KEEPING SCORE

Have you ever wondered how God responds to the prayers of opposing sports teams?  Does He add up the naughty and nice and then tip the scales accordingly?  Does He go by ratio of charitable giving to income?  Does He grant the greatest favor to the team he knows will give Him the greatest glory once victory is achieved?  We won’t truly know this side of heaven, though if I had to guess I’d say it’s the ‘glory-giving’ factor that prevails.

In the movie, “Patton”, George C. Scott as that general of fame, asks a confused-looking chaplain to pray for victory in a forthcoming battle.  Surely the life and death issues represented in this case are more critical than a game of 22 adolescents chasing an oblong pigskin object.

In 1991, I found myself in prayer concerning the Persian Gulf War.  Fifty thousand body bags were ordered at the beginning of the conflict in anticipation of human loss.  The American involvement lasted a very short time, and I specifically asked God to so protect the soldiers that only those that already had a personal relationship with Him would perish, and that the death of those individual troops would help bring one or more of their comrades into additional personal Lord relationships. 

Around that time I was reading a book written by Don Kessler, entitled, The Arithmetic of God.  Don claims to have received supernatural revelation of a host of numbers which I have found validity to over the years.  The number(s) for ‘forgiveness of sin’ were purported to be 25 or 325 (325 being the numbers 1 through 25 added together).  It was reported that the total number of U. S. troop fatalities (including friendly fire) were 325.   

The saying goes, “There are no atheists in foxholes”.  Surely war brings turmoil to any side of a conflict, and the need for peace midst a microcosm of violence is utterly essential, though understandably difficult to have. 

David’s subjects needed peace midst their battles, and got it as they emulated their leader, who was the very epitome of it.  The psalmist reflected peace because he continually reminded himself of how faithful God had been in repeatedly delivering him from the will of his enemies, and his past experiences gave him reason to praise God in advance for future deliverances expected.

What battles are you facing?  What turmoil are you dealing with?  It’s not a game—it’s not a movie—but it is peace in abundance when you remember what He’s done for you in the past—and know what He will do for you in the future.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 20

New King James Version (NKJV)

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 ¹ May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;
         May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
 ² May He send you help from the sanctuary,
         And strengthen you out of Zion;
 ³ May He remember all your offerings,
         And accept your burnt sacrifice.  Selah
       
 ⁴ May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
         And fulfill all your purpose.
 ⁵ We will rejoice in your salvation,
         And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
         May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.
       
 ⁶ Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
         He will answer him from His holy heaven
         With the saving strength of His right hand.
       
 ⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
         But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
 ⁸ They have bowed down and fallen;
         But we have risen and stand upright.
       
 ⁹ Save, LORD!
         May the King answer us when we call.