army encamp against me
My heart shall not fear
Though war rise against me
Yet I will be confident."
Psalm 27:1-3
Though an army encamp against me
My heart shall not fear
Though war rise against me
Yet I will be confident.
My gaze drifts out over the open field
The army advances
The only sound, that of marching feet
The sun has just begun to rise
But its light can not chase away the gloom
The sense of doom and foreboding
That clutches at my heart
How has it come to this?
Conflict on a scale of all out war
Hundreds; Thousands of lives
The stench of death hangs in the air
Though not a single shot has yet been fired
Scavengers circle above in anticipation
Fear grips my heart
There can be no peace
My opponent has counted the cost
He wants blood
He wants death
Enough to pay the cost of countless lives
It is for me that he comes
Dread and anguish fill my heart
The advancing army halts
Silence descends over the field
Glancing down the rows of my army
Not a soldier moves
They stand at attention
Awaiting the order; an order of war and death
An order I dread loosing from my lips
It is in this silence that it happens
A dove descends from the sky
Pure white, shining in the morning sun
Alighting on my noble horse
It's gaze fixed intently upon me
The world seems to blur and fade
And in a still small voice…
"Have you forgotten who fights for you?"
"Have you forgotten where strength lies?"
"Have you forgotten to whom victory belongs?"
"I am your light and salvation."
"I am the stronghold of your life."
"Whom shall you fear?"
"Of whom shall you be afraid?"
Tears wet my cheeks
Descending in rivers of sorrow and joy
Sorrow over my fear and forgetfulness
Joy at the words of THE Mighty King
Creator of the heavens and earth
The true source of my protection
The only source of strength and hope
Even as the tears fall
Hope is renewed
Strength floods into my soul
Confidence fills my mind
Joy drives back the gloom
Peace destroys the tumult
And I look upon the field with new eyes
"You don't need an army of your own making."
The words came in tenderness
"They are powerless to stand against the foe."
"I will fight for you, my child."
The dove glances left
My gaze follows.
My army fades and disappears
The dove glances right
Again, my gaze follows
My army is gone, no longer standing at attention
I stand alone upon my steed
The sun now high in the sky.
The advancing army still stands
Silence hangs over the field still
And yet that same silence and stillness now fills me
What have I to hear when THE King is near?
What have I to dread when He stands between my foe and me?
The sound of horns shatter the silence
The cries of my adversary rend the sky
The ground shudders as they pound and stomp
All at once, they advance in a flurry of menace
Dust fills the sky from their hurried advance
Mocking laughs of derision and scorn fill the sky
The adversary, confident of victory, rushes in
But my heart…
Oh my heart….
It shall not fear
It will remain confident.
For I am not alone
My KING, THE King
He is all the defense I need
It is my adversary who will stumble and fall.
What have I to fear?
Let the army come.
I stand in the presence of THE King.
Abba,
Let me never make the mistake of thinking that I don't face an adversary and foe. I am in a war. One in which my opponent does not care about the cost. In fact, the more collateral damage; the more carnage and destruction he can ravage, the better. He is bent on blood, death, and destruction. Anger, malice, and hate consumes his being. Yes, Abba, I face an opponent fierce and deadly.
However, let me never make the opposite mistake either. Let me not think that I fight alone or that I fight with an army of my own making. No army I raise up stands a chance against such an ancient foe. You are my army. You alone stand between my adversary and myself. You alone have the power to defeat my enemy. You alone have the power to protect me. You alone are sufficient and able.
I have no need to fear. Facing such a foe need not invoke fear in my heart. For I do not stand alone. And I do not stand with an army of my own making. The very God who made me; the very God who died and rose for me; This very God, You, stand between my enemy and myself.
Therefore, I will not fear. I will be confident. Victory is assured.
Let me live in light of this truth.
Let us, your church, live in light of this truth.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation
Whom shall I fear.
The Lord is the stronghold of my life
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
To eat up my flesh
My adversaries and foes
It is they who stumble and fall
Though an army encamp against me
My heart shall not fear
Though war rise against me
Yet I will be confident."
Psalm 27:1-3
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