Skip to main content

He Has Your Back

When you face critical events, isn’t it great to know that someone has your back?  Perhaps it’s even better when that person is a leader.

Of course, not all leaders have your back.  Some might be focused on power or prestige or just being in charge.  Sometimes leaders can be aloof or unapproachable and you don’t find them hanging out with those they lead unless absolutely necessary.  None of all that really gives you any real assurance that they have your back!

I really like the account of Joshua, a leader of Israel, and what he did on the eve of what was expected to be a major battle:

“So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the ambush site and waited between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But he spent that night with the troops.” (Joshua 8:9)

The troops probably needed to know that Joshua had their backs and to demonstrate that he did have their backs, he spent the night with them.  But it didn’t stop there, the next verse shows that he actively led the troops:

“Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.  And all the fighting men who were with him went up…”  (Josh 8:10-11)

Joshua, as a leader, stayed with his troops when they needed to know that he was there with them and for them.  He also actively led them in battle.  He definitely had their backs.

Another leader did all that and even more:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” (Isa 61:1)

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10).

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”  (John 8:36)

This leader, this Jesus, not only dwelt among us but He sought us, saved us, released us from darkness and bound up our brokenness.  To say that He has our backs is probably the greatest understatement of all time! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not Just Idle Words

I own a 25 year old car.  The body might be falling apart but the engine runs great and it idles smoothly.  Such idling is good. Idling can also have to do with spending too much time doing nothing or being without purpose or being engaged in that which is pointless.  Such idling is not good. What if I were to tell you that I know of something that is the about as far as being without purpose as you can get?  Would you want it? Here is that something:  “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”  ( Deut 32:47) Other versions of the Bible use some different words for that first phrase in the verse and such can be helpful in assessing how important the words really are: “Not meaningless words…”   “These are not just useless words…”   “No empty word for you…”   “Not unimportant words…”   “Not useless words…”   ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Very Present

I love words that have multiple meanings but the same spelling.  Take the word “present” for example.  You may be thinking of “present”, as in a gift.  Gotta love those! But I’m thinking of “present”, as in existing now or occurring now. I’m also thinking of “present”, as in being at hand. Why those two latter ones, you might ask, why not just go with the gift! Well, I recently read Psalm 46, and here is the first verse:   “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Some theologians suggest the word “present” in this Psalm has the meaning of “well proven”.  I certainly can appreciate that. But I’ve been wondering if “present” could include the meaning of “now existing or now occurring”.  That is, God is exists now and is occurring in our lives. Furthermore, I’ve been wondering if “present” could also include “being at hand”.  That is, God is here, right now, with us.   And with even further wondering, the wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Be Amazed!

Be amazed… Jesus welcomed sinners …The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners… (Luke 15:2) Jesus hung out with sinners …And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” (Luke 19:7) Jesus ate with sinners …And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matt 9:11) Jesus was a friend of sinners …The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ (Matt 11:19) With Jesus being so welcoming, what did people do? People came to see Him …They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” (John 12:21) People came to hear Him …Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. (Luke 15:1) People followed Him …While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many ta...
Post a Comment
Read more