ORIGIN OF THE CALLING: MEN'S VOICE OR THE LORD'S?

Samuel was already serving the Lord when the Lord called him to another, different kind of service. However, it took Samuel a while to recognise that the Lord was calling him to that service! (3 times! see 1 Samuel 3). Initially, he though it was just a human calling him in Eli. Three times the Lord called him, and three times Samuel mistook the voice that called him for Eli's and so just went back to what he was already doing in his original service for the Lord. How often do we ignore men's voices, simply for that fact, because they are men! Sometimes it is difficult to discern whether it's just the voice of men or the voice of the Lord, but we should be open to hearing His voice through men, otherwise we may miss it:

1 Samuel 3v8-10:

Then Eli realised that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
v10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Matthew 11v15:
Whoever has ears, let them hear

If we think it's just a human calling us to another service, we will be tempted to just rely on our own way of thinking to discern whether we should either accept or reject that call. But if we know it's the Lord's voice, we, like Samuel, will accept that we're being called to a different kind of service, and perhaps even something more than we've done in the past or are currently doing. Sometimes, even when the Lord is calling us, it takes another human being to make us realise that that is happening, and that it's not just men saying it. We need to be humble enough to hear from men, no matter how unimportant and simple their voice may be, for the Lord loves to use the lowly and despised things of the world rather than the things that are (1 Cor 1v28), for in doing so He reveals that only He is good, powerful and glorious.

So how will we know if it is the Lord's calling and not men's? Primarily, we need to ask whether the service has a Biblical foundation. Secondly, whether we have a desire for it (for the Bible tells us that it is He who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure). Thirdly, whether it will be edifying for the body of Christ. Fourthly, whether we have been equipped with something that we can actually give to others (in the way of a revelation, teaching, instruction etc -1 Cor 14v26). Fifthly, whether we know how to minister with what we've been given by the fruits of the Spirit, love, and in truth according to the Bible and its doctrines. Sixthly, whether it lines up with the talents we know we've been given by the Lord. Lastly, but most importantly, whether we've had the voice confirmed to us by the Lord himself through his Word and prayer, and to our own hearts and minds by the Spirit of God, and even by other people? This last one is very important but often requires that we allow time and prayer to properly test whose voice is speaking to us and thus what service to begin.

Generally speaking, if you've been given something by the Lord, scripture tells us, in the story of the talents, that this has been done so that we'll serve with what we've been given. The Bible tells us that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to one, for the benefit of all. Some things that we're given are just for us personally, however, the way we figure out what is just for us personally and what is also for others in the Body of Christ is simple. We only need to ask ourselves, "Would this also spiritually benefit others?"

Perhaps the Lord is calling you to another service, but up until this point you have just thought that it is man calling call you, or even vice versa! Make sure you are very careful to discern who is calling you, and be open to hearing His voice, even if it comes through men!

WHY I DO WHAT I DO

I feel like the Lord wants me to explain to everyone out there, and particularly those that don’t know, why I post the way I do and share the revelations I’m given.

In one sense, the Lord has made us all watchmen for his people as a way to support, encourage, teach and instruct one another to continue to follow Christ through the good times and times of suffering. In the Old Testament this ministry was usually confined to just a few people that God called and appointed:

Isaiah 62

V6: I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, [which] shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

Ezekiel 3v

16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.

Those watchmen were prophets, as they heard the Word of the Lord, whether by dream, vision or his audible voice, and passed on what they were given. This continued in the New Testament, with prophets being called and ministering in the same way, including by dreams and visions (Acts 2v17-18). The only difference is that now we are ALL called, to some degree, to be watchmen. In the New Testament Jesus told us all to ‘Watch and pray’ (Matt 26v41) and to ‘discern the sign of the times’ (Matt 16v3), and the Apostle Paul wrote that we can all prophesy, ‘For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.’ (1 Cor 14v31). Furthermore, we are all told to eagerly desire the gift of prophesy so that all Christians can minister encouragement to the body of Christ in that manner (1 Cor 14v1). Anyone and all in the body of Christ can also receive dreams and visions and prophesy in order to reveal what the Lord says (Acts 2v17-18). That Acts passage also indicates that in the last days (since the time when that scripture was given) this would be for the whole Church, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people’ (Acts 2v17).

So we see that everyone in the Church is called to watch and are watchmen for the sake of themselves and the rest of the body of Christ. It is true, however, that some are called to this in a more particular and direct manner. In the New Testament, Agabus and the Apostle John are examples of this, particularly John in relation to end time events. In John’s case, the prophetic revelations he was given came in conjunction with the revelatory messages the Lord gave him to give to the Churches. He was also called and given a heart to speak to the Churches of that time as a whole (both the Word and the revelations of the Lord). His is the clearest and strongest example of this prophetic watchmen ministry in the New Testament, and, even though there are other New Covenant examples, the Lord knew that little else would be needed to reveal what the aim and purpose of this ministry is.

This brings me to the point of why I am writing. Before I continue though, please understand and believe me when I say that I’m not writing this to lift myself up. I'm the same as everyone else out there; a sinner saved by grace. I am the least of the saints and the chief of sinners, and nothing more than a servant who is a clay vessel and incapable of doing anything without his grace and power. Practically speaking, the scope of my service is also very small and quite insignificant. I’m only writing this now in order to give people a bit of context as to why I share and post what I do, and so that people won’t think I do what I do randomly or without a reason (or for any other reason). I could share anything and everything of what the Lord gives me, and yet, if people mistake the reason I give those things, they would have no effect for the Lord and his kingdom and purposes, and could even be damaging. 

Having said all that, the reason I share and post the way I do, is, at its heart, quite simple. When I was younger there was a time when, in reading about the gifts and callings of the Spirit, I really wanted to know what the Lord wanted me to do to serve Him in the future. I wanted to know what my specific gift and calling was, and felt that the Lord was really putting it on my heart to ask him about this. After a time of praying about this and reading the Word, I felt incredibly strongly that the Lord was calling me to be a prophet and to prophesy. When I read in the Bible about the prophetic gift, I was deeply stirred and felt a great burning inside of me for that calling. That led me in the years to come to also pray for a long time for dreams and visions (Jer 33v3 / which I had to wait for, and only came after months of praying- the Lord growing my patience and testing my desire for prophesy and obedience in terms of whether I would continue to ask him like His Word says we must do if we would receive anything from Him. This was also a humbling time, and the Lord showed me that it was only by his grace and mercy that I began receiving dreams and visions), which I eventually began receiving.

In the subsequent years after I felt a strong call and deep desire for the prophetic, the Lord also began to give me a desire to understand New Testament, New Covenant doctrine about judgment and righteousness, and to speak to me about those things. Up until that time, I had grown up in a Church where the grace of God was taught comprehensively and extremely well. That time was a great blessing and God established a great foundation of faith in my life. However, there came a time when, in reading the Word, he began to reveal to me other parts of His character, ways and will. I spent a very long time in this kind of study, wanting to understand New Covenant judgment and righteous (both for myself and for others), and how those two things fit with grace and mercy. I studied the New Testament at great length and constantly compared its parts to ensure that they agreed with each other and confirmed the conclusions I came to. I also compared the Old and New Testament in my study and the dispensations of the Old and New Covenants. Still, I believe it took going to Bible college years later, and a comprehensive study of the whole of scripture during that time, in order to filter out certain errors in my understanding and add other truths in order to come to a clear realisation of how judgment and grace fit together in the Father’s work in his people.  

I understand that this may seem a little odd to a lot of people out there, as things to do with his judgment  are not naturally things that Christians enjoy looking in to. I can only say that the reason for this must be because the Lord gave me this desire. I also enjoy looking into this because the Bible says that this is one of the things the Lord delights in (Jer 9v24). Judgment is also something closely connected to grace (i.e God judged Christ in our place so that we could receive his grace and life), and something which the Lord uses to discipline his people (1 Peter 4v16-19) so that they can continue to partake in his life and partake of it in an even greater way (practically) as their spiritual lives progress. It is also something which the Lord uses to clear the way for what he wants to do in and through his people, and also something which ensures their relationship with him can be as joyful and fruitful as possible. 

Preceding my time at Bible College and in the years afterwards, the Lord began speaking to me in dreams and visions and through his Word about the judgments He is planning to pour out and allow in the future (Rom 1v18). He also revealed such things through many other confirming voices (people) who had been given similar revelations. Through this time I was also reading and studying the Bible to explore what his will is regarding those things, and through it the Lord continued to reveal to me why they will probably take place (barring repentance and prayer).

The revelations the Lord gave me were not just about future events, but also about the state of his Church. While there will always be those in his Church that are faithful and walk with him, and so also Churches that are like this, the Lord began revealing to me how a lot of the Church is lukewarm and backslidden. He also showed me how there is wrong doctrine being preached and also idolatry going on amongst His people. He also showed me how his Church is being adorned in unhelpful and fleshly ways. Sadly, I also experienced all these things on a firsthand basis; seeing this fleshly, self-centered type of Church for myself.  In the early days of all this, I have to admit that my immediate reaction to what the Lord showed me, both by His Spirit and in person, was not only grief and frustration, but also anger. It was devastating to see the Church I had once known to be Spirit led and Christ centred become man-centred and man-driven. It was also heartbreaking to see God’s people misled in doctrine, used, at times controlled, and even spiritually abused.

It was not just about what was wrong in Churches and with some of his people that grieved me so much, but it was also because of what I knew the true Church of God should be. I had grown up in a Church where I had always felt the presence of God in a really special way. The preacher knew the Word of God very well and I felt as though I always heard the Lord’s voice through what he shared and taught. Prayer and worship were centered upon Jesus, his glory and will, and these times were also characterized by a real sense of his presence and a working of his Spirit. This Church didn’t have an elaborate set-up or anything fancy going in in terms of its appearance, but rather was adorned with the great joy that was evident amongst His people, and a unity that could’ve only been born by the Spirit. Offering money was not only given to the Pastor, but also to mission works overseas and to any who had need. Messages on money, however, were a rarity. Above all, what was preached was Biblical, the Spirit was present and moved amongst the congregation, and the Lord’s voice was clear and often confirmed what he had been speaking to me about that week anyway, and the congregation genuinely cared for each other. This was a time when the Lord showed me what his heart for his people was, and what a sincere and Biblical Church gathering looked like and should be. So it hasn’t just been by the negative that the Lord has taught me, but initially and for many years, it was by the blessing of the positive.

This leads me to how I’ve tried to (even in a very small and mostly insignificant way) serve the Lord in the last few years and current time, and why I’ve written, shared and posted like I have. I feel as though, by his grace alone, the Lord has given me a great heart for the people of God. This heart centres on one thing, which is to see the people of God- the Bride of Christ- truly be and act like his Bride. My desire is to see his people and Church truly be his possession and have a love and service for the Lord that is fervent, truth-based and pure. Admittedly the Lord has also had to work on me through the years in this regard, and continues to do so. he’s also humbled me to see my own weaknesses and

shortcomings, and to see that without his grace, nothing is possible. Above all he has shown me that he is after, not perfection (we’ll be sinners saved by grace till we die), but an overall sincerity which manifests itself in grace and truth. This is often a difficult thing and at times involves suffering (as He molds us into his image and disciplines us), but it is possible because of his life. It is possible for the Christian and for the Church as a whole, and this is what Jesus desires, and which is the purpose of all watchmen, watching and prophecy.

Everything above is the reason I now do what I do- sharing and posting as I do. As small and insignificant as it may be, it is not a random thing and not done for any other reason. I was always taught that ‘context is king’ so that’s why I’ve written this long piece. The Bible also says that the communication of revelation and prophecy has to be clear and certain, otherwise its purpose becomes frustrated:

1 Cor 14:

7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? 8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.

Hopefully all of this has been clarifying and ensures that nothing I’ve posted to date be misread. Everything I’ve posted I’ve done in order to encourage, strengthen, comfort and edify His people (1 Cor 14v3). I’ve done this through various Biblical methods, including through teaching, instruction, exhortation, warning, correction, rebuke and by simply sharing revelations (2 Tim 3v16). At times I haven’t been perfect in this process, and got it wrong on occasions, so I apologise for that, but I have tried my best and tried to do so with the right intentions and motivations. For whatever reason, I’ve never had much of any kind of feedback or anyone write to me or discuss these things with me whether in person or online. There may be various reasons for this, and all understandable, however this is one of the reasons I’ve written this piece as I’m trying to anticipate how these things may have been received. I hope that, at least for a few people, this has given people a better understanding regarding what I’ve shared. I also hope it has shed some light on what this kind of service for the Lord really is, and also given a Biblical foundation and understanding about it (although no doubt most or all of the understanding of this doctrine and Biblical ministry is very familiar to everyone out there).

In the future, I hope that what I share can be taken in the vein it is given in. At its core, all watching and prophecy is done to encourage us to continue to love, follow and serve the Lord and each other, and is therefore meant to be edifying and a blessing. Please take it in this way in the future, and please help each other to be watchmen and watch as the Word says, and as you feel led by the Lord. A stormy future and a dark night is coming, so watching is of particular importance at present and will be increasingly so as the years progress. Having said all this, the Lord also wants to encourage us with the fact that he will be with us in the future and will take us through whatever comes. I also believe there is also great blessing coming in the future and a great outpouring of his Spirit, so let us take heart and continue to follow him.

DREAM: HIGH-RISE BUILDING FALLS OVER IN BROADBEACH/GOLD COAST AREA

In a dream I was at Broadbeach close to Pacific Fair. I was facing towards the coast when I saw a few tornados and videoed one on my phone. Then I saw a residential high-rise building fall over. It was about the size of the two wave-type buildings that are currently located in Broadbeach along the Coast. It's possible that it was one of those buildings, but it doesn't have to be, and I believe that it's possible that it could be any residential high-rise building along the Coast.

The tornadoes could be literal or they could just symbolise the judgment of the building collapse that I saw. My opinion is that it's the latter because in the dream I explained to a couple of people that God had warned about this judgment event and that the building falling over was the fulfilment of it. I believe the 1-3 tornados also symbolised how this will be a relatively light judgment (as, although still important, it is still only one building that will fall over), as one of the tornadoes that I videoed up close wasn't very large or powerful.

In the dream itself, I told someone else that the building falling over was the exact fulfilment of a dream the Lord had previously given me. I believe this was the Lord's way of saying that this event will happen.

Other things happened in the dream which I believe was the Lord's way of saying that some do not recognise when the Lord judges and do not respond in the way they need to. Instead of reforming their lives and believing in HIm, they get offended at God and question why, if He really exists and is who He says He is, He doesn't stop these kind of things from happening. God allows and brings about events like these in order to try and wake the world up to believe in Him and also get Christians to repent and turn away from a disobedient and wicked lifestyle.

In the dream itself I believe it was also revealed to me that many people get easily offend and put off by things to do with the Lord's judgment and the fact that He does judge and also judges His people if He has to.

Please be prayerful and vigilant if you are planning to visit this area in Broadbeach in the future (the opposite side of the highway to Pacific Fair on the beach side.). If you are a Christian, make sure you are uprightly walking with Him. If you're not a Christian, believe in the Lord because He is the Saviour of mankind, and doesn't want to have to judge you.

DREAM: PLANE GOES INTO THE OCEAN

Dream received: morning of the 13^th of August, 2015

I dreamt I was with someone else in a city near the ocean (it is possible that this was the Gold Coast or the East Coast of Australia but I can’t be sure about that). There were tall skyscraper-like buildings around me. All of a sudden I looked up and there was a plane flying slowly overhead. The person who was with me was pointing out the plane to me but I didn’t think it was significant. The plane was flying in the sky but it was connected to something that looked like a track that was also in the sky. The person who was with me said something like, “I don’t think you realise how low it’s flying”. So I looked at the plane in the sky again and it quickly dawned on me how low it was flying. I watched as the plane just cleared the top of a skyscraper building (it seemed to fly only a few metres above it in its downward descent). Then I watched as it continued to fly in a downward descent towards and into the ocean. I watched as it went right into the water and was submerged by it. It didn’t float on top of the water.

Suddenly it seemed as though it was night, for it was very dark. I went to run over to witness what was happening and to see if anything could be done to help, however, I knew it was probably just going to be a matter of watching the plane’s demise (as I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to do anything to help). Others were running over as well, although now there were authorities/the police who were trying to stop people going over to witness it, but this is when someone called out, “It’s a nudist beach”. By saying this she was implying that they should have the freedom to be there and have the right to be there to be able to witness the event. I thought about filming this event on my phone, but then I thought that I’d be filming the deaths of many people, so I decided against it. It was very hard for me to actually witness it myself anyway, as many people were coming to see what was happening for themselves and so blocking my view.

The interpretation of this dream is straightforward. Either in Australia or anywhere else in the world, a plane will go down into the ocean as judgment on those that sinfully uncover themselves in public. It could also be speaking about judgment that is coming in this form because of sexual sin in general. The dream was definitely saying it was judgment from God, because the plane was attached to a track in the sky. Let's pray that the Lord turn our nation and many nations around the world back to Him so that perhaps He will be gracious and merciful and not have to bring about this judgment. 

"WHAT SHALL WE DO?"

In light of prophetic revelations and what we see happening in the world, if you, in response to those things, have been asking, like Elisha's servant once did, "What shall we do?", the answer is found in the passage of scripture below, and which is this- see things as God sees them! No force, no matter how numerous and powerful, is a match for the force that God has with us, His people!

To Elisha's servant, in the situation below, it would have seemed as though, at that moment in time, that it was just him and Elisha against the whole world- just the two of them! But that was far from the reality. It did not matter that they were surrounded, and it didn't matter that there was a massive force with all kinds of weapons against them- all that mattered was that they were under the shadow of His wings! So is it with all of His people!

It does not matter how small and helpless we are, and it matters not if there is nothing that we can do to practically help ourselves. Nothing that is coming is greater than our God- no matter how powerful! no matter how numerous! and no matter what weapons may come! God is the shield of His people- nothing has changed!

2 Kings 6v13-17:

13“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” 14Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

16“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

GIVE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN!

We must realise that whatever we receive from the Holy Spirit, unless specifically personal, is designed to benefit the body of Christ, and is therefore designed to actually be GIVEN to them. That is why it is a body, for each part supplies what the other parts need in order to function properly and in the way God intended. We do not live for ourselves, but for Christ, and thus we need to lay down our lives for each other for that is what He wants.

The service of Christ often demands great cost to ourselves, for that is part of the nature of the cross that Jesus said we would need to take up daily. This is a cost that also requires that we trust Christ, for do we trust that He will give us what we need and what is good for us, no matter the cost we may be asked to endure? We must remember that the service of God is not just a cost though- for there is another side! The power of God, and the reward of God, comes after the cost (and even in the midst of it at times), and is greater than any cost we may have to suffer, and we see that especially in the loss that Jesus suffered on the cross, and then the great reward and gain that He was given and is still to be given in the future.

That does not mean that our service does not have to be done in wisdom or that discernment needs to be put aside. But it does mean that, apart from our own salvation and relationship with Christ and obvious practical needs, that we put Christ's and others' good ahead of our own. Jesus and His Kingdom are more important than us and our wants, and His people are more important than our temporary comforts and rewards. Those two former things are temporary, while eternal concerns are just that- eternal and thus lasting.

In light of all this, to bury the grace, gifts and wisdom we've been given is to be like those servants in the New Testament who buried their talents. Those servants thought that what they were doing was WISE and DISCERNING, but really the only thought they had was for their own welfare and security. Jesus considered this evil. Let me say that again, Jesus considered that EVIL and called such a servant a WICKED SERVANT.

Yes, we need to be led by the Spirit in how and what we serve, but after all is said and done, we need to make sure that we actually serve! We need to make sure we actually go ahead and give to others what we've been given! We don't have the right to be selfish with what we've been given because what we've been given isn't just for us! The Bible is very clear that the manifestation of the Spirit is GIVEN TO ONE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL:

1 Cor 12v7:
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

To withold unduly, means that Jesus will take away even what we have. We may gain natural things in the present by our selfish and fleshly wisdom, but we'll suffer spiritual loss in the meantime and in the life to come, along with eternal rewards. The questions are, what are we really valuing and which example are we really following? If we are following Christ's example, then we won't mind if, in the service of God, we are misunderstood, excluded and mistreated by men, and even the people of God, for often so was Jesus and His disciples. They endured this because of what they valued, because they valued God's Kingdom, His righteous, glory, testimony and His precious possession- His people, more than anything else- even their own lives.

How much are we willing to lose in our service for Christ? For often the extent to which we are willing to lose, will be the extent to which we truly come to, not only experience the life that is in Christ and His power, but also to truly know Him, His ways, and His rewards.

Philippians 3v8:
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

DREAM: THE RIDER ON THE RED HORSE IS COMING

Yesterday (7/2/16) I had a dream from the Lord. It was a short dream, but I believe it is probably the most important dream I've ever received from God. I'm only going to release a part of it here.

I dreamt I was looking at the night sky and a whole host of stars that were very close together. Suddenly I saw a red rider on a red horse. The rider and horse were massive in the sky and they were riding towards the earth.

I believe that the rider on the red horse is the one spoken about in Revelation 6v3-4:

3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.”[b] 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

The meaning of this is clear, although the timing presents a couple of possible interpretations. 

The first possible interpretation is that second seal and rider has not yet come to the earth, but is now on its way, so the effects of it we'll either see shortly or in the years to come. 

The second possibility is that this seal and rider has already come, and we are now in the initial stages of peace being taken from the earth. We could speculate that this may be manifesting itself in what is happening with ISIS, how Europe may change in the years to come with the mass influx of refugees, and what Russia has begun to do in recent years in upgrading their military, planning to build a new nuclear missile for a submarine, showing their power across the world and in Ukraine, and how it is reaching for influence in Syria. We are also aware of what China is doing in island building for their military, the recent actions North Korea is taking in testing elements of, or a full, hydrogen bomb, and sending up a rocket into space which may represent testing of their intercontinental and nuclear ballistic missile capability. We could also make a mention of the Zika Virus that has now begun, and terrorism in general around the world. 

One thing is clear and is certain- the Lord is revealing that the red horse and its rider is coming, and that this is a relevant revelation for us as a Church today. Although I could be wrong, in my opinion I believe this means that we very could see this come true in our day. This means we need to really pray. This means we really need to make sure that we are abiding in the grace of God, following after the Lord in order to ensure that we are abiding under the shadow of His wings:

Psalm 91

1Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^a

2I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

3Surely he will save you

from the fowler’s snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

4He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

6nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

8You will only observe with your eyes

and see the punishment of the wicked.

9If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”

and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10no harm will overtake you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

11For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

12they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14“Because he^b loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15He will call on me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

16With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

This is not a reason to be fearful or to be afraid, but to trust in Christ, and to be thankful that He has revealed this to us now to strengthen our faith, both for the present and for the future. This will also be a comforting revelation for us in the future, to know that God is constantly in control and completely sovereign over everything that happens.

We have a God who is more powerful than any other power. We have a God who defended Israel from Pharaoh and his might army, parted and took Israel through the red sea, through the wilderness, and who led them by a pillar of cloud and fire. We have a God who, for Israel and Joshua, made the sun stand still at noon day, who brought down the walls of Jericho, who protected Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fire, who multiplied loaves and fishes, and who was with every Apostle through whatever they went, right till the end. We as Christians can be full of faith at this time and for the future, for we will have a God who is with us through whatever happens, no matter what that will be, and right to the end!