Capes and Tights

My son Justin (father to my grandson Nova!) lives up in Maine and hosts a podcast called “Capes and Tights.” It is a podcast all about comics, movies, TV, collectibles, and much more. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts or at capesandtights.com. Check it out. When I was a boy, I was not so much a Superman, Batman kind of guy. My heroes were the Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, and Captain America. All of them, however, seemed to have something in common. They all sought truth and justice. Came to the defense of those who had been wronged. I mention this because it I don’t know if you were aware there are superheroes in the Bible too.

After Moses died, God called Joshua to lead the Israelites. After Joshua, no one person took the lead. Instead, there was a group of elders who more or less kept control of the nation until they died off. Sadly, the following generation did not know the Lord. This began the age of the Judges. God raised up heroes. Men and women whom He called to deliver the people out of trouble. They may not have worn tights or capes, but they had the Lord, and they got the job done.

Sadly, the generation after Joshua did not know the Lord. As a result, everyone became their own authority and acted on their own opinions of right and wrong. Unsurprisingly, this produced horrendous results. This is why the prophet Samuel writes in the very last verse of the book of Judges, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

In too many ways, our world has not really changed much. Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, that may be your truth, but it’s not mine.” That’s not possible. There can’t be more than one truth, but that’s what we face today. Individuals, groups, and societies have made themselves the final authorities on what is right, moral, and true. Leaving God out of the equation entirely. When people do this. When they selfishly satisfy their own personal desires at all costs, everyone pays the price. That is why God raised up judges. Men and women who are seen as heroes. “C0ming to the rescue” when the people were in a bad way. What made them heroes? From Deborah to Gideon to Samson, they all had the one feature that God sought after in a judge – obedience.

You see, it is the ultimate heroic act to be willing to submit all our plans, desires, and motives to God. The omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, Creator of the universe. The truth, the way, and the life. The only source of what is moral, right, and true. We are blessed to have access to Him through His holy and inspired Word. As Paul writes to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16).

The farther we get from the Word of truth, the farther we drift from God, and the deeper we fall into division, chaos, perversion, anarchy, and violence. One has only to watch the evening news for a single night to see evidence of this.

The only way to turn things around is to turn back to the Lord, His Word, the only truth. God is looking for some modern-day heroes – like you and me. To be truly heroic. To make God’s Kingdom a reality. We have to go into battle every single day in our homes, at work, in our churches, and in society at large. Our weapons? The standards, morals, truths, and convictions we receive from God’s Word. Man’s words are opinions. God’s words are fact.

King Solomon wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6). My friends, we will lose the battle if we depend on our own wisdom and understanding. We do not have to wear tights or a cape. I know nobody wants to see me in tights. No, just seek God’s will, the only truth, and be a hero.

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Remember you can email praises and petitions to southchurchprayer@gmail.com. I lift them up every Wednesday at 4:00 pm on Facebook Live.