Week of Monday December 16 – December 22
Like a Shepherd – Man as Defender
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore, he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace.” - Micah 5:2-5 ESV
Most of you are familiar with my story and know that I’ve done several ops behind enemy lines. Sometimes, like in the case of Kurt Muse, who was held prisoner down in Panama, our mission in Operation Acid Gambit was to liberate. Just as the Army Special Forces motto declares: “De Oppresso Liber,” which means “to free the oppressed.” Every year the anniversary of his rescue rolls around, Kurt reaches out to thank me, and I always accept his gratitude with a reminder that I was simply doing my duty. It was the first civilian hostage rescue in modern military history. Yet nothing that I or my men ever accomplished to liberate the oppressed compares with what Micah 5 is talking about.
I resonate with the way R. R. Reno frames it in Christmas Draws Near:
In my mind’s eye, on Christmas Eve I see a single commando tumbling out of the bomb bay doors of a B-52 at 30,000 feet. He falls silently in the midnight darkness into enemy territory. Satan sleeps, not knowing that he will organize a rebellion. The empire of sin will fall, not from without, but from within… Like a commando severely hurt as he landed from far above, who has no apparent capacity to mount an effective action, or for that matter any action at all, the powerless infant turns his face to ours and makes what, in that obscure stable, seems like a crazy, impossible demand: “Join me.”
Here in Micah, we have this amazing prophecy not only about a baby to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David, who will become the ruler of Israel. When I read these verses, the one defining description given this coming King is that He will shepherd His people. That takes us all the way back to his progenitor David, who started his career as the shepherd of his father’s flocks. It is only when he was about to go up against Goliath that we learn just what danger the intrepid teen faced while defending the sheep and relying on his God:
David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. (1 Sam. 17:34-35).
We all know the rest of the story. With the help of our God, David killed that giant and delivered his oppressed people. Now Micah is telling us about a coming, greater son of David. In the beginning, He will be an unlikely hero, coming as an innocent baby. Yet He will become the Good Shepherd who will rescue His people - as well as all who call upon His name in faith. Plus, this coming Shepherd will bring security and peace to the ends of the earth!
We are also called to “stand and shepherd [our] flock,” defending those we cherish. Obviously, the key to success is to shepherd our families “in the strength of the Lord.” According to the text, the result is security and peace. Other than being loved, one of the top needs of wives is security. Same with our children. As we shepherd our families, we should lead in such a way that our families feel secure and enjoy peace. Men, defend your family like a shepherd!
- Are you leading your family “in the strength of the Lord?” How are you tapping into His strength on a daily basis? Are you in the Word and on your knees?
- Does your family feel secure and at peace? How can you help foster those feelings as the Defender in the home?
- As we approach Christmas, ask God to strengthen you as you lead your family to worship the Good Shepherd, Jesus. It is also a good time to learn about the real Saint Nicholas who was a Defender of the Faith as well as the weak. Take advantage of the Stand Courageous talking points on Christmas.
Like a Shepherd – Man as Defender
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore, he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace.” - Micah 5:2-5 ESV
Most of you are familiar with my story and know that I’ve done several ops behind enemy lines. Sometimes, like in the case of Kurt Muse, who was held prisoner down in Panama, our mission in Operation Acid Gambit was to liberate. Just as the Army Special Forces motto declares: “De Oppresso Liber,” which means “to free the oppressed.” Every year the anniversary of his rescue rolls around, Kurt reaches out to thank me, and I always accept his gratitude with a reminder that I was simply doing my duty. It was the first civilian hostage rescue in modern military history. Yet nothing that I or my men ever accomplished to liberate the oppressed compares with what Micah 5 is talking about.
I resonate with the way R. R. Reno frames it in Christmas Draws Near:
In my mind’s eye, on Christmas Eve I see a single commando tumbling out of the bomb bay doors of a B-52 at 30,000 feet. He falls silently in the midnight darkness into enemy territory. Satan sleeps, not knowing that he will organize a rebellion. The empire of sin will fall, not from without, but from within… Like a commando severely hurt as he landed from far above, who has no apparent capacity to mount an effective action, or for that matter any action at all, the powerless infant turns his face to ours and makes what, in that obscure stable, seems like a crazy, impossible demand: “Join me.”
Here in Micah, we have this amazing prophecy not only about a baby to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David, who will become the ruler of Israel. When I read these verses, the one defining description given this coming King is that He will shepherd His people. That takes us all the way back to his progenitor David, who started his career as the shepherd of his father’s flocks. It is only when he was about to go up against Goliath that we learn just what danger the intrepid teen faced while defending the sheep and relying on his God:
David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. (1 Sam. 17:34-35).
We all know the rest of the story. With the help of our God, David killed that giant and delivered his oppressed people. Now Micah is telling us about a coming, greater son of David. In the beginning, He will be an unlikely hero, coming as an innocent baby. Yet He will become the Good Shepherd who will rescue His people - as well as all who call upon His name in faith. Plus, this coming Shepherd will bring security and peace to the ends of the earth!
We are also called to “stand and shepherd [our] flock,” defending those we cherish. Obviously, the key to success is to shepherd our families “in the strength of the Lord.” According to the text, the result is security and peace. Other than being loved, one of the top needs of wives is security. Same with our children. As we shepherd our families, we should lead in such a way that our families feel secure and enjoy peace. Men, defend your family like a shepherd!
- Are you leading your family “in the strength of the Lord?” How are you tapping into His strength on a daily basis? Are you in the Word and on your knees?
- Does your family feel secure and at peace? How can you help foster those feelings as the Defender in the home?
- As we approach Christmas, ask God to strengthen you as you lead your family to worship the Good Shepherd, Jesus. It is also a good time to learn about the real Saint Nicholas who was a Defender of the Faith as well as the weak. Take advantage of the Stand Courageous talking points on Christmas.