Second Defenestration of Prague, contemporary woodcut Deutsch: Fenstersturz zu Prag 1618 (Illustration aus Theatrum Europaeum, Bd. 1); Datierung: zwischen 1633 und 1738; Stecher/Verleger: Matthäus Merian (der Ältere) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Webster-Merriam People’s Top Ten Favorite Words and how the Bible might have something to say about it.

Part 1

Defenestration:  a throwing of a person or a thing out of a window; or a usually swift expulsion or dismissal.

Defenestration comes from Latin (de- means “from; down, away;” and fenestra means “window”). The word first appeared in English in 1620.

How to model genuine faith in dire straits?

I love David’s attitude throughout the crisis:

2 Sam. 15:12–13 ; Psalm 3:1-8

1. I don’t know what kind of fight you are up against. But if you want to win you must stand firm the fact that you are fighting from the place of victory and not fighting for victory. “For thou oh Lord are a shield for me…my glory and lifter of my head”…(psalm 3:3). He acknowledges God’s divine protection and envisions divine restoration to the state from his enemies have cast him down.

2. I don’t know what you are going through, but this one is not going anywhere without some serious prayer… I mean serious fervent prayer. “I cried to the Lord and He answered me from His holy hill. Selah”… (psalm 3:4). My enemies said, and my friends feared, that there was no help for me, yet He heard me. Selah: In other words mark this – and take encouragement from it. God never forsakes those who trust in him. He never shuts out the prayer of the distressed.

3. How well do you know God? If you really know Him as Protector, than He has given you permission to go quietly and confidently to bed, not fearing the violence of the fire,  the edge of the sword, the plots and schemes of wicked men, nor the influence of evil spirits. I lay down and slept…(psalm 3:5).

4. I will not be afraid of thousands…(psalm 3:6). I don’ know the strength and power of your enemies. I don’t know how many they are. But one thing I know is Strength and numbers are nothing against my God. You may be up against some powerful people, but God is more powerful.

5. You need to recognize that some of the battles you fight are spiritual. In other words, they may take the form of natural events, but they are in fact spiritual attacks. We therefore need to learn how to wage a spiritual battle against those forces we cannot see. “Strike the enemy and break their cheek and their teeth…”(psalm 3:7). Breaking the cheek and the teeth of the enemy are expressions which imply, confounding and destroying an adversary; treating him with extreme contempt; using him as a dog. I love Isaiah 54:17 – “no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.” 

Conclusion

Maybe today someone has blocked you from viewing his tweets, or blocked you from being a friend on Facebook, or has red-flagged your site or post malicious or maybe spammed your comments on WordPress because of a contrary view-point – I urge you to model genuine faith. Maybe there is something much more serious  than Facebook, twitter or WordPress. You feel like Daniel amongst jealous friends who will do anything to throw you in a lion’s den. Well, I pray that the Lord will shut the mouths of the lions for you today. I pray that you will fight from the place of victory and not a place of defeat. That you learn the importance and power of prayer. That you will be confident enough to go to bed and sleep. That if God be for you who can be against you. Finally, that no weapon fashioned against you will prosper.