top of page
BRAVER THAN LIONS
Sam Stringer
Dec 22, 2024
Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be
made to stumble." Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster
crows, you will deny Me three times." Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not
deny You!" And so said all the disciples.
Matthew 26:33-35
Years ago, there were a group of trees found in the desert that were all knocked over. The winds
had come through and because wind was rare where these trees were, they had not needed to
spread their roots out. I wish I could remember where I read that, but it always struck me with
the parallel it presents: people who don’t face great difficulties don’t spread need to spread their
roots out nearly as much. The love of God allows some pretty strong storms into our lives to
force us to bury our roots of faith deeper into the bedrock of our Savior.
Jesus knows you. Jesus knows what you can handle and what you can’t. Jesus knows when
you can’t follow through on your promises, and He knows that sometimes you need to see it for
yourself. Pride tells us that we are strong, committed, further along than a lot of people around
us, that we’re not that bad. Honestly, none of us is better than our worst enemies, not because
we may share the exact same sins as they, but because we share in being sinners all the same.
We are wholly depraved in our sin: in our thoughts, in our feelings, and in our desires. Not as
much as we possibly could be, but totally depraved in the sense that all of our faculties are
skewed by sin natures. Our compasses are broken and we need external assistance from God’s
word and the Holy Spirit coming into our lives.
I liked to think that I was pretty strong as a Christian myself, and then dark days came and oh
how they came. The last decade or so of my life was heartache upon heartache. It took me
places I didn’t think I’d go inside, bringing me to face a person I didn’t think I was. A person at
times I didn’t even want to look at or to even live with. I needed all of the difficult flack to be
honest with myself. God knew what would come out if He allowed things in, but I did not. All
things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His
purpose (Rom. 8:28-29). I hope you will see that there is a powerful reason for why God should
walk through some dark valleys, and it may very well be to not only test you but also to make
you strong in ways you were not yet. Be blessed.
“The Grip of the Night”
By S.V. Stringer
I thought myself loyal
I’d pass every test
I’d give all I had
And outlast the rest
But then the storms came
And how the winds blew
Lightning crashed around me
My worries quickly grew
I hunkered down deep
I clung to the ground
I yelled out to God-
Nowhere to be found
The calamities grew
I looked for escape
I can’t do this God!
I need a hero in a cape
My obedience wavers
My security begins to wither
My will to endure
Desires no more hither
I feel so confused
I wanted to be
Nearer my God
So nearer to Thee
But these pains and these pressures
Feel nothing to do
With drawing closer
And glorifying You
The storm raged on
The night grew black
Darkness enveloped
I took all the flack
I could not see
What God was doing
Terrors about me
More violence brewing
How could He find
Delight in me?
I’d nearly given up
In all this calamity
But then the storm stopped
And the rains died down
I wiped my face
And soon felt a crown
I breathed out a sigh
And then saw the light-
Loyalty was bred
Through the grip of the night
Sam Stringer
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
bottom of page