Bard Still Has an Arrow Left

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As I watch the evening news, night after night it appears to me that our nation is being ruled by men who are hellbent on destroying us before they leave office. Either we are dealing with malevolence of a high order or incompetence of a higher order, and quite possibly both. Now I say this knowing that if they are successful in their vision, there will be no injustice done. We deserve everything that is happening to us, good and hard.

But, that said, let me tell you why I am optimistic.

At the end of the book of Esther, the Jews were enabled by the grace of God to defend themselves, and they wound up killing 75,000 of their enemies (Est. 9:16). Just prior to that, their enemies had been hoping to use the decree of Haman to wipe out the Jews, but at the last minute the tables were turned (Est. 9:1).

There was a goodish bit of court politics going on, combined with a little of “no, wait, not that.”

“The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed” (Est. 3:15).

Perplexed, sort of like me, scrolling through the Drudge Report. I am regularly amazed that these people are still running what is left of our civilization. Shoot, I am amazed that they all still have drivers’ licenses.

I believe that we will be delivered. I believe that we will see a black swan revival. But whether we are delivered or not, it doesn’t matter. Faithfulness can be found in apparent defeat as easily as in victory. Deliverance is given to faithful men, and faithful men are those who care about certain things more than deliverance.

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Dan. 3:17–18).

I believe we need to pray and work for deliverance. I believe we need to expect deliverance, trusting God for it. But whether or not He grants us that victory, we can at least arrange for a flamboyant defeat.

In the meantime, always remember the blessing given by the elvenking at the end of The Hobbit. When he said farewell to Gandalf, his blessing was “may you ever appear where you are most needed and least expected” (The Hobbit, p. 247).

One of the reasons why Christians are so discouraged by the turn events have taken is that they have not been steeped in the right kind of stories. Smaug is great, but Bard has one arrow left.

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Allen
Allen
9 years ago

I really like your post. God has done the best cliffhangers around. What stories would you recommend for kids, and big kids as well?

Jack Bradley
Jack Bradley
9 years ago

I am hopeful also, Douglas. I think the Lord may be giving the church in America an exile of our own, with the same original goal in mind: to provoke us to repentance. And this time in the wilderness may serve the same further goal as well: preparation for a new conquest of the land.
“Through deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes.” I have to believe that such deeds, done unapologetically in His name, will have a far readier reception when our cultural wreckage reaches critical mass–which cannot be too far away.

Anonymous
Anonymous
9 years ago

I post as anonymous because I could lose my job if recognized. I am tired of all things Mohammedan being forced down my throat. Where are the women’s rights activists? They are defending those who intend on bringing “order” to our society, via the koran. The god of multiculturalism is bowed to, homaged, and in turn, bestows self loathing and suicide upon our society. Our President has come “out of the closet” religiously, and diverted attention from Islam by throwing in Christian followers with violence. He has threatened with arrests sheriffs who uphold immigration laws, with his own private Bastille,… Read more »

Aben Arellano
Aben Arellano
9 years ago

This is a great post full of truth.

Ellen
Ellen
9 years ago

I believe that we will be delivered. I believe that we will see a black swan revival.

Could you please expand a little bit on whom you mean by ‘we’? Which ‘we’ are the delivered ‘we’ and what of the non-‘we’? Thank you.

jigawatt
jigawatt
9 years ago

Not knowing what particular malevolence or incompetence prompted this post, I’d like to throw in a little something to the bubbling pot of goo. A few days ago I sharpened a pencil and did what we used to call a “back of the envelope” calculation. The total US debt has increased by about $7.45 trillion since January 2009. The total amount of gold that has been mined in the history of the world amounts to about $6.9 trillion at today’s prices. This, of course, means that all the gold in the world would not pay off the INCREASE in US… Read more »

timothy
timothy
9 years ago

There really is rest in Him.

Proverbs 2 was in my reading list this morning and the following verses from it caught my eye:

20 you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it