The Lutheran Hour
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"Good Lord, Deliver Us"
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Text: Revelation 12:9-10
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A technological age has no room for dragons. Those mythological beasts have all been banished. Yet, in 2003, it is quite possible that many of us will encounter a personal dragon. Is there any way to escape? Is there anyone who can accord us a victory? The answer is, “Yes! The good Lord can deliver us.”
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Today, as we stand at the doorway of another year of God’s grace, let our first steps be taken with the proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection victory on our lips. When the future seems uncertain; when we are unsure of what tomorrow may bring; when we have no guarantees of even seeing the end of this new year, we acknowledge the Christ who conquered sin, death and the devil will also be victorious in all of the tomorrows of all those who believe in Him as Savior and Lord.
Centuries ago, the Scots or the Welsh, depending on which historian you believe, came up with a prayer. It reads: “From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties, And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!” Now the odds are the person who first wrote that prayer had never seen any ghoulies or ghosties. Nor is it likely that he or she had had any encounters with long-leggedy beasties. Yet, that prayer has survived. It comes down to us partly because of its quaint language. But also because it touches something deep down inside all of us–namely, the fear of the unknown and things we can’t control.
“From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties, And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!” When European explorers set out across the sea, that might well have been their prayer. With only the most rudimentary of navigational tools and maps based on guesswork rather than fact, the unknown was a constant terror. Would they sail to the end of the earth and fall off into a bottomless abyss? Who could tell? Would they encounter strange places inhabited by ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties? They could only guess. When these explorers returned, mapmakers pored over the ships’ logs and began to fill in the great unknowns across the sea. Eventually, major rivers, islands, and navigable ports were shown. But there were still the great expanses of ocean that had not been seen, locations where all that was known, was the unknown. In such places the mapmakers, the cartographers, with trembling hands wrote: “Here there might be dragons.” They weren’t sure, so they imagined the worst. Might they not have written: “From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us”?
Of course, we know they were being silly. Today, a top-of-the-line car will have a GPS, a global positioning system. Using satellites, some hundreds of miles above the earth, even the most directionless among us can find out where they are and be told when they’re off route. Our technological age has informed us, in no uncertain terms, there are no ghoulies or ghosties or long-leggedy beasties. The thing that goes ‘bump in the night’ is the air-conditioner turning on or the newspaper boy bouncing the five-pound Sunday special edition off the front door. No, ours is an age where the last of the dragons and the long-leggedy beasties have been slain.
If the history channel carries a special about the Babylonians who worshipped the evil, scaly-bodied, winged dragon named Tiamat, we smile. If public television shares the story of the ancient Egyptian God Apepi who was the great serpent in the world of darkness, we think, ‘how quaint.’ We know there are no “ghoulies or ghosties or long-leggedy beasties,” and the only thing that goes bump in the night is when we, in the darkness, stub our toes against the bedroom furniture. All the dragons are slain.
All of your dragons have been slain, haven’t they? There is no unknown, unexplored spot in your life where you could scrawl, “Here there might be dragons.” There isn’t, is there? I wonder. When I talk with senior citizens, I find the conversations often drift into recollections of the “good old days.” Those were the days when people had no need of locks on their doors. Those were the days when people could walk down a city street without fear. A logical individual might try to counter the “good old day” claim by saying, “You left your house open because you had nothing to steal. Although you might walk down the street without fright, you probably were reluctant to go to the local movie theater or swimming pool for fear of contracting polio.” Explain all you want–seniors no longer feel secure when they go shopping or when they take an evening stroll or even when entering their own homes or apartments. Many of our country’s seniors enter this New Year passing a large sign that says, “Here there might be dragons.”
Of course, their dragon may not be yours. This past year we have seen the stock market bounce around like a ping-pong ball. Are you worried what may happen in 2003? Then write, “Here there might be dragons” on that part of your life. Have you been searching, without success, for a job? “Here there might be dragons.” Is the company at which you work doing poorly? Has the person in the next cubicle or on the next machine on the line been let go? Is there talk of your company moving to Mexico? Are you worried about whether you will have a position at the end of this year? You can write, “Here there might be dragons.”
Have you heard the doctor say the words: “Cancer,” “AIDS,” “conjestive heart failure,” “terminal” or “it doesn’t look good?” Are you waiting for the results of a life-changing test? Are you making decisions about a major method of treatment? Are you worried about the health of an infant, the development of a child? These unknowns in your life say, “Here are my dragons.” Has your teenage son or daughter been seen with friends who are less than friendly? Has your home’s foundations been rocked by arguments, fights and cruel comments? Has the joy of marriage become a drudge? Are you not sure whether mom or dad can continue to live in their own home? Whatever it may be, the unknown says, “Here are your dragons.”
Every generation, every individual has its dragons. Back in the first century AD, the Christians who lived scattered throughout Asia Minor (present day Turkey) had their share of dragons. They may not have met your dragons, but they had them. There were times when they had been left alone to faithfully follow the Savior, but there were other times, times of persecution, when they lived in daily danger. One day your family would be intact. The next may find mother murdered or father terribly tortured. There was no telling who would escape and who would not. The terrifying unknowns of each tomorrow brought them their dragons.
The Lord God in heaven, knowing the fears and pains of His people, spoke. The Holy Spirit came upon their bishop, the apostle John, and inspired him, from his prison on the little Mediterranean island of Patmos, to write words of encouragement. And when John wrote about the unknown, when he talked about the hounding and harrying of his charges, when he spoke about the world’s evil, he wrote about a dragon–a great dragon who terrified the world; who was trying to lead all of God’s creation astray. This was the great serpent which had unsuccessfully tried to overthrow God in heaven; but who fared far better in tempting our original parents; who had made that which God had created perfect and pure, to be dirty and deadly.
John conceded this multi-headed dragon was a terrifying beast. He admitted this dragon often seemed invincible. But guided by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John let these early Christians know, just as he is letting you know today, that appearances can be deceiving. Although the dragon, the devil, may win some skirmishes, the outcome of the war between good and evil has been decided. On Calvary’s crest, upon the cruel cross, Jesus Christ conquered. The message God sent to His churches was, “Yes, there are dragons out there. But, whether you can see it now or not, Christ has conquered the dragon. The devil has gone down in defeat. Satan has been stopped.”
It was to defeat the devil and all of our personal dragons that brought Jesus into this world. From that moment when the Christ Child first cried in the Bethlehem stable, the battle was engaged. At the beginning of His ministry, the dragon, Satan, who managed over the millenniums to lead the world astray, tried those same tactics in the temptation of Jesus. In the wilderness, He made appeals to Jesus’ senses. They were rebuffed with words of Scripture. Earthly power that would entice any normal individual was offered, and defiantly declined. A shortcut to the Savior’s years of suffering was suggested, and summarily rejected. There was no quick way for Jesus to save the sinful souls of this sorry planet. There was no smooth path to victory over the devil, or the many minor dragons he had spawned in this world. Jesus would live, die, and rise, so the dragons, your dragons, might be defeated.
This New Year, are you disputing with the dragon of ill health? When He walked this earth, Jesus met your dragon of infirmity and defeated Him. The book of Matthew records, “Great crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at His feet, and He healed them” (Matthew 15:29-31). In another place it says, “News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, He healed them” (Matthew 4:24). While neither I nor any other conscientious Christian pastor can guarantee physical healing to those who are committed to Christ, I can promise the Lord will either defeat your dragon or give you those tools to help you deal with him. It may well be that you will, in infirmity, join the company of the apostle Paul. This is what he said, “There was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times, I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)
In this New Year, are you being stalked by the dragons of loneliness and rejection? Have you been betrayed by those in whom you believed? Have you found no friend who is faithful? Jesus dealt with that dragon, too. The prostitutes, publicans and sinners, all discarded by polite society, found a reliable supporter in the Savior. Who better could be counted on than Jesus? He was rejected by the sinful souls. He had come to save. He was condemned by His own church and priests. He was denied justice by His own government; deserted by His own disciples and betrayed by the kiss of one of His closest followers. In this New Year, those of you who are alone, let the Holy Spirit turn you from that dragon to Your Deliverer, Jesus, the Savior who said, “He had come to seek and to save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10).
This New Year may well find you being stalked by dragons. I cannot tell you what they will be; cannot imagine the form they will take, or the time that will bring them. But they will come. The serpent Satan will come with his temptations and his terrors. With sinister sins and frightening fears the dragons will come. What will you say on the day they arrive? Will you bravely try to stand fast and battle the dragon with your own pitiful power? I have never met an individual who had that courage, or ability.
During World War II, a military governor met with General George Patton in Sicily. When he praised Patton highly for his courage and bravery, the general replied, “Sir, I am not a brave man–the truth is, I am an utter craven coward. I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life when I wasn’t so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands.” Years later, in his autobiography, the general said: “I learned very early in my life never to take counsel of my fears.” If even Patton can admit that he had fear, how much more must we confess our lack of courage when we confront our dragons?
This takes us back to our opening prayer. Do you remember it? “From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties, And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!” The Scots or the Welsh had it right. Protection from the dragon can only be found in the Lord’s deliverance. Only trust in God can release and rescue us from the fear of the dragons. Only Jesus can defeat the devil, can slay Satan. Only Jesus can confront your dragon and emerge the Conqueror. Confident in Christ, Saint Paul listed some of the dragons that could confront us: “tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword?” (Romans 8:35). The list isn’t over. Paul continues with the dragons: “There is the dragon of death; there is the dragon of life; there are the dragons of principalities and powers. There are the dragons of the present and dragons of the future” (Romans 8:38). The dragons are numerous. The dragons are coming.
Paul, like you and I, are sure of it. Is there no hope? There is. Even as Paul is sure the dragons are coming, he is equally confident that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Indeed, against all of these dragons we will emerge victorious, because, in Jesus, “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:37).
Jesus who conquered the dragon of sin for us by living a perfect life; Jesus, who conquered the dragon of the devil for us by resisting every temptation to evil; Jesus, who conquered the dragon of death for us by His physical resurrection on the third day, has conquered your dragons as well. “From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties, And things that go bump in the night, the Good Lord has delivered us!” Your dragons in the New Year have been slain, if you believe in this Savior. Jesus has promised to send the Holy Spirit upon His faithful followers and grant them a victory over their dragons. Victory over your dragons has been granted.
At the beginning of this New Year, if you have never known Jesus, let us introduce your Savior to you. Please do not say, “My dragons aren’t so big. I have time. I will meet Jesus someday.” Statistics say that there are those listening to my voice at the beginning of 2003 who will not have that opportunity in 2004. Do not postpone. My co-workers at the Lutheran Hour will be glad to help. Give them a call at the number they will provide before the end of this broadcast.
At the beginning of this New Year, if you have forgotten Jesus, allow us to reintroduce you to Him. Do not have a passing acquaintanceship with His Name. He is your Savior. He should be remembered. Call the number for Lutheran Hour. When Jesus once again becomes your friend and constant companion; when Jesus is once again conquering the dragons in your life, then you will go into this year confident. Through Jesus, you will be more than a conqueror in 2003.
During World War I, a British commander was preparing to lead his soldiers back to battle. They’d been on furlough, and the dismal march back was blackened by a cold, rainy, muddy day. The soldiers’ shoulders sagged because they knew what lay ahead of them: mud, blood, and possible death. Nobody talked. Nobody sang. It was a heavy time upon their hearts. The dragons were there. As they marched along, the commander looked into a bombed-out church. Above the altar of the church, he saw the figure of Christ on the cross. The commander remembered the One who had suffered, died, rose and won the victory for him. With faith in his heart, he shouted out the order: “Eyes right, march!” Every eye turned to the right, and as the soldiers marched by, they too saw the cross. And, in the heart of each man, the dragons that had been there, were slain. They took courage and with shoulders straightened, they smiled as they went.
Today, at the beginning of a New Year, in the presence of a risen Christ, a living Lord, let us join with those soldiers, and all who believe in the Savior. Let us join our hearts in an ancient prayer: “From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night, I give thanks to You, good Lord. For You, in Jesus, have delivered me!” God grant this be your prayer every day of this new year. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for December 29, 2002
ANNOUNCER: For thoughts and prayers at the close of another year, I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor Klaus, a blessed New Year.
KLAUS: And a blessed New Year, to you, Mark. I’m really glad you started by saying, “Blessed New Year.”
ANNOUNCER: Why is that?
KLAUS: Well, around this time of year, folks are generally saying, “Happy New Year.” “Happy New Year” is a nice wish, but it’s only a wish. We don’t know what is going to happen this year. We might be happy. We might be sad. We might be healthy. We might get sick. We just don’t know. But when we say, “Blessed New Year,” it’s more than a wish. It is saying you want to start this New Year asking God to take control of your life and be with you, blessing you in whatever situation you might find yourself.
ANNOUNCER: Then, greeting someone with “a blessed New Year” is more like a prayer, isn’t it?
KLAUS: It most certainly is.
ANNOUNCER: Speaking of prayer, many Christians begin and end each day with prayer. It is appropriate that we should also begin this New Year asking God for His protection, help, and forgiveness, right?
KLAUS: I can think of no better way to start out a New Year. As we’ve heard, there are dragons out there. Each moment of each day is filled with dragons. That is why each moment of each day, we need the Lord. God is the One unchanging and certain hope we have in this world.
ANNOUNCER: I think I know what you’re going to say next. How does the Lord specifically help His people in an uncertain world?
KLAUS: Well, He doesn’t help us by making us immune from difficulties. Difficulties come. What the Lord does is promise to help us through those difficulties. That’s why the Bible says, “Turn to God and trust in Him.” When we do that, we can, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).
ANNOUNCER: But I’ve heard some people say when you are a Christian, if you have enough faith, you won’t have any problems?
KLAUS: Some people do believe that. But that’s not what I find in the Bible. Most people have their thorns in the flesh. Listen to Psalm 55. The writer said, “Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my plea; hear and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger.” That doesn’t sound like a person who has no problems does it?
ANNOUNCER: No, he has problems a plenty.
KLAUS: But he also has the Lord. Listen to what he says next: “But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning, and at noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me . . .” (Psalm 55:16-18).
ANNOUNCER: There’s a lesson for us there.
KLAUS: Absolutely. The psalmist summarizes those lessons when he concludes: “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22.).
ANNOUNCER: So, we do continue to carry on and, in Jesus, believe that God will be there to watch over and bless us.
KLAUS: Exactly. That’s what Martin Luther said, “We should indeed work, but let God have the care. After all, our worrying gets us nowhere. Meanwhile, we might have done much good but our care has kept us from it.” That’s the way I would like to spend this new year. Not being afraid of the dragons. Not feeling all alone. But having the peace of God that passes human understanding. That peace, which Jesus won for us on the cross of Calvary, allows us and encourages God’s people to do much good.
ANNOUNCER: With that in mind Pastor, would you lead us in prayer?
KLAUS: I would be glad to. If you don’t mind, I would like to begin with the prayer read in many churches the Sunday after Christmas. It is beautiful and appropriate for a New Year’s. We begin: “Direct us, O Lord, in all our actions by Your gracious favor and further us with Your continual help, that in all our works, begun, continued and ended in Your name, we may glorify Your holy name. Finally, by Your mercy, we may receive eternal life through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor, and thank you, our listeners for making this program part of your day and the beginning of this New Year.