Wednesday, August 24th

Today, I move into 3rd all time for most consecutive days with a Quiet Times at 56. (and that is for me personally, of course. I know there are others who are more spiritual than I, and I respect that) Something I started out yesterday was when I give my son the bottle, we pray before he eats. I thought it was a novel idea for a 3 month old, to get him in the habit now. Why wait? Today, I also updated the site and added a few more sites. We now have the correct website for the CR Ministry, for those of you who are interested. I will be adding the 3Xwatch website here in the next few days for those who want to have it for a resource. I want my blog to be a good resource for all who come here. Anyway, here is my quiet time today...

This blog should be called "Johnny's word of the day."

Irony (noun)
1. The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
2. An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning.
3. A literary style employing such contrasts for humorous or rhetorical effect.

Now, I was thinking about yesterday's QT and then read a little more in the book, and the book was echoing what I was thinking... God plays out the irony card. Think about it. Actually, let's look at it.

1 Samuel 17:8-10, 16, 26, 32-33, 40, 48-49
8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." 10 Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other."

16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

26 David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

32 David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."
33 Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."

40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

Is this not irony? A boy taking out a professional warrior? Now to Gideon (also, see yesterday's QT)

Judges 6:10
10 I said to you, 'I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.' But you have not listened to me."

13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian."
14 The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"
15 "But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."

Judges 7:7-8, 19-21
7 The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

Irony? 300 men taking out all the Midianites? The weakest person leading the way? We may think less of ourselves, but God does not. He knows me, he knows what I am capable of, and when I am at my weakest, that is when God uses me the most. Irony? No, that's God. Johnny Out.