EmmDev 2021-09-28 [Seven Days with Daniel] Divine Graffiti

Divine Graffiti

King Belshazzar (remember Daniel was called Belteshazzar) threw a feast where he ridiculed the God of the Hebrews by using the temple goblets. A human hand appeared and wrote on the wall - the message declared the king's arrogance and impending downfall. 

We have a number of sayings that have their origin in these events:
- So-and-so "couldn't read the writing on the wall."
- "The words of the prophets are written on the subway halls"

The key thought out of our text here is that in the midst of arrogance and evil, God speaks. He doesn't always speak in the ways we expect Him too.

The interesting thing about the writing on the wall is that the words written on the wall were known words but the king and wise men could not read them! Was it a secret script? Maybe Hebrew writing? Or was it that "there are none so blind as those who will not see?"

There are many issues like this in society today: (You may disagree with some of these, but bear with me...)

• Society promotes and has legalised abortion and we wonder why life is so cheap.
• We allow pornography because we are so "open-minded" and wonder why our rape statistics are off the charts.
• We have enshrined human rights and allow prisoners to vote (when by their behaviour they have undermined society) and then we wonder why corruption and injustice rule the day.
• We have given children so many "rights" in education (education is a privilege in my opinion) that now our schools are torn apart by violence.
• We pay teachers, nurses, and policemen peanuts, preferring to pay lawyers and accountants and techies top dollar and wonder why the fundamentals of our society don't function.

These are just some examples of "writing on the wall." You may think of more. I just hope that as a society we may start to read some of them.        

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way. (Daniel5:1-6)

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EmmDev 2021-09-27 [Seven Days with Daniel] Chopping Trees

Chopping Trees

The pattern we detected in Daniel continues:

• ch.1-STANDING UP against culture - Daniel and diet
• ch.2-VISION - Weakening statue and rock - Culture is not forever
• ch.3-STANDING UP when all bow down - Nebuchadnezzar builds a statue and commands everyone to bow down. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse and are thrown into the furnace, but God delivers them.
• ch.4-VISION - A big tree - If you try to be a god you'll get the chop!

This is what Daniel 4 is all about. King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a great tree that will be chopped down. Daniel interprets it for him: The tree is Nebuchadnezzar and the sober warning is that he needs to humble himself or he will go insane and land up living like a wild animal for seven years.

Nebuchadnezzar does not heed the warning and the rest of the chapter shows how he becomes so arrogant that he considers himself a god (I think it is safe to assume that the statue in ch.3 was of himself!) With that he goes insane, eating grass and living like an animal until he finally acknowledges God.

Those who want to be worshipped are on a slippery slope. Their time comes and sanity is always at risk. History has repeatedly shown that despots, pride and a belief in one's own infallibility are a perfect recipe for a downfall.

Those who want to be worshipped have - by history's standards - a short lifespan. Leaders, organisations, and "pop" stars all lose the plot at some point unless they discover humility and acknowledge the God who gives them what they have. 

I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all... I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He called in a loud voice: Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.  (Daniel4:10-13)

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EmmDev 2021-09-23 [Seven Days with Daniel] Culture and the Kingdom

Culture and the Kingdom

In ch.1 we watched Daniel interact with the powerfully pervasive Babylonian Culture. He couldn't reject all of it. He carefully chose his battles and was gracious, wise, respectful and courageous in his negotiations to achieve win-win solutions.

We may have to deal with a corporate culture that promotes excessive time away from family, outings to strip-clubs for office parties or the paying of bribes. Or it may be a society that imposes new values and norms on us while ridiculing our values as old fashioned, outdated and even intolerant. We have to handle these pressures  by:

- Earning people's respect through integrity and good performance.

- Coming up with win-win solutions or trial periods when we negotiate changes.

- Being firm of purpose but maintaining respect and gracious politeness.

The first six chapters of Daniel can be divided up as follows:

-The Pressure of Culture (Ch.1-2)

-The Pressure to Bow down in public (Ch.3-4)

-The Pressure to give up personal faith (Ch.5-6)

In each division there is a chapter describing the pressure and a chapter that describes a God-given vision that gives us more perspective.

Chapters 1 and 2 have been about the power of culture.

In chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. This was a vision of the Babylonian Regime which would be followed by the Medes and Persians, the Greeks and the Romans. Then the statue is struck by a rock "not cut by human hands". 

Nebuchadnezzar's dream reminds us that culture is not forever. Kingdoms come and go and at some point things happen to cultural giants (like Nebuchadnezzar) that make them look to the "God-people" (like Daniel) for help. There is a Kingdom that will endure and our citizenship is of that Kingdom. 

"In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. (Daniel2:44)

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EmmDev 2021-09-22 [Seven Days with Daniel] Sleep

Sleep

Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream - one that left his mouth dry and his stomach unsettled. He knew that there was a message in it for him and he didn't want armchair philosophers sucking meanings from their thumbs. So he made an impossible demand: "Tell me my dream and what it means! (And if you don't, I'll have you executed)"

So Daniel negotiated, asked for prayer and got an early night. 

 
Was it Divine Intervention or a case of a good night's sleep?

I think it was a bit of both! When Daniel heard of the king's unreasonable demand and the impending across-the-board death penalty for failure, he took a couple of important steps.

1. He cashed in the goodwill and credit he had with the king and negotiated some extra time. We can do this when we have a track record of delivery, performance and integrity. Daniel could make the withdrawal because he had been making the deposits. We need to learn to negotiate when we are faced with unreasonable demands, but we have to build up the credit first!

2. He asked for prayer. This is a good thing to do. People are sometimes too proud to ask for help, but Daniel had the courage to ask his buddies to pray for him about what was essentially a work issue. Have you got a tough meeting tomorrow? Consider phoning a friend and saying: "Listen, I have a tough meeting tomorrow and I'd really appreciate it if you could spare a prayer for me."

3. He went to bed! There comes a time when we realise that we can't do everything and that we need to trust God. Daniel went to bed and he slept. You might argue that he went to bed because he had to dream Nebuchanezzar's dream, but we were told that Daniel could interpret dreams not dream them. I don't think that he knew that he would get the dream too - I think he just went to bed saying - "I don't know how God will do it, but I believe that He'll show me the way." Sometimes we lie awake for hours trying to solve things and yet if we would let go and "sleep on it," we might get more answers!

Sleep is a vital part of keeping our strength and sanity. Daniel had enough trust in God to go to bed even when he didn't have all the answers. Sleep is a significant act of trust: We close our eyes, surrender control and leave things in God's hands. While we sleep God works. More and more I am realising that a good night's sleep is a powerful weapon.

At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. 17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. (Daniel2:16-19)

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EmmDev 2021-09-21 [Seven Days with Daniel] Adapting

After a short break, I'm back with EmmDevs. We'll be starting the annual "Month of Mission" devotions in October, but to carry us over until then, I want to look at Daniel. I hope you enjoy the short series.

Adapting

The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 587BC. They devastated the city and the countryside and took all the potential leaders, especially young people, into exile "by the rivers of Babylon" where they were given new Babylonian names honouring Babylonian gods and were educated in the culture and practices of the Babylonians. This "brain-drain" and "brain-wash" kept defeated nations suppressed because there was no-one to lead a rebellion.

Daniel and three of his friends are "drained" from Jerusalem and are about to be brain-washed. It started with new names. If you look at the footnotes, the names are so interesting. Daniel means "God is (my) Judge." Hananiah means "The LORD shows grace." Mishael means "Who is what God is?" Azariah means "The LORD helps." Similarly the new names are significant: Belteshazzar means, in Babylonian, "Bel (i.e., Marduk), protect his life!" Shadrach means "command of Aku (Sumerian moon-god)." Meshach means "Who is what Aku is?" Abednego means "servant of Nego/Nebo (i.e., Nabu)."

What's interesting is that throughout the book, the name that sticks, even in the mouths of his enemies, is not Belteshazzar, but Daniel.

Daniel and his friends did not have much say in their naming or their education. But, when it came to food, Daniel decides to take a stand. It needs to be said that the Old Testament doesn't have a problem with meat. However, I think there are three possible reasons for Daniel's detox vegetable diet.

1. The meat would have been offered to Babylonian gods and Daniel didn't want to honour those gods by eating the meat.
2. The food and wine came from the opulence of the king's table and Daniel didn't want to be sucked into the opulence. (There may have been an element of him thinking of his people in Israel who were struggling for food in the aftermath of war)
3. Daniel is simply exercising some control over his environment to maintain his sense of independence. We don't know if he knew the "detoxing" power of a vegetable diet. If he didn't, he was a man of great faith, and if he did, he was a man of great wisdom.

Daniel uses tact and wisdom to deal with his changed environment and I think all three of the above reasons motivated him. While there were some things he could not control, there were some things that he could. Every day, while they were being bombarded with new names, new ideas and new learning, they'd be served veggies and water and be reminded that they had some control and that they were honouring the one true God. And, as a bonus, they got healthier!

As you and I face an increasingly secular society, it is our little "detoxing" habits that help us maintain our faith, values and integrity. 

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-- 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you." Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. (Daniel1:3-19)

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EmmDev 2021-08-27 [God's help in Tough Times] The God who sees...

Hi Everyone
This brings us to the end of this series. I hope it has been meaningful.
I'll be taking a two week break from devotions and will re-start on Tues 14 Sep.
God bless,
Theo

The God who sees...

Today we're looking at Psalm 10 which is a lament against a wicked enemy. The enemy is cruel, ruthless, arrogant, confident, powerful, abusive, and God-defiant. He is described in detail from vv.2-13. 

The Psalmist struggles with the prosperity of the wicked and the apparent absence of God. For him it feels as though God has hidden and is far away. For a little while the image of the enemy dominates the psalmist's view and there seems to be no connection to God. Verses 2-13 are an outpouring of pain, poison, and frustration. It is as though the psalmist needs to describe this great enemy in God's presence and to dump his bucket of disappointment and confusion.

It is when the pain has been poured out in God's presence that the balance is restored. The Psalmist remembers who God is and that God sees trouble and takes it in hand.  He will break the arm (symbolic of power) of the wicked and call him to account even for the sins no-one has seen. Even nations must bow to His power.

The psalmist gets perspective as he realises that God is king forever and He will ultimately deal with those who are evil. He is the helper of the fatherless and the defender of the oppressed. He is enthroned, awesome, mighty, and eternal. He sees, defends, hears, listens, delivers, judges, and rules.

And the enemies? They're just human!

1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. ... 14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. 16 The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. 17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. (Psalms10:1-18)

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EmmDev 2021-08-26 [God's help in Tough Times] Power for Today...

Power for Today...

Life can be tough. 
And in these times it seems especially tough!

The problems of the world and my circumstances can be overwhelming, especially if I am tired, depleted and exhausted or when I am sin-broken, failure-discouraged or wisdom-insufficient.

The good news is that I don't have to tackle my problems by myself. When the rubber hits the road I am not alone - I don't have to manage by myself.

Paul reminds us that God, by His Spirit, is at work in us.

According to Paul, God works in us in the areas of will and action.

I tabulated how this might happen:

Will: He will Motivate, Inspire, Provoke, and Prompt

Act: He will Energise, Empower, Enable, and help me Endure.

I think of David and Goliath.

The truth, if you think about it, is that Goliath was going to a gunfight with a knife. Even today Israeli and Palestinian shepherd boys can hit tin cans with slings from 20-30 metres away. Goliath couldn't throw a heavy spear that hard or with such accuracy.

But David should have been overawed by King Saul, his brothers, and the rest of the army - not to mention the giant and the Philistine army. He shouldn't even have wanted to go into this battle. But God helped him to WILL - to be motivated and focussed...

When David approaches the battle line, Goliath knows he's in trouble. He tries trash-talking David and his God to rattle David. But David cuts it short - He runs to the battle line and throws his stone. God helped him to ACT.

Today the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you and me. May He help us to WILL and ACT to His good purpose!

... it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.  (Philippians2:13)

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EmmDev 2021-08-25 [God's help in Tough Times] Yesterday's Manna

Yesterday's Manna

Years ago, Janice Taylor, who is a missionary with OM and a good friend, asked me to pray for her: She wrote "I also want to take some refreshment biblically and do some fresh study, I don't want to rely on yesterday's manna."

"Yesterday's Manna."

It was one of those phrases that just grabbed my heart.

I think we are often tempted to do this emotionally and spiritually when we think and hope that what we've done in the past is enough to get through the present.

We rush along in our relationships, not taking the time to find a fresh way to say "I love you", "I value you", or "I appreciate you." We rely on the past to carry us through the struggles of the present.

We do the same in our relationship with God:

"I was saved and studied the Bible a lot back then."

"When I was younger I was very fired up about God."

We seem to develop a been-there-done-that mentality.

But yesterday's manna can rot quickly and unexpectedly.

I guess the Israelites thought that if they could gather a bit extra, they could have a lie-in the next day. But it seems God wanted them to learn to develop a daily habit...

(The beautiful exception was that, on the sixth day, they could gather double so that they could focus on God on the Sabbath.)

How old is the spiritual and relational manna you're living on?

Maybe it's time to go out and get some of the fresh stuff!!!

(Talking about the Israelites collecting Manna...) Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning." However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them (Exodus16:19-20)

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EmmDev 2021-08-24 [God's help in Tough Times] "Miktam"

"Miktam"

In its title, this psalm is called a "Miktam." While the precise meaning of this word remains unclear, it is found elsewhere as the heading of psalms where David talks about being in dire trouble. I think it is safe to assume that this psalm is a song of faith, hope, and trust in times of trial and adversity.

The Psalm is a celebration of God's past provision, protection, and guidance. Its central plea is simple: "Keep me safe, O God."

After reflecting on the fact that God will deal with the wicked and that he will have nothing to do with them (vs.3-4) David begins a process of affirming his faith and counting his blessings in every part of his life. Let's have a look:

1. The Lord has assigned a portion and cup: I think this reaches its fullest expression in Ps.23: "You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies... My cup overflows." The use of the meal analogy indicates God's provision in the little daily things.

2. The idea of boundaries and land are an indication of David's material success. It indicates provision and guidance in his commercial and vocational life. His future (inheritance) is secure thanks to God's gracious providence.

3. David has learned to sleep well at night. He has allowed God's Word to comfort and counsel him. He has filled his heart with truth so that he can answer nightmares and insomnia with the assurance of God's love and goodness.

4. He knows and understands God's pervasive and loving presence. God is before him and at his side. He does not have to be shaken.

And so David chooses faith. He chooses to have a glad heart and a praising tongue. Even though he has to plea for help and even though he is in trouble, he knows he will not be abandoned, and he can see the hope, future, and joy that God has created him for.

The psalm is a reaffirmation of faith in the midst of trouble. In it David turns his face away from his problems to gaze at God's goodness, provision, and love. David chooses to dwell on blessings rather than be sleepless. He chooses faith.

Dear Lord, it seems so hard to imagine that simply being positive can help when it feels as though everything is going wrong. Please help me to really see all the good You have poured into my life so that it will inspire me and help me to choose faith. Amen.

A miktam of David. Keep me safe, O God,     for in you I take refuge. I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;     apart from you I have no good thing." As for the saints who are in the land,     they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those will increase     who run after other gods.   I will not pour out their libations of blood     or take up their names on my lips. LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;     you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;     surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;     even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me.     Because he is at my right hand,     I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;     my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave,     nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life;     you will fill me with joy in your presence,     with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalms16:1-11)

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EmmDev 2021-08-20 [God's help in Tough Times] Faith or Presumption

Apologies for the sporadic EmmDevs - I started this one yesterday, but it has taken until now to get it done...
I hope it's worth the wait!

Faith or Presumption

I took a long look at Ps.91 at the beginning of the Covid outbreak because many people were treating it as a promise and guarantee that they would not get sick. At the time I tried to interpret the Psalm in a responsible manner so that it would not be abused as a "blank cheque" at one extreme are as "pious sentimentality" at the other. I'm back at Ps.91 with a shorter reflection today...

There is no doubt that sections of this Psalm could be read like unconditional promises of complete protection against pestilence and the like. But we must recognise three key points:

1. There are other passages of Scripture that balance the promises we have here.

Jesus tells us "In this world you will have trouble." (John16:33) and Paul (one of the most devoted servants of God I know) describes his hardships (flogged, beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, flooded, threatened, etc (all in 1Cor.11)). Paul also talks about his "thorn in the flesh" (which we think was a recurring eye infection) that God didn't take away.

This is important: Scripture often balances difficult concepts by giving us both ends of the spectrum. We have passages that describe God's utter holiness and other passages that describe His endless mercy. These "opposites" are not mutually exclusive but paint the breadth of the matter at hand.

In life we will experience hardship but we will also experience rescue, protection and deliverance. Psalm 91 expresses one end of the spectrum and Paul's life the other.

2. If we insist that Ps.91 is a guarantee, then we have two practical problems:

• If all sickness, disaster and war is overcome, then what will we die from? It is simply not feasible to make this universally applicable to all believers.
• If I do trust in Ps.91 and I get sick or go through a disaster, then who failed? Did God fail? (We're in trouble if He did!) Or did I "breach my contract" and therefore nullify its benefits? Did I sin? Did I not have enough faith? And can we then argue that everyone who gets sick or has a disaster lacks faith? I think Paul would beg to differ!

3. There is a fine-line between Faith and Presumption.

Faith trusts in God without treating Him like a vending machine. Faith believes that God can do incredible things, but that God's ways are not our ways. Faith accepts that God sees the "bigger picture" even when we are limited by our smaller one. Faith recognises that the smaller picture may be a bumpy ride to a better bigger picture.

Presumption makes God a servant of my interpretation of His promises. Presumption makes the current smaller picture (what we can see) all important. It can't see the bigger picture. Presumption insists that God must while faith believes that God can.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had faith without presumption

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able` (faith)` to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not,` (avoiding presumption)` we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods" (Dan3:17-18)

Interestingly enough, this very Psalm 91 was used by Satan to tempt Jesus. Satan brought Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and quoted v.11-12 for Jesus to presume on God's protection. Jesus responded very clearly: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." He refused to presume.

If Jesus, the Son of God, refused to use this passage as a guarantee, then surely we should be very circumspect about "naming and claiming" it?

Psalm 91 reminds us that God can and often does provide for and protect the faithful who stay near Him and trust Him and take refuge under His wings. (I've underlined every expression of devotion and trust I saw in the Psalm.) I trust in Him, but I don't get to "dictate terms". Jesus didn't and I shouldn't either.

I also think that this Psalm points us to a reality that is even bigger than this life and this world. While not "relegating" Psalm 91 as being only about heaven, I think it does point in that direction. When I shelter in Him in death, I find His refuge.

So I pray daily that God will supernaturally heal and restore our land - I believe He can. I will also reach out my hands to help others wherever I can. But I'm also going to wash my hands, wear my mask and follow all reasonable precautions. I have faith, but I won't presume. I'm not God - He is.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,  my God, in whom I trust." 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9 If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge-- 10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." (Psalms91:1-16)

 

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