Lehi, Gaza, and Ophrah

No, I did not spell "Oprah" incorrectly. But I think I know her name's origin...perhaps.

Did you know that Lehi was referenced in the Old Testament? Not the prophet himself who fled out of Jerusalem and came to the Western Hemisphere to inherit the Promised Land...but the name itself is referenced in the Old Testament. As is Gaza and Ophrah. I'm sure you scriptorians already knew this...but it was fun to discover and I wanted to share.

I was reading the account of when the Lord, through his servant Gideon, saved Israel from the Midianites in the book of Judges. I've heard about that story from two sources recently (Laurel and some Christian radio show on my way to Richmond yesterday) and decided to read it for myself and remind me of God's grace and power. It's an amazing story if you haven't read it lately. And I came across the names Lehi, Gaza, and Ophrah during my read (Judges 6-7).

And did anyone watch Rush speak to the CPAC yesterday? Inspiring...amazing...the one thing that sticks out the most is how he describes what makes the United States different from all other nations. We've been in existence less than 300 years, yet we are the world power, the economic engine that drives the rest of the world, a city on a hill as Reagan frequently referred to it. What makes our country different? It's not us as her citizens...you and I are no different than anyone else on the planet. We have the same DNA. So if it's not us, what is it?

It's the freedom upon which this nation was founded (which naturally leads to capitalism...and more importantly to the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...but Limbaugh did not reference that).

And that capitalistic view has led to innovation, ingenuity, risks, challenges, losses, victories and...a ton of wealth. Yes, there are uber wealthy people in our country. But the vast majority earned their wealth. Why should that not be rewarded? Why is it the focus of blame? If the U.S. were a business, we would cater to the rich and support them and do everything we can to keep them going. Obama's message is not new. It's not change. And it's not hope. He is setting the stage to destroy everything that made the United States what it is today. If you haven't seen Rush's speech and would like to, here it is.

The president isn't suppose to "change" anything. Those in power are not asked to change anything. Their sole purpose is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Nothing more...nothing less. It's as close to perfect as man can get with man-made government. We have moved so far away from our core principles that it's becoming difficult for many to see the forest for the trees.

But the Lord is in charge. And in Him I will place my trust. If we are prepared we shall not fear. God bless the USA. Maybe He's preparing those who are faithful to battle as Gideon was asked to battle--with as few men as possible so we give the glory to God and Him alone. Because if everyone defended the Constitution we might trust more in the arm of flesh rather than God.