I was with military wives, studying Beth Moore’s “Living Beyond Yourself”, when I heard Beth speak these words on the video, “These two things I know from Psalm 62—that God is strong, and that He is loving.” I immediately opened my Bible to read that psalm and get the context to that passage. . . because the simplicity, truth, and power of it cut right to my heart. During my quiet time the next day, I re-read Psalm 62 and “feasted” on the beautiful words of truth in verses 11 and 12: “One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving.” As I pondered God’s demonstration of His love and His strength in my life, I was reminded of the song that I had just been singing the week before with my little granddaughter. You know it, and it goes like this: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.”
Faith That is Bulletproof
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“Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, ‘I am slipping!’ but Your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” — Psalm 94:17-19
Can you identify with the writer in the verses above—hanging on just as his fingers were losing their grip on hope? Sgt. Jeff Struecker called out to God in just that way in the Somalian battle of 1993 which we call “Black Hawk Down.” As the fight became more intense and his hope for survival gone, he cried out in desperation, “God I need your help, I’m in over my head!”
He remembered that Jesus had prayed similar words at Gethsemane, “God, if there is any way possible, let this cup pass from me.” And he also remembered that Jesus added, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” Struecker knew that if he lived or died at that moment, he was safely in God’s hands.
Sgt Struecker (now Chaplain Struecker) remembered God’s promises from the Bible, God’s provision which is daily, God’s faithful power to save, God’s perspective of life and death, and God’s presence on the home front or battlefield.
We can see another similarity in the psalmist’s words and Struecker’s testimony—they were both faithful to declare to others that God can be trusted, no matter what. We need to hear that—we need to know that—we need to proclaim that.
Work cited:
Struecker, Jeff. The Road to Unafraid: How the Army’s Top Ranger Faced Fear and Found Courage through Black Hawk Down and Beyond (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2006)
Questions to Share:
1. Share the story of a moment when you were desperate for help, and you called out to God.
2. How did God provide for you in that moment?
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