Under Attack? God Defends You
One of Abouna's favorite Bible stories is that of Susanna in her garden. It took me a really long time to warm up to it. The villains so frightening, so seedy. We are blessed to include it in our scriptures in Daniel.A young wife, righteous and beautiful, is bathing in the sanctity of her garden when two elders leap out to demand she sleep with them--or else. Rather than give in to their demands, she screams and the "or else" comes to be. They accuse her of adultery (with a fictitious young man) before her community and condemn her to death.These are powerful men. The judges of the land.Her parents are frightened for her. Her husband and her servants tremble for her. I tremble reading it! (Just look at the tumult in Sebastiano Ricci's painting above)Yet here is Susanna's prayer as she is being led to execution:"Eternal God, you know what is hidden and are aware of all things before they come to be: you know that they have testified falsely against me. Here I am about to die, though I have done none of the things for which these men have condemned me."Have you ever felt under attack? Have you ever felt falsely accused? It's a terrible feeling. It's like being at sea or in an earthquake. The ground beneath you is no longer trusty. You don't know where to reach out and grip. Nothing is stable. Nothing is firm.In truth, nothing of this earth is firm or stable. No job is guaranteed. No friendship is cemented. Our health will fade. All of it is temporary. All of it is subject to shifts and tides.
Yet we have an Ally who is unchanging and eternally faithful. This is God: omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, eternal, immortal. When we hold on to Him, no matter how the ground shifts or the waters boil, He is our rock.
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains becarried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.(Psalm 46:2)
Being led to certain death, Susanna looked in her heart and chose God again, chose to trust in the faithful One.Do you think He let her down? Of course not. He moved the heart of a young man named Daniel to defend her. (You can read Daniel's clever defense for yourself.)When we feel under attack, where is our faith? We are not leaves shaken in the wind!Let us raise our voices to the Lord Almighty in prayer. Let us trust in Him, and He will lend His strength. In the world, we will have tribulation, but He has overcome the world.He only is my rock and my salvation;He is my defense;I shall not be greatly moved.(Psalm 62:2)
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