At Attention

Psalm 93:1 The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded himself with strength. I have three sons aged 10, 8 and 4. I’m often struggling to get their attention to eat, wash or change. But I’ve discovered this amazing tool from my childhood called Taekwondo. Specifically, the boys love martial arts so much, that whenever I call attention (or “charyut!!”) they’ll drop whatever they’re doing and stand in line faster than the Von Trapp Family Singers. There’s something so powerful about standing at attention, prepared and totally focused on the task at hand. In ancient Hebrew times, this posture was represented by the concept of girding up ones loins. Long, flowing tunics wouldn’t allow for heavy labor or battle, so men would hoist the fabric up, wrap the cloth around their loins, and tie a knot for stability. It felt somewhat like a diaper, but the output was anything but baby-like. You can get a sense visually from this Huff Post article. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gird-your-loins_n_5941448 Well in today’s verse I feel like God is reminding us that he is not only really strong, not only really majestic, but also standing at attention. Sometimes I know that God is omnipotent, but forget that he’s not too busy to care intently about my trials. He sits behind the door, waiting expectantly for me to knock. He has girded up his loins, totally at attention, just waiting for the opportunity to jump into battle on my behalf… to breathe his love and strength into the circumstances of my life. Lord, thank you for caring. Thank you for standing at attention. I lift up my friends and family who are mourning loss, struggling with sickness and facing financial impossibility. I pray your peace and covering over them. In your son’s name, Amen.