Psalms 46:1-5 KJV  To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  (2)  Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;  (3)  Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.  (4)  There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.  (5)  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

This nation was possibly the best prepared for catastrophe. Buildings were constructed to withstand the violent tremors of an earthquake and public address systems were in place to insure everyone would know to take evasive and protective action. Rescue and recovery teams were well trained and provided for and they were always in a position of readiness.

For most events that might come along, these preparations might have been sufficient, but as the trembling surpassed any prior shaking and when the ensuing flood waters became higher than what could have been imagined or anticipated, all help and all means of refuge were totally overwhelmed. Structures that withstood the quaking were quickly swept away by the deluge as if they were but small toys. Whole villages were completely uprooted and displaced. For those who had once felt the ‘security’ of well-placed and provided for help, there was no escaping this unstoppable force, this sweeping and certain destruction. Help, once present, could no longer be found as thousands upon thousands became helpless and hopeless.

It would seem that before the raging sea and the crumbling earth’s crust there could be no place of escape and no possible refuge, but there is a help that is ever present and without compromise.

Psalms 139:7-12 KJV  Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  (8)  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  (9)  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;  (10)  Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.  (11)  If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.  (12)  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

To be in Christ and to live in the promise of His presence is to live preserved from the ultimate power of the storm in a realm of joy’s fullness and incomprehensible peace. That He is our refuge and our shield is not a qualified statement that is dependent upon the size of the storm or the earthquake’s rating. Even if it would seem no help could possibly be effective, our God is the ‘very present help’ in trouble of the greatest magnitude. He is the One who formed it all in the first place and put forces into motion. There will not be a single one who could be lost from His knowing and His provision of help and recovery.

To the coming storm, and even to the storm that has already overwhelmed, there is an answer and a response from the heart that has established its secret place in God. There is no doubt that He will save, He’ll deliver, He will set free. Uncompromised help is eternally in Him.

Psalms 33: 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh forth Upon all the inhabitants of the earth, 15 He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, That considereth all their works. 16 There is no king saved by the multitude of a host: A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain thing for safety; Neither doth he deliver any by his great power. 18 Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him, Upon them that hope in his lovingkindness; 19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.

Security is felt and confidence is gained in the display of armaments and the masses of military personnel. Videos from the Second World War show the great parades of the German army, where row after row of high stepping troops were followed by row after row of armed vehicles. Without even firing a shot, a sense of superior might was felt and boldness was instilled to invade, occupy and dominate foreign entities that hadn’t even been enemies or a threat. That war, though, was a great display that no matter the dominance of military strength and ingenuity, where there is no fear of God, there can be no assurance of victory. All of the power on earth is insufficient to overwhelm the one who is truly in awe and reverence of the Holy One, and He will be aligned with those who haven’t found their confidence in their own might and strength.

The usage of the nuclear bombs in Japan has elevated the dominance of certain governments around the world who possess these weapons. Just the knowledge that a nation possesses this devastating instrument of war places them on a higher level of respect and consideration. While our nation has been the one with the largest stockpile and the display of a willingness to use it, the mere exhibition of this superior strength hasn’t been enough to preserve us through the years. Our appearance as a military giant hasn’t been the greatest preserving attribute that has characterized us throughout our history. It has been our humility before our Creator and our acknowledgement that we are but a nation under God. If, and when, this changes, and our reliance is placed on our own intelligence, moral superiority, and, again, military might, we will be just another example of a nation that has lost its fear of God. God is more into removing giants than becoming their adoring sponsor.

Though each of us is far from possessing the incredible power and wealth of a nation, we are yet susceptible to the same dangerous lures that would displace our dependence and trust. While it is part of being an excellent steward with what God has entrusted us to preserve and develop our physical bodies, it is not the strength of our arm or the beauty of our countenance that attracts the favor of the One who will promote and protect us. There can be no reliance upon the fully developed gifts and abilities that would cause us to be major players and movers and shakers. It isn’t the amassing of wealth and earthly holdings that will ultimately provide the security and confidence our soul longs for. There is one characteristic within us that will distinguish us as an ‘untouchable’, one who is surrounded by the grace, favor and preservation of Almighty God. Just as our nation has found its true greatness in its humility before God, so our individual lives will only find ultimate security as they are placed completely and totally ‘Under God’.

1 Cor 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Psa 23:5  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

In the past few years, a host of studies have emerged claiming that eating dinner as a family can provide serious benefits for children. In 2005, research at Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) found that the number of children who report having dinner regularly with their families was on the rise—about 58 percent, up from 47 percent in 1998—and that children who experienced family meals were less likely to be tempted by marijuana, alcohol, and other drugs, and less likely to smoke cigarettes. A 2000 survey at Harvard Medical School revealed that nine- to fourteen-year-olds who ate dinner with their families usually consumed greater quantities of healthy fruits and vegetables, and less soda and fast food. They were also more likely to accept new foods their parents offered them and to make healthy food choices on their own. For girls in particular, eating dinner with parents has been shown to correlate with a reduced risk of crash dieting, having distorted body image, or using aggressive weight-loss methods.

(From ‘The Family That Eats Together … Why Family Meals Make for Happier Kids’ by  Divine Caroline, on Mon Feb 22, 2010 12:59pm PST)

In the middle of the attacks that are coming without interruption from and enemy that would like to destroy us with so many diversions, there is a place of comfort and security to be found right at the dinner table. Right in the presence of those assaults that would destroy and divide, there is a refuge and place of hope and confidence, where the challenges of life are disabled for a few moments and the nourishment that is so needed is taken in from the provision of the Father.

I was so blessed in this way in our home growing up. Though we were not without our own tense moments, there was something we always did as a family- sit down together for breakfast and dinner. It wasn’t just going through the drive-through either. The nourishment received there at the table was something that had usually been prepared by the loving and caring hands of my mother. Something very secure and foundational was established with every beckoning to the dining room by the smells of her creations. Love was imparted and the fears that could have opened doors for the enemy’s devises were dispelled by a defense that came by merely sitting down together and establishing the refuge of relationship.

There is this same calling taking place every morning and evening, and especially in the presence of enemies that would divide, dissuade and addict us to destructive paths of unrighteousness. It is a calling to that place at the table where for a few moments all other considerations of life are suspended for the intake of a savory preparation of love and care. The table is always set and awaiting all that will but come and sit down in His presence. There, almost as if by magic, the power of those weapons that would otherwise wreak devastation are disabled and can no longer prosper. A relationship is established there in His presence that causes the once ominous enemy to be reduced to his proper size and removed of all power to be an effective enticement. The return to this place, then, becomes a welcome and necessary event as the hunger rises once again and the enemies continue their assault. The comfort, security and nourishment are available morning, noon, and night at an open dining room and a table that is ever set with the preparations of a welcoming Father.

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 Tim 3:1 (KJV)

There is great power in this news. For the wise and equipped there is motivation and inspiration for preparation. On the other hand, for the skeptic caught up in the pleasures and goings on of this life, there will only be despair, loss and servitude. In the peril is an opportunity like none other for either an abundant victorious harvest or an overwhelming defeat and loss of freedom.

37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
Gen 41:37-39 (KJV)

Responding only to dreams that were said to be messages from God, Pharaoh took the news of a coming drought to heart and spent the next seven years in preparing as Joseph counseled him. Because of this response to a simple warning supported by nothing more than a nightmare, Egypt was equipped to not only survive, but to prosper beyond what any could have imagined. By simply acknowledging the communication of God and acting for an extended period of time (without further confirmation of that initial contact) as if it were true, preservation was enabled and the potential destructive power of the perilous time was turned into a time of increase and expansion. Long before the first dry summer, the wisdom and action of a God-impressed man turned peril into prosperity.

Even before Pharaoh’s dream, though, Joseph’s wisdom and understanding equipped him in a relationship with God to recognize and interpret His communication. It was all those years of preparation, from the moment of his brothers’ rejection as a boy until he stood before Pharaoh at 30 years of age that enabled Joseph to deliver a nation. It was his faithfulness in daily prayer before his God that equipped him to hear and respond to the voice of the One with the answer. Much action was subsequently necessary, but Joseph had long before understood the power of impending peril to either destroy or promote. Every time he had kept his face towards his God in the middle of apparent loss he had found preservation and provision there.

It seems that there is a natural tendency for the seriousness of the preparation to follow the first raindrop or the first summer with the lack of one. Though Noah preached for years about what was to come, it wasn’t until the doors were closed that those who had heard him decided to act on his warning. If Pharaoh had waited until the dryness of a summer to heed Joseph’s counsel it would have been too late. Though there is more than ample warning coming to America and the world of a coming peril, there is still a reticence to enter the arc before the doors close. For those, though, who have done something other than despair in the challenges of life, for the ones who have set their face towards God, there will not only be a refuge found there in Him, but an opportunity to make His goodness available to all who will but come to Him before it’s too late.

Worship and prayer are optional until what they have prepared is the only salvation.

7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
1 Peter 4:7 (KJV)

There’s nothing like a huge meal to annihilate a huge appetite. That was pretty much my condition from the Thanksgiving meal through the next couple of days thereafter. Continual grazing of leftovers and desserts never allowed the feeling of hunger to actually return. That never ending fullness, especially with such wonderful food was a most enjoyable experience, although I’m sure it wouldn’t be very healthy over an extended period of time.

Hunger, as it applies to food and many other areas of life such as fellowship, knowledge, leisure time, and productivity can be a strong motivation towards what is necessary in life. However, it can also open up areas of vulnerability, where something of great value is willingly offered in exchange for the filling of that hunger. This was seen in the case of Esau who came home from a hunting trip so hungry that he was willing to give up the most valuable thing in his life, his birthright. The 34th verse of Genesis 25 says that he actually despised his most valuable possession because of hunger, something that a simple bowl of porridge would fill. Jesus, on the other hand, was surely way more hungry than Esau could have been, and yet He was so full of the Holy Spirit that the temptations to fill His natural hunger were ineffective. He was already full with a huge meal that annihilated any other appetite He might develop. He could never be persuaded to part with His most valuable possession for the enticements of a few gratified appetites. There was a fullness He had from His relationship with His Father that disabled all other hungers.

There is no need for us today to part with any treasure that’s been given to us by our Father God. Rather than letting our enemy take advantage of any part of our life that has a voice of hunger, there is an opportunity every day for the feasting at the table provided for us in God’s presence to eliminate all other hungers and thirsts. In worship and in the reception of His Word into our hearts there is a great filling up that will refuse any giving in to the temptations our enemy might present. Whenever we find ourselves in a condition that, by earthly reasoning would justify compromise, there is a way of escape in God that will be a most pleasurable experience of continuous grazing and uninterrupted fullness. Where He has filled, there is no room for another.

1 Timothy 3:6 KJV  Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

There’s a station we receive with the rabbit ears on our home’s tv at that frequently broadcasts stories and documentaries of wars we’ve been through as a nation. You can’t help but have such a deep gratitude for those thousands of men and women who experienced such a high level of threat and risk for the sake of our liberty and freedom. There are black and white movies of men dodging bullets as they run headlong into the battle with very little to protect them from  danger all around. There are also, though, many scenes where tanks are boldly and quickly advancing with no worries about most of the weaponry opposing them. Other than a few specific tank killing missiles there is very little that can penetrate the hard and thick armor protecting those inside the tank. If you really had to be on the field of battle, inside the tank would certainly seem to be the much better choice.

There is, however, at least one apparent vulnerability at the very top of the tank where the entrance hatch is located. As soon as the door/hatch is opened from the inside the whole invincibility of the tanks ominous size and strength becomes vulnerable to just a small bullet. Once one person is disabled, leaving the entrance unsecured, a grenade can be dropped through it, injuring all who might remain within.

Whether or not we realize it, we’re in battle on a daily basis that is in some ways more dangerous than the worst of the frays in our nation’s history. There may be an earthly foe who desires to maim, injure, and kill, but there is a spiritual adversary who has much more permanent intentions. It’s possible to run around on our field of battle from foxhole to foxhole with some degree of survival, but the real place to be, that place that has been designed to be completely invincible to any threat, is in the name of Jesus. There in Him is a safety that the enemy of our souls cannot penetrate. The only vulnerability is at the top entrance, where access is made to the innermost parts of our heart. As soon as the latch becomes unsecured in the least from within it is possible for even a small bullet to damage and threaten all that remains inside. Most often this takes place when pride rises up to declare its independence from the security only provided in Christ. Given the extreme consequences of this action, there is a great responsibility to keep our hearts secure by trusting only in the security His name allows while casting down any thoughts that would rise up to declare a reliance on any other. In Him alone is refuge and safety.

34 Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Matt 10:34 (ASV)

Though maybe not as prominent today as when I was growing up in the 70s, there are still bumper stickers declaring that there should be ‘Peace, not War’. While Jesus is the Prince of Peace and there really is no peace without Him, it’s interesting that He makes this claim of not sending peace, but war. It seems that where the greatest peace would be known, there will have to be contention for it. Where a new nation is to be born that is free from the bondage of a taxing and religion constraining government there will have to be a revolution with sacrificed lives. Where it is believed that true peace for everyone requires the deliverance of those who have been bound in slavery, there will have to be countless lives given on the battlefield. When peace gained is being challenged by regimes that are on a mission to undermine it, there must be a willingness to go anywhere in the world with the intent to storm beaches, drop bombs, and gain victory at the cost of however many lives it takes to preserve and protect this most valuable acquisition. When the Prince of Peace is known to be the only true way to an inner peace that none can compromise or take away, there must be a willingness to contend for Him with anything and anyone that rises to divert commitment to Him in the slightest of ways. Even those that are dearest to the heart must not give reason to avoid a battle that becomes necessary to preserve the Prince’s place in the heart.

Peace does not come without contention and the greatest challenge to real peace that quiets the streets is the thought projected on the bumper sticker- that there can be peace without war. Whatever can persuade you to roll over for promised ‘peace’ is the very thing that will eventually remove true peace altogether. The real pursuit of peace will require battle gear and the ‘eye of the tiger’, not just a mamby-pamby walking of the path with least resistance. The greatest peace is not found in avoiding the storm, but going right through it with an unshakeable presence. Ephesians refers to the ‘feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace’ as part of the battle attire required to defend against the attacks of a relentless enemy. There will be a daily threat against a peace won by the blood of the Lamb and only where there is a willingness to fight for it will there be any presence of it. Through the battles that are sure to come this day as threats to our relationship with the Prince, may no war be conceded or avoided for the illusion of peace. May real triumph and real victory establish His presence as a peace that passes understanding through every storm, conflict and contention that arises.

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jude 1:3 (KJV)

14 But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16 And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Gal 6:14-16 (ASV)

On the University of Denver campus where I went to school for four years, there were two main cross streets, University and Evans. As there were classes conducted in each of the four quadrants they created, crossing them was something that took place several times a day. Because time was often limited in between classes and also because I just didn’t want to walk all the way down to the crosswalk, I became quite the ‘frogger’ (from that old video game where you try to get the frog across the busy street without getting squashed).

There was really an art to timing the four lanes of traffic so you could at least make it past the first two lanes to the middle where you could then slide through the next gap in traffic and make it intact to the other side. As I am able to sit here and write about it now, I obviously avoided the dangers involved in this practice, but it doesn’t mean that it was a peaceful stroll, no matter how good I thought I could do it. With vehicles hundreds of times my size zipping past at 30-40 miles an hour there was usually a bit of an adrenaline rush by the time I made it across, which often required breaking into a run.

All the while this extremely dangerous route was being chosen, there was waiting just a few extra feet down the sidewalk a lane designated for me and a light ready to stop all traffic for my safe passage. The walk across the street in the legal and safe way, which I did take from time to time, was definitely the peaceful choice, one that required very little acknowledgement of those dangerous objects that had been brought to a halt by the light.

In Christ a walkway has been made that will completely transform those busy and dangerous crossings that continually require our passage. Instead of having to focus intently upon each of the potentially damaging obstacles in our way, and rather than having to go through a heart spike with each narrow miss, God has provided a way for our walk to be a peaceful one, free of concern about those fast-moving ‘mountains of destruction’. His light will bring them to a complete stop. This way, though, is one that acknowledges in no way those fleshly elements that were once so important. Peaceful and safe passage only comes by uncompromised dependence upon the walkway of the Spirit. It might take a few more steps to get to the light and possibly a small wait, but there will be no concern for the dangers that come with every step as long as the abilities, accomplishments, and limited identifying elements of the flesh are given up for the Spirit-walk. In Christ we can be freed to walk confidently and securely in the way that requires us to only step out in faith that the Light will protect our passage. No other characteristic in us is required and in fact any focus on the flesh will only remove us from the protection of the walkway. In His timing it will be clear when to move and when to stop so that His Spirit alone can control the flow of all potential threats.

Anxiety, worry, stress, and heart attacks can be removed altogether from our walk today if we will but leave the insistence on our own crossing ability for the protection of the Light. We might otherwise survive, but peaceful passage will only take place in the Cross-walk.

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.Romans 8:4 (KJV)

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:16 (KJV)

24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Gal 5:24-25 (KJV)

1 Corinthians 13:13 ASV(13)  But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

It would seem that nothing in our world today has any permanence or dependability. The companies and businesses that had once been part of our nation’s foundation and stability are falling apart and being bought out by foreign entities. Several years ago I went through the process of getting my securities license in order to sell mutual funds. A strong point in the presentation process for selling many of these products was their history of weathering financial hard times, that they would be there through any difficulties and owning their stock would mean long term growth and security. The car companies were part of this group and it would have never been considered that these rocks of the American economy could not be there at least in our lifetime. Yet, this last week Chrysler has been purchased by Fiat and General Motors is also close to bankruptcy. The indestructible rocks are apparently crumbling under a storm that exposes and attacks a vulnerability that was really there all the time, and while there are other entities that would be still appear secure, nothing in our world today is exempt from this vulnerability. The ground is moving and all things built on these worldly elements are obviously shifting and revealing the weakness of their foundation.

To this atmosphere of uncertainty and fear there is this wonderful word that comes to bring hope of something substantial- ‘abideth’. While there is erosion and removal of all other elements, a rock that is made of an indestructible substance will weather the greatest storm and ‘abide’, remain, and still be something on which you can build a structure throughout a lifetime and beyond. Knowing the true nature of a natural substance beneath the surface is something that can be studied and determined by involved seismic testing and historical reference. There is likewise a proving that has taken place since the beginning of time- storms that have raged and regimes that have been overthrown- and through the greatest of these tests there has been these three elements that have remained after all others have washed away- faith, hope and love. For the one who has established their foundation on the bed-rock, the unshakeable and the immovable, there is great confidence and peace no matter how greatly the storm rages. Sleep can be sweet and rest complete at the very time when the ground is shaking and the thunder is ominous, because there is a knowing that when all else has been beaten down and washed away, there will still ‘abide’ this secure foundation.

There will be an end to all of this. Much will be proven for what it really is and there will be no doubt as to what the true rock is and what has just been sold as secure, but with much vulnerability. Though the shaking is inevitable there is a place of perfect peace for us on the Rock of Ages and as long as the building that takes place in our lives today is a building on faith, hope, and love, there can be an unwavering confidence in the eternal existence and dependability of the One who will abide forever and our permanence in Him.

Psalms 11:1-2 MSG
(1)  A David psalm. I’ve already run for dear life straight to the arms of GOD. So why would I run away now when you say, “Run to the mountains;
(2)  the evil bows are bent, the wicked arrows Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness at every heart open to God.

She had heard them from the time they got out of the truck on the far side of the field, and immediately her pulse had begun to quicken. Although nestled safely in a hole behind some bushes, an uncertainty made its way into her heart. She had heard them before when they had come a couple weeks ago and drove away with several of her relatives tucked away in their bags. She had helped many of her family prepare their own safe places and couldn’t understand how one after one of them left their refuge to be shot right away as they attempted to escape in flight.

It was the dogs! And now, as she continued to listen intently, she could hear the dreaded sound of their excited barking as they eagerly anticipated the hunt. Not only did they produce that annoying and obnoxious sound, but they possessed this terrible ability to locate well-hidden prey, point it out to their master, and then rush in to flush it out of its hiding. There was one of them apparently headed right towards her hiding place even now, and her heart began to nearly leap out of her chest as she could no longer hear any sound from the dog, only shouts from the man with the gun. She knew what would come next. Would she be able to hold tight and resist the dog’s flushing or would she give way to that natural urge to abandon the security of her refuge? She closed her eyes, determining to resist all temptations to take flight and join those who had gone before to the destination of the bag.

A cleft in the Rock has been prepared for us. It’s a perfectly safe place, a refuge that is completely protected from any threat of the one who is going around, making a bunch of annoying sounds with his roar, and seeking to flush us out so he can put us in his bag and devour us. Although he is quite clever with his methods and while his success has been frequent with those that may even be close to us, the only way his weapons will be able to inflict any damage is if he can bully us, entice us, tempt us, or just somehow scare us into taking flight. The heart may leap into the chest and flight syndrome may kick in big time, but no matter how loud or real the threats, the only real safety and freedom from the power of his terror is in the shadow of the Redeemer’s wing, in the Secret Place of the Almighty. Once established and settled in to this cozy place at the Master’s side there will never be a legitimate need to go elsewhere. There will never be another entity or source that will require our departure from its security. In fact, the only way the hunter of our soul can touch us with his treachery is if he can persuade us to seek safety or fulfillment somewhere else. Only in departing from our place in worship will we lose our invincible protection. Only in taking flight for another apparently ‘better’ place will there be ability for his arrows to find their mark.

Having found our place in Christ, having been placed in our own personal eternal refuge, how could we ever depart from it for any other destination? Here come the dogs, though. There are the shouts and threats. What will we actually do when he comes rushing in? The Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard if we will but remain behind it in our peaceful, protected place in worship.

Isaiah 59:19 KJV
(19)  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.