“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7)

Lions crouching at the door with tigers at your back…swarms of locusts overhead and quicksand beneath your feet are pictures of elusive escape routes without a rescuer in sight. The only sound slips between cracked lips as a faint whisper: “Help. Help me, Lord.”

Long prayers have never been the prerequisite for Almighty God to move. His hand extends and clamps the lion’s jaw. A fire blazes, and frightened tigers freeze.

He exhales a boisterous wind that blows locusts far off. And with his righteous right hand he grips your trembling frame; your location is unchanged, but now your companion is shield and bulwark.

Simply put, he is Savior. Strip away metaphors and dramatic scenes, and he remains steady, uncompromising, true. David knew of lions and bears. Their paws were practice for the enormous javelins and spears Goliath would one day wield.

The giant did not evaporate; the sling did not morph into a tank. But, the Spirit of the Living God empowered a faith‐filled boy to accomplish the mighty feat of toppling the big man.

Later, the boy would be king. We still breathe his recorded prayers back to Almighty God. “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary…May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans” (Psalm 20:1-­4). The giant held weapons in his hands. God held the boy in his. The latter trumps the former every time.

Elizabeth A. Mitchell