Psalm 33:16 "No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength."

[Large armies and great power are not the deciding factor--God is, as shown in many Old Testament stories.

--I think of the huge multinational army that came against King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. He turned to God for help and God caused the enemy soldiers to turn on one another and destroy themselves.

--I think of the great army of Assyria that came against King Hezekiah and how the Lord put to death 185,000 of them in one night by a plague and saved Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:36).

--I Think of David versus Goliath, of Daniel versus the lions.

--Then there is Paul, attacked and beaten by a large mob of Jews at the temple, but God sent the Roman commander to save him. In each case the deciding factor is not might or size, but God.

So it is with us, Lord, we are weak and vulnerable to the powerful forces around us—Satanic, political, financial and physical. Think of how the poor Christians in Syria have had to flee from one conflict after another. But in the midst of such trouble, they--and we--can and must turn to you for help, rather than looking to the puny powers of this world.]