Week of Monday July 8 – July 14
He Is With Us! – Man as Defender
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” - Psalm 42:4-11 ESV
During the heat of battle, Reformer Martin Luther wrote his greatest hymn. The year was 1527, one of the most trying years of Luther’s life. For ten long years, since publishing his 95 Theses against the Church’s false doctrines and fleecing the people through the sale of indulgences, Luther had been battered by political and theological storms. At times, his life had been in danger and he suffered bouts of severe depression. Yet, he felt that God was with him to prevail. It was sometime that year that Luther wrote the hymn he is most famous for: "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." Translated by Frederick Hedge in 1853, this verse spells out the conflict and the key to victory:
And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God has willed, his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure, for lo! His doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him.
The writer of the psalm above is thinking of how God had shown Himself strong in the face of the great battles and challenging moments the nation of Israel had experienced. He opens by declaring God as their “refuge and strength” and “A very present help in trouble” (v. 1). He closes with the climax of their praise: “The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge” (v. 11). They knew the threat of death and yet the joy of being delivered by the hand of God! They confessed: “He is with us!”
What was true for them is true for us. God is our refuge and strength, our help. God is our fortress and when we serve this God, we take courage knowing that we need not fear, we need not be moved, and we need not be driven by anxiety but trust in our Creator’s strength and power. For He is with us! We can and must approach the challenges of life not only defensively deflecting the attacks of the enemy, but also with an offensive posture. That’s what Martin Luther did. Convinced that God was with him, Luther translated the Bible, which was only in Latin, the language of priests and scholars, into the German language so that all could read and understand God’s word. He also wrote Bible-based hymns so that sound doctrine could be learned by singing.
As the Defender of our home, we as men of God must fortify the souls of those in our charge with the word of God. After all, it is the “sword of the Spirit,” which is the primary offensive weapon in our arsenal. Rather than bemoaning and complaining about a culture and the government going off the rails, let’s learn from Luther and help our families get a hold of God’s word. As he wrote, “The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure, for lo His doom is sure. One little word shall fell him.” That word is the Word of God! Defend you family and your home by faithfully speaking the powerful Word of God into them and over them! And always remember: “The Lord of Hosts is with us!”
- In what ways are you training your children and grandchildren to defend their faith in Jesus Christ? If Jesus quoted Scripture to defeat Satan, how can we be helping those in our charge read and live out God’s word.
- How can you as the man of God in your home daily reinforce the teachings of God’s word with your family? Start with our Stand on the Word daily Bible reading plan.
- Ask God to help you “be still and know that He is God” and give you a hunger and thirst for His words. Praise Him that He is with you!
He Is With Us! – Man as Defender
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” - Psalm 42:4-11 ESV
During the heat of battle, Reformer Martin Luther wrote his greatest hymn. The year was 1527, one of the most trying years of Luther’s life. For ten long years, since publishing his 95 Theses against the Church’s false doctrines and fleecing the people through the sale of indulgences, Luther had been battered by political and theological storms. At times, his life had been in danger and he suffered bouts of severe depression. Yet, he felt that God was with him to prevail. It was sometime that year that Luther wrote the hymn he is most famous for: "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." Translated by Frederick Hedge in 1853, this verse spells out the conflict and the key to victory:
And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God has willed, his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure, for lo! His doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him.
The writer of the psalm above is thinking of how God had shown Himself strong in the face of the great battles and challenging moments the nation of Israel had experienced. He opens by declaring God as their “refuge and strength” and “A very present help in trouble” (v. 1). He closes with the climax of their praise: “The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge” (v. 11). They knew the threat of death and yet the joy of being delivered by the hand of God! They confessed: “He is with us!”
What was true for them is true for us. God is our refuge and strength, our help. God is our fortress and when we serve this God, we take courage knowing that we need not fear, we need not be moved, and we need not be driven by anxiety but trust in our Creator’s strength and power. For He is with us! We can and must approach the challenges of life not only defensively deflecting the attacks of the enemy, but also with an offensive posture. That’s what Martin Luther did. Convinced that God was with him, Luther translated the Bible, which was only in Latin, the language of priests and scholars, into the German language so that all could read and understand God’s word. He also wrote Bible-based hymns so that sound doctrine could be learned by singing.
As the Defender of our home, we as men of God must fortify the souls of those in our charge with the word of God. After all, it is the “sword of the Spirit,” which is the primary offensive weapon in our arsenal. Rather than bemoaning and complaining about a culture and the government going off the rails, let’s learn from Luther and help our families get a hold of God’s word. As he wrote, “The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure, for lo His doom is sure. One little word shall fell him.” That word is the Word of God! Defend you family and your home by faithfully speaking the powerful Word of God into them and over them! And always remember: “The Lord of Hosts is with us!”
- In what ways are you training your children and grandchildren to defend their faith in Jesus Christ? If Jesus quoted Scripture to defeat Satan, how can we be helping those in our charge read and live out God’s word.
- How can you as the man of God in your home daily reinforce the teachings of God’s word with your family? Start with our Stand on the Word daily Bible reading plan.
- Ask God to help you “be still and know that He is God” and give you a hunger and thirst for His words. Praise Him that He is with you!