He bent His bow and set me as a target for His arrow. He drove into my kidneys the arrows of His quiver. Lamentations 3:12-13

Until last week I had never heard of DARPA, and the only EXACTO I had ever seen was a very sharp knife used for cutting.

That has all changed now.

Now I know that DARPA is the Pentagon's think tank. It is its job to come up with a possible and working solution for that which once seemed to be an impossible problem. Yes, I've done some serious reading about DARPA, and that's how I know EXACTO is the acronym for Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance.

The problem those fellows took care of is this: when a sniper fires a bullet at a target which is some distance away, it takes the projectile a while to get there. That's no problem if the target stands still like a, well, like a target. Unfortunately, living targets have a tendency to move, and the well-aimed bullet can end up missing the mark.

But EXACTO changes things. An EXACTO bullet can change direction in mid-flight. If the target moves, the EXACTO will compensate for that movement. The end result? Even in the hands of an inexperienced amateur, a successful hit is almost a guaranteed thing.

The writer of Lamentations would understand the concept of such precision shooting.

In the text above he describes himself as being the target for the arrows of the Lord's judgments. Like many people before and after him, he feels the Lord has taken sure aim on him. As a result he reports his dreams have been shattered, and his hope has been made desolate.

I wonder, are you among those who feel God has it in for you? If so, you need to have faith. Look to the Savior's sacrifice, the Redeemer's story of salvation, and know the Lord cares about you. Indeed, His Son's entire life was dedicated to saving your immortal soul.

That means if we have ever been targeted by the Lord, it is a good thing, not a bad thing. If we have been targeted, it is because He wishes to save us -- not destroy us.

Knowing that, the author of Lamentations, just a few verses after our text above, confesses, "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.' The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:22-25).

Those words should be our confession of faith too.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, forgive all those times when a weak faith has caused me to question Your compassion and care. In the future, whenever I feel such an inclination, may I look to the cross and rejoice that Your love never ceases. May the Savior's empty tomb assure me that I have reason to hope. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 23-24    John 6:41-71

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