“Unmasking the Toothless Threat”

Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for Thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheekbone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Psalm 3:7 (KJV)

On countless occasions, I have experienced a persistent feeling that my adversaries were growing stronger in both power and number, their voices echoing in my mind, taunting me with the phrase, “Loretta! There’s no help for you!” Their clamor reverberated so vehemently, at times, that my own thoughts echoed their scornful jeers.

Yet, in every adverse encounter, God has consistently reminded me that the uproar of the enemy carries no substantial threat. As the Scripture above powerfully asserts, “…God has broken the teeth of the ungodly.” This reassurance underscores the fact that the enemy’s intimidation lacks the ability to inflict significant harm.

An excellent example of the enemy’s empty threats is the story of a minister named Bill. He was part of a church’s youth group. Each weekend they would choose a neighborhood to witness for Christ. Once they arrived in the chosen neighborhood, they would split into teams of two and begin their house-to-house canvassing.

On one of those occasions, Bill and another youth decided to separate from the massive groups-of-two. They chose a side-street. There were as many empty lots on that street, as there were houses. Nevertheless, Bill and his teammate decided to start their witnessing at the far-end of the block. So they walked down the street to a lonely house that sat between two empty lots. Its yard, overgrown with weeds, was surrounded by a chain-linked fence. They opened the gate and stepped inside the front yard. Bill headed for the front door as his teammate secured the gate behind them. Suddenly, they both heard sounds that made them, both, feel weak in the knees. It was a large barking junk-yard dog charging toward them.

Still at the gate, Bill’s teammate quickly hopped over it to safety. That left Bill trapped in the front yard, with the dog between him and the gate. No one inside the house came to his rescue. He stood frozen. Frightened. He started praying for help. (Perhaps his prayers were really screams for help.) Then the dreaded moment happened, the dog opened his mouth to attack him. But the dog was toothless! Laughing historically with relief, Bill walked past the dog to join his teammate, who was standing on the opposite side of the street. Bill was never actually in danger, despite his initial belief that he was.

Bill’s encounter reminds me of the wildly entertaining live-action television series Batman. It was based on the favorite DC Comics character Batman: it was an upbeat and campy show. Each episode saw the dynamic duo – Batman and his trusty sidekick, Robin – valiantly defending Gotham City against a colorful array of criminals. And what was the highlight of each episode? None other than the climactic slugfest!

Your comments are welcome!

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