“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14
Imagine if you can, a four-month old Golden Retriever puppy. He has long gangly legs and a big head that doesn’t quite fit his slender, sleek-coated body. He is the color of a Werther’s Original caramel and his temperament is that of a goofy-drunk wearing too-big shoes. He has spurts of energy and then collapses into a spontaneous nap at any given moment.
He is a tornado in motion. He is all slobber and kisses and wagging-tail. This puppy dances about his yard nipping at invisible playmates and yelping, barking and whining at butterflies, bumblebees and buttercups. He is the epitome of innocence and joy and love. He sniffs the ground, pees on the crocuses and digs under the fence. He does not have an ill intentioned bone in his body.
Now, next door, there is a different scene. Next door lives a seasoned, nine-year old German Shepherd. He is good natured, but like all old-men, he doesn’t tolerate nonsense. He has his routine. He has his domain. Nothing good will come of trying to introduce a new element to his day. He paces the fence-line, ensuring the safety of his territory. He has a job to do and takes his job very seriously. He has his favorite grassy spot to lie in, which is sunny in the morning and shady in the afternoon. He has his favorite ball, discreetly buried in the flower-bed. He expects his meals promptly at 7:00 am and 6:00 pm respectively.
Sure, he has moments of excitement and joy in his day, but for the most part he is stoic, dependable and tame.
Each morning, the puppy’s master slides open the back door and the puppy rushes into the yard to do his morning business. He is a blur of fur and legs and yips and drool. The puppy runs from bush to tree to plant to flower, lifting his leg and sniffing and lifting his leg again. His patient master settles nearby to enjoy the scene and the puppy gleefully explores his surroundings as if for the first time.
Invariably, though, the innocent puppy, in his naïve ignorance, wanders too close to the good-neighbor fence line. In his sniffing and snipping, he has forgotten that a formidable foe watches his every move from between the slats. The German Shepherd has tracked the puppy’s presence from the get-go. He was aware of his movements the second he stepped out of the safety of his home.
Ever vigilant the German Shepherd watches and waits. Taking in each movement, each step of the puppy until it reaches the communal fence. It is then that the German Shephard’s instincts kick in and his territorial aggression takes over. The German Shepherd lunges at the fence in a terrific explosion of teeth and gums and vicious barking snarls. His posture is that of attack and it's difficult to imagine his restraint if the fence were not there.
The innocent little puppy is of course terrified by this seemingly unprovoked aggression. He practically jumps out of his skin as his jettisons away from the fence, making a beeline to his master. The puppy catapults himself into his master’s arms and buries his face in his master’s side, practically climbing up his body with his claws and overgrown limbs.
How often are we like this little puppy? Just minding our own business. Enjoying the smells of the yard when a vicious enemy terrifies us with loud threats and bared teeth. If only we had a master whose arms we could dive into without hesitation.
The Bible says that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. He is an angry barking dog and it seems that the only thing between him and us is an inadequate layer of two-by-four. If he could get us within his grasp, he would shred us to pieces in his razor sharp teeth.
But things are not what they seem. There is more between us and certain annihilation than a flimsy fence. Also, similar to the puppy, we have a loving master whose arms we can find safety in. When we feel like the enemy is breathing down our neck: “You’re not pretty enough.” “You’re not smart enough.” “You don’t own the right things.” “You don’t say the right words.”, we can run to our Master and his soothing voice will be our refuge “You are loved.” “You belong.” “You are cherished.” “You are mine.”
Not only does his voice calm us, but the Master’s voice causes the enemy to flee. The barking, snarling beast, turns-tail and runs off whimpering. The vicious animal was really a sniveling coward.
We have to remember when it feels like the enemy is too big for us to overcome, that the battle doesn’t belong to us. We could never overpower such a foe. The battle belongs to the Lord. He will take up the sword of righteousness and cut the threat to the ground. Exodus tells us that the Lord will fight for us. The only thing we need to do is be still.
I’m sure it would be hard for our little four-legged friend to be still when an intimidating German Shepherd is baring its teeth, a breath away. But, our enemy is not canine, but of the spirit, When we feel his hot breath and hear his lies, we need only be still and call on the name of Jesus. He is our loving Master and will scoop us into his arms, pat us on the head and carry us into the refuge of his presence.
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