Day 172 Tu Sabes

 

6/21/2025 

"Through God we will do valiantly,

for it is He who shall tread down our enemies."

Psalm 6:12

 

The whole earth speaks of the glory of our God and King! Birds sing as they busily search for morning meals of earthworms and other succulent specimens for their young ones, offerings from the rainy evening and early morning mist. All is calm, and nothing seems amiss, and yet...!

Every morning, at the crack of dawn, I hear an annoying little sound emanating from my cell phone announcing to me and the world that my friend, who lives an hour up the road from me, has turned on his computer. But Friday, there was no "ding." I looked at his Facebook page, and there had been no activity since the evening before. Very curious. So I attempted to call him on his house phone and received busy signals. I tried his cell phone, and it did not have a voice message set up. Just like him. So I dial his home again...busy signals. I recalled another time when this happened, and he wound up in the hospital, having surgery. Or was it a time before that?!! So, I texted his daughter, who called in the calvary, only to find out that he had a power outage and a bum cell phone. "These are the times that try men's souls...." came to mind. I received a message later announcing his "all's well," and the wonderful news that he'd purchased an updated phone. This morning, but not quite as early, I heard the familiar "ding." Life is good.

Today is my daughter's birthday, so I'll call her later on, and perhaps we'll have a movie, depending on her plans. She has many admirers, and she always has a special phone message to encourage and uplift others. I ask blessings on her day, shalom peace of God, and healing from the top of her head to the soles of her feet, inside out, spirit, soul, mind, body. May she be preserved blameless until the day of Jesus Christ. Amen! I'll report later. 

As my day progressed, as the day had barely begun time-wise, prayer calls, though weighty in needs, became times of rejoicing in the midst of troubles. The psalms of David often began with the king in distress, on the run, hiding out in caves and obscure locations, but regardless of his initial turmoil, as he wrote, his mood always changed to praise and worship, as he reflected on the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. 

In our prayer time we have been remembering the time Balak, the King of Moab, had tried to hire Balaam, a diviner, to curse Israel. This is the time, God sent an angel to destroy Balaam, and his donkey saved him from the sword of the Angel of the Lord who was blocking the road. Balaam had consulted with God, and God had told him not to go to Moab, but after the insistence of Balak increased, God told him to go, but He sent the Angel of the Lord in his anger. The poor donkey got the brunt of it, until he spoke up for himself. Didn't Balaam think it a bit strange that his donkey was talking with him?! After the encounter, Balaam was given the okay to proceed to Moab, but he was only to speak whatever God said to say. Balak takes him to one location, and Balaam, after offering sacrifices to God, speaks the word of the Lord:

"Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,

from the mountain of the east. 'Come, curse Jacob for me,

and come, denounce Israel!'

How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And who shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?"

Numbers 23:7-8

Obviously, Balak is aghast at this turn of events, so he takes Balaam to another area to curse Israel. After another sacrifice, another prayer, Balaam receives a word from the Lord:

"Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, son of Zippor!

God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent. 

Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Behold I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.

The LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.

God brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox.

For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel.

It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'Oh, what God has done!'

Look, a people rises like a lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion;

It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,

and drinks the blood of the slain."

Numbers 23:18-24

As can be expected, Balak busts a gusset, and continues to try to have Balaam curse Israel, to no avail. 

Interestingly, while the leader of Argentina was visiting Israel to lend support, Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Milei visited the Western Wall to offer prayers. While there PM Netanyahu left a written message tucked into the wall from the 24th verse: "Behold a nation shall rise like a lion." announcing the beginning of the present conflict, Rising Lion. Later, it is my understanding that he returned again to the wall, leaving a note, "Behold the lion has risen - the people of Israel live."

As I form these thoughts from today, our President Trump has announced American's hit on Fordow nuclear site and two others in Iran. Another turn in our conflict, but a bold and courageous stand with America's ally and best friend, Israel. It pleases, as I know it pleases God, that President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu stand with shields linked together as the the enemy of our nations. Quite an end to my day, any day. Selah.