North Central District 

Confidence in God

The lifter up of mine head--Ps. 3:3b

An army camp is near the church I serve.  One Sunday afternoon a corporal knocked on my study door, and when he entered I saw the most homesick fellow within a hundred miles.  But his problem wasn't just homesickness; he wanted help for something much more serious.  In an effort to forget his plight he had been drinking; and suddenly his foolish attempt to retreat from his problem had rebounded, and he was kicking himself for his attempted escape.

"I came over here to ask you to write to my folks and tell them that I'm a heel, and that now I'm going to try to do right," were the first words that poured from his lips.  On and on he went, recounting his life.

To make a long story short, the letter was written; but I didn't write it.  He did!

After he had signed his name, he looked over the desk to me and smiled. "Well," he said, "I feel better.  This sorta helped me to lift up my head again.  The folks will know that I won a battle!"

There's something in such a victory!  The greatest enemy we have is ourselves.  When we trim that adversary we've used some fine God-given resources.  When we use the inner spiritual resources of our lives to establish, or re-establish, our character, we can thank God, "the lifter up of mine head."  

God speaks in the still small voice of educated conscience.  He doesn't always depend upon earthquakes to awaken us to the presence of evil.

O GOD, grant me the voice of Thy will for my life.  Enable me to put my trust in Thee and in Thy ways.  May Thy will be done in me, that I may be clean and free from stain. Amen.