Week of Monday September 14 – September 20
Into the Fight — Man as Defender
“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?” - Proverbs 24:10–12 ESV
During my years in Special Operations, I was involved in missions that most people will never hear about. Some remain classified even today. One that has been publicly acknowledged involved the rescue of five missionaries being held hostage in Sudan. Those missionaries were in danger, and somebody had to go get them. That's what rescue missions are about. You don't stand at a safe distance wishing the hostages well. You make a plan, accept the risk, and send trained men into danger to bring them out.
There's a principle in the military that applies far beyond the battlefield: when everyone else is trying to get away from danger, warriors often have to move toward it. According to Proverbs 24, every godly man should understand that. Solomon begins, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” Anybody can look strong when nothing is going wrong. Adversity reveals what is really inside a man. But notice where Solomon goes next: “Rescue those who are being taken away to death.” God didn't give you strength merely to protect yourself. He gave you strength so you could protect others. That's the heart of a Defender.
You may never conduct a hostage rescue behind enemy lines, but there are people around you who need a man willing to step into the fight. Your wife may need you to fight for your marriage instead of retreating into silence. Your children need you to defend their hearts and minds against influences pulling them away from God. A brother in Christ may be drifting toward sin and need someone courageous enough to confront him. The battlefield changes, but the mission remains: “Rescue those who are being taken away.”
Then Solomon eliminates one of our favorite excuses: “If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?” We might say, “It's none of my business,” “Someone else will handle it,” or “I don't want to get involved.” But God knows the difference between what we genuinely did not know and what we simply did not want to see. Defenders don't look the other way. When we see those God has placed within our sphere of responsibility moving toward danger, love requires us to act.
That doesn't mean charging recklessly into every situation. A good soldier knows that courage without wisdom can make a bad situation worse. Defenders pray, prepare, seek God's wisdom, and determine the right course of action. But once the mission is clear, they act. Biblical courage isn't the absence of fear; it is doing what is right despite the cost. Most often that requires moral and spiritual courage—the willingness to have the difficult conversation, confront destructive behavior, stand for truth, or remain beside someone when walking away would be easier.
Nowhere do we see that courage more clearly than in Jesus Christ. Proverbs says, “Rescue those who are being taken away to death,” and that is exactly what Jesus did for us. We were sinners under the sentence of death, completely unable to rescue ourselves. Yet Jesus did not remain at a safe distance. He dropped behind “enemy lines” in our broken world, and put His life on the line to rescue, which took Him to the cross.
Every man who has been rescued by Christ should carry something of the Rescuer's heart. So look around you. Who has God placed within your perimeter? Who is drifting toward danger? God has not given you strength merely so you can stand tall when adversity comes. He has given you strength so that when someone else is in danger, you can step into the fight.
Into the Fight — Man as Defender
“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?” - Proverbs 24:10–12 ESV
During my years in Special Operations, I was involved in missions that most people will never hear about. Some remain classified even today. One that has been publicly acknowledged involved the rescue of five missionaries being held hostage in Sudan. Those missionaries were in danger, and somebody had to go get them. That's what rescue missions are about. You don't stand at a safe distance wishing the hostages well. You make a plan, accept the risk, and send trained men into danger to bring them out.
There's a principle in the military that applies far beyond the battlefield: when everyone else is trying to get away from danger, warriors often have to move toward it. According to Proverbs 24, every godly man should understand that. Solomon begins, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” Anybody can look strong when nothing is going wrong. Adversity reveals what is really inside a man. But notice where Solomon goes next: “Rescue those who are being taken away to death.” God didn't give you strength merely to protect yourself. He gave you strength so you could protect others. That's the heart of a Defender.
You may never conduct a hostage rescue behind enemy lines, but there are people around you who need a man willing to step into the fight. Your wife may need you to fight for your marriage instead of retreating into silence. Your children need you to defend their hearts and minds against influences pulling them away from God. A brother in Christ may be drifting toward sin and need someone courageous enough to confront him. The battlefield changes, but the mission remains: “Rescue those who are being taken away.”
Then Solomon eliminates one of our favorite excuses: “If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?” We might say, “It's none of my business,” “Someone else will handle it,” or “I don't want to get involved.” But God knows the difference between what we genuinely did not know and what we simply did not want to see. Defenders don't look the other way. When we see those God has placed within our sphere of responsibility moving toward danger, love requires us to act.
That doesn't mean charging recklessly into every situation. A good soldier knows that courage without wisdom can make a bad situation worse. Defenders pray, prepare, seek God's wisdom, and determine the right course of action. But once the mission is clear, they act. Biblical courage isn't the absence of fear; it is doing what is right despite the cost. Most often that requires moral and spiritual courage—the willingness to have the difficult conversation, confront destructive behavior, stand for truth, or remain beside someone when walking away would be easier.
Nowhere do we see that courage more clearly than in Jesus Christ. Proverbs says, “Rescue those who are being taken away to death,” and that is exactly what Jesus did for us. We were sinners under the sentence of death, completely unable to rescue ourselves. Yet Jesus did not remain at a safe distance. He dropped behind “enemy lines” in our broken world, and put His life on the line to rescue, which took Him to the cross.
Every man who has been rescued by Christ should carry something of the Rescuer's heart. So look around you. Who has God placed within your perimeter? Who is drifting toward danger? God has not given you strength merely so you can stand tall when adversity comes. He has given you strength so that when someone else is in danger, you can step into the fight.
- Is someone within your sphere of influence moving toward danger while you have remained on the sidelines? Even if no one particular comes to mind, have you considered Proverbs 24:10-12 in the light of abortion?
- What specific action can you take this week to “rescue those who are being taken away”?
- Pray and ask the Lord how you can step into the fight for those who need rescue.