The Glittery Sword

While reading through the book of Deuteronomy on an awful hot afternoon, I came across a verse about a glittery sword. Who wouldn't want a "blinged out" sword... Jewels and sparkling glitter are an interesting distraction before a sharp piece of metal plunges into a beating heart... and it makes one pause... wow... sounds like our tongue.............

The Bible is replete with verses that compare a medieval sword with the human tongue... they are both sharp.. they both are capable of collateral damage.. they pierce the hearts... they definitely need a sheath... and so on...

Last week, I attempted to go a whole day without complaining once.. i posted this goal for the world to see and not even two seconds later was complaining about my dis functioning computer... I wasn't even thinking about what I was saying... it came naturally... and our words... reflect our hearts...

Add to our tongue some jewels and glitter... a distraction... We smile and are kind to the faces of many... and then they turn around... PLUNGE... that "glittery sword" makes its move... we miss out on so many blessings because we are to busy swinging our swords at the ones God has put in our lives to bandage... Yet we wound... we wound... we wound...

If our purpose on earth is to "satisfy the afflicted soul", and to be a "restorer of the streets to dwell in"... we cannot be backstabbers... We are to use our glittery swords to repair, restore, expose the truth, defend the afflicted, and slay the giants....

The book "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge describes mankind as having "lost its adventure". Cubicles and computers have replaced the woods and forest... We wonder why we are so empty inside... its because we have no adventure...we have quit our desires... given up... we don't fight to do right.. we give in... and we are disgusted at ourselves... We have set no goals... and our tongues have no restraint.. we are encouraged to "fight for our rights", demand "justice", force "control"...

Our swords may be glittery... We decorate them so well... Yet we use our most powerful muscle to destroy those already destroyed long ago... One of the chapters in "Wild at Heart" poses this question. "How come when men look in their hearts they don't discover something valiant and dangerous, but instead find anger, lust, and fear? He goes on to say "There is no battle to fight".

"Without a great battle in which a man (or woman) can live and die, the fierce part of his nature goes underground and sort of simmers there in sullen anger that seems to have no reason".

In the movie Braveheart, William Wallace tells his Irish countrymen before they went to battle "Fight and you may die, run and you will live at least awhile. Every man dies, not every man really lives".

Sources:

"Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge
Braveheart
Isaiah 58:10-12
Deuteronomy 32:41

Comments

Failure is a Gift

I sat in the room, nervous. I had sensed this moment coming all week. Though I felt a small comfort and peace, deep inside, I was terrified. I was bracing for the letdown—far from my first. I made small talk with someone twenty years my junior, knowing that soon, he would ask me to step down. That reality was hard to face. My mind drifted back to my first year as a deputy. I had called my father repeatedly, distressed over my fifth write-up. Each time, he told me to thank them for the discipline, not to quit, and to keep my head up. But I was overcome with sorrow. I felt like a failure. Maybe I could earn straight A’s, but I had no common sense. I feared I would never catch on. I was beginning to give up. Still, my dad insisted I keep going. In my first week alone, I had discharged my weapon—firing over sixteen rounds at a bull on Super Bowl Sunday. Not long after, I found myself in a full-blown foot pursuit of an escapee, my face, mostly pride battered from the struggle. My track...

My Weapon is a Melody

Every day can be a battle. A battle for our hearts, a battle for our minds, a battle to discourage, a battle to get out of bed, a battle to be content in whatever state we are in, a battle to bless God even in the darkest times. Satan seeks to crush and destroy us. When we are so focused on our own pain and battles, we are less useful. Think of a nice shiny car, but with a broken hose. This small hose can cause the entire car to be out of commission. This too is how Satan works in our life. He may sit back and watch us break with the smallest hose. That is all he needs to put us out of service. Many of us have been out of service for quite some time. This is because we have so focused on goals or things that may be outside our purpose. How do we fight battles in our life and overcome them? What should our only purpose be? Praise and worshiping God. That is it. God is constantly seeking out people who just want to worship Him. We constantly ask for blessings in our life, but how many ...

Hurricane Milton: The Anxiety Chronicles

October 8th is National Face Your Fears Day, and many Floridians are confronting that reality as Hurricane Milton approaches, less than 24 hours away. While the news is filled with alarming phrases like "explosive Category 5 hurricane," it only amplifies the anxiety of millions who already struggle with fear. Yet, in the midst of this, we must remember who is in control of the storm. "You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them." Psalm 89:9 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you." Isaiah 43:2 "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." Nahum 1:7 The prophet Haggai had a word for the Israelites when they were focused on beautifying their homes and lives. They had the best decor, the latest tech, and endless feasts, but Haggai called them to take a hard look at their priorities He said, “You’ve ...

I Am NOT Just a Number

Search This Blog