PRAISE THE GOD WHO CARES

Whenever David came back from battles, the crowds would gather by the tens of thousands and line the roads to cheer his victories. Having lived in Egypt for over 400 years in slavery, every triumph over their enemies made the children of God rejoice with great exuberance. Each conflict they won gave them greater faith that God was on their side and would not let their enemies prevail. So the writer of the previous psalm that encouraged David as he went out to fight, now composes a song to welcome him back in triumph.

“O LORD Eternal, You supplied the strength necessary for the king to overcome the obstacles he faced, and this thrilled him; yes, the victory you gave him caused him to shout for joy. You gave him exactly what he needed and asked for, and didn’t hold anything back. This showered him with blessings; it was like putting a gold crown on his head. He asked You to help him survive and You promised him a great future. He looks better now than he did before the victory You gave him, thus making him the great and marvelous person he is. You have overwhelmed him with more blessings than he can contain; but the one thing that thrills him most is Your constant companionship. The king has confessed his absolute trust in You, O LORD Eternal, and because of Your unwavering love, O God Most High, he has a hope now that will never die. So let the strength You provided him cause people to trust in You, O LORD Eternal, so they can also sing songs about the greatness of Your powerful deeds.” Psalm 21:1-7, 13

Reflection: Football in Texas is almost a religion with cheering, screaming fans packing every football stadium. That is, except for one team. Their stands are empty, no band, no cheerleaders, no mass of parents or townsfolk wearing the school colors and waving banners and flags. They are the Tornadoes of the Gainesville State School, a fenced, maximum-security facility of the Texas Youth Commission, 75 miles north of Dallas. These young men are there because they made serious mistakes in their lives. They work hard and train like everyone else. All of their games are always away, and almost always a loss. But something changed when they played the Faith Christian School Lions down in Grapevine, Texas. The Faith coach called the Gainesville coach and asked him if it would be okay if Faith formed a “spirit” line for his team when they ran onto the field. The Gainesville coach agreed thinking it would consist of a couple of cheerleaders. Instead, there were 100 people stretching to the 40-yard line yelling, “Go Tornadoes!” Later in the locker room, the Gainesville players were confused and asked, “Why are they cheering for us, coach?” The coach replied, “Because, men, they want to encourage you. They want you to know that they care about you…that you have value.” The boys were stunned. For many, it was the first time that anyone had shown them such unconditional love. If this worked to lift the spirits of young men in prison, how much more will it encourage those believers who have stumbled and fallen, to know that believers are still rooting for them to make it all the way to victory.