Good Morning Church! I Think We All Spend Way Too Much Time Counting Our Soldiers.

LaVern Vivio
Aug 27, 2017 · 4 min read

At least I know I do — let me explain.

In 2 Samuel 24 and in 1 Chronicles 21 you can read the story of how King David commanded Joab, the Captain of his Army, to take a census of the fighting men. King David wanted to know the strength of his army.

A simple and seemingly well advised action from the King of Israel but a command that was in direct violation of what God required of him.

As a result, his nation suffered, David repented and the lesson was learned — for the moment.

2 Samuel 24:25 David built an altar to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

Just as GOD instructed David to trust HIM instead of the number of soldiers in his kingdom HE commands us to trust in HIM as well.

But unlike the examples we see in the Old Testament in today’s world our violation of that command is not dealt with in such a devastating fashion.

We have CHRIST to thank for that!

I have spent way too many days this week counting my soldiers — so this message is as much for me today as anyone else.

I often confess to people my greatest sin is ‘worry.’

I worry about anything and everything, and in an effort to calm my worry I often spend time ‘counting my soldiers’; planning, fretting, figuring, strategizing! Rationalizing — If I only had this then I can do that. Trying to control a situation that was never mine to manage.

I am constantly in prayer and meditation trying to overcome The Thorn in My Flesh;

But I often imagine The Wrath of GOD bearing down on me as I remember the way HE dealt with insubordination in the ‘old days.’

Even though I know CHRIST freed us of the burden of sin I find it hard to rest in the GRACE of it all.

And these past few weeks I’ve really put it to the test.

Over and over I found myself reciting and meditating on the words from the Sermon on the Mount;

And a passage I committed to memory a few years ago;

Philippians 4:6–7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

But for some reason this week rather than reading these passages as a command I found myself resting in those words as a true child in the presence of a loving Father.

Not a FATHER scolding a child for their lack of faith but a FATHER comforting and consoling a child with the reassurance that. “I’ve got this. It’s OK. Everything will be alright.”

Just as the song, “It is Well With my Soul.” declares peace even in trial;

I found myself — for the first time in as long as I can remember — resting in that peace rather than running from it.

Why are the simplest things that GOD asks us to do the ones we seem to struggle with the most?

I suppose just as a child has to be reminded over and over of the basic disciplines of growing up — we too have to be reminded of the disciplines that will allow our faith to mature from the child at our FATHER’S knee to one that can rest in the faith and comfort only GOD can provide.

To enjoy a peace and trust that wraps around us like a FATHER’S loving embrace.

Peace Be Still and Know — It is Well!

God Bless

LaVern Vivio

August 27, 2017

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    LaVern Vivio

    Written by

    Christian wife and mother of four boys. Career long Broadcaster, speaker and author. http://lavernvivio.com

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