Skip to main content

Face Like Flint

Last night the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics to tie the Eastern Conference Finals series...but this is not a sports blog. I mentioned that because I watched part of the game and I noticed something different about the small forward (sometimes called point guard) LeBron James. He never cracked a smile. Not even an upturned lip corner. Nothing. He was as stoic as they come because he was about the business. By himself, he put 45 points on the scoreboard for the Heat.



This morning as I remembered the stern, almost menacing visage, I thought of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "Therefore have I set my face like flint and I know I will not be put to shame." (Is. 50:7 NIV). LBJ's face was like flint last night. He was on a mission and nothing was going to throw him off his game. So the normally jovial guy who looks like he's having fun on the court became a serious player with nothing but victory in sight.

That is how we ought to be as Christians. There are times to be fun-loving and carefree.....oh, but there are times when we have to set our faces like flint. Just like the Miami Heat in this leg of the playoffs, we can sometimes get an early lead out in front of our adversary. What's worse is that since it seemed that we won those early battles so easily, we get a little lackadaisical. All of a sudden, our early victories are vastly overshadowed by a series of hard-fought defeats.

Now if it wasn't there before, this is the point when you get the fire in your belly. This is when you set your face like flint and stand on the Word of God and declare in no uncertain terms: "NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST[ME] SHALL PROSPER!!" (Is. 54:17 KJV). And because the Lord God will help you, you will not be put to shame (see Is. 50:7).

Now you know, just because I wrote this and just because you are reading it, we will be challenged....soon. So let's make an inconvenient pact, you and me. Let us promise, with God Himself bearing witness, that we will stand on His word and set our faces like flint when next the enemy attacks. Then we'll just let the Lord handle the rest. Agreed?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ride or Die

I love this phrase. There are quite a few subtle variations on the meaning, but it is an urban colloquialism that means loyalty, no matter what. I thank God that I have been blessed with a few people that have that kind of loyalty to me and I to them. It's a rich blessing that have true friends. They are with me and in my corner no matter what (or "regardless of what" as one of them would say). This week we had Vacation Bible School at my church and I was privileged to be a teacher. The first lesson was taken from Daniel chapter three. The very well known story of the three Hebrew boys: Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego. It is a wonderful story of faith, but something jumped out at me so profoundly that it almost knocked me over. We always focus on the deliverance. But the Hebrew boys did not. Their focus was on God and Him alone. They were ride or die for the Lord. Literally. If you read the story, they never once pray for deliverance. They talk about God's a
2 comments
Read more

Rocks, Gravel, Sand and Water

Let me first start by saying that I cannot take credit for the following example, as I did not originate it. In fact, I was listening to Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah and I was so touched by what he shared that I thought I would share it with all of you. Let's say I have a large, empty 5-gallon jar. If I place fist sized rocks into the jar until no more can fit, is it full? Before you answer, let me say that after I place the rocks in the jar, I pick up a bag of gravel and begin to pour that into the jar. Where does the gravel go? In between the spaces left by the rocks. After I fill the jar to the brim with gravel, is it full? Before you answer, consider this: I pour a bag of sand into the jar. Where does the sand go? Into the spaces left by the gravel, of course. After filling the jar to the brim with sand, is it full? Before you answer, consider this: I pour a pitcher of water into the same jar. Where does the water go? Into the spaces between the grains of sa
2 comments
Read more

Simple Mathematics

If you're like me, you're probably thinking there is no such thing as "simple" mathematics... and the picture above does not help! For some of us, even the simplest calculations require technological assistance. But don't lose heart, loved one! The equation I am about to give you is so simple even a pre-school student can understand it (I think!). So here it is, in the form of an "if/then" statement: If a=b, then b=a Simple, right? Of course it is because it is logical. The equal sign ("=") means that whatever is on either side of that sign is the same. So even if you reverse the order in which you list the items on either side of that equal sign, they are still equal. So then, how does this simple premise, simple equation apply to this inconvenient Christian journey. Here it is: Christian = Christ follower, Christ follower = Christian.  Again, simple, no? Or is it? It seems to me that we as Christians do not always act like Christ
4 comments
Read more