Thought for the day. Who or what do you run to first? When there is trouble, do you reach for your gun first, or your God? The reason I ask is I'm seeing more and more people these days who are reaching for their "gun", (in my example it doesn't have to be a physical firearm, but rather the tool you use in fighting a battle, whatever form that may take, even if it's just merely words) instead of first reaching for God.
Now what do I mean by that? If want me to expand on this further, let me use several examples out of the bible. When Israel was in the desert, having just left Egypt, they came upon to the land of Canaan and were told to spy it out. (Numbers 13-14) So they did. But ten of the men who came back feared greatly and said that they couldn't do it, even with a nation twice the size of what they had.
Yet Caleb and Joshua both said, "Yes we can, for God is mighty!" In the end they (all of Israel) were sent out into the wilderness for 40 years to kill off the generation that doubted and spoke against God, and to bring up a generation that feared and trusted God, having seen his miracles in the desert and knowing that God was all they needed.
So why did the ten spies say they couldn't do it, and that they'd all be slaughtered and killed? Well, look at their reply.
Num 13:27-28 - "And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there."
Num 13:31-33 - "But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."
Notice something interesting? They're thinking with their swords. "These people are giants and we can't defeat them!" They put their "guns" before their God. Now, look at Caleb and Joshua's reply.
Num 13:30 - "And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it."
Num 14:8-9 - "If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not."
See the difference here? They put God first, and their "guns" second. In doing so they didn't fear the giants in the land, because they knew that God could overcome them, and the swords they carried were just a technicality, as they were required to do part of the work, but God would provide the victory over their enemies.
The same thing happened in the history of our nation as well. What was the first thing that our forefathers did before battle, be that the revolutionary war, or any other war for much of our history? They prayed before marching forth, and yes, they did suffer a few defeats. But sometimes you need a few defeats to ensure your humility. So I don't count that as a big thing that they lost those battles. What counts is they won the war, and they did it by putting God first, and their "guns" second. Sometimes a FAR second.
So, what's your thoughts on this? With talk of revolution in the air, possible riots, tyranny, martial law, loss of job, loss of house, no food, no water, no money, no cars, etc, etc, where is your faith set first? Is it placed in your "guns" and what they can do for you, or is it placed correctly in God? Remember, your "guns" are temporal, and like anything temporal, they can be taken away from you. But God can NEVER be taken away from you. So where is your faith? In what do you trust first in times of trouble and danger? Do you trust God, or do you trust your "guns". IE, your things.
Trust in God, and no matter what happens, it will be the best choice you will ever make in your entire life, bar none.