Please enter. I will not be posting images of death and destruction. AND—-I will be posting amazing heartening news from the refugee centers.

But first—— I will be posting a psalm we’ve never liked. A psalm that sounds mean, where we get all Jesus-y and judgmental of David.

“What is all this about wishing destruction upon your enemies, David? Don’t you know you’re supposed to love your enemies?” We say that because we don’t like paradox, and because we live in a country where wars are always far away. We know all about hostility and division within our borders—-but we know nothing of actual war.

The Hebrews were no stranger to tyrants and warfare. Their entire history is filled with nations and kings unleashing their forces attempting to dominate and obliterate this tiny nation. Yet they have survived. As we pray Ukraine will.

Let’s pray this Psalm then—-together. God has answered these prayers many times before and I believe He will answer them again.

Please Pray these words for the Ukrainian people, their country, their leaders.

Psalm 35

Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight against those who fight against me.
Take up shield and armor;
    arise and come to my aid.
 Brandish spear and javelin[a]
    against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
    “I am your salvation.”

May those who seek my life
    be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back in dismay.
 May they be like chaff before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord driving them away;
 may their path be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

 Since they hid their net for me without cause
    and without cause dug a pit for me,
 may ruin overtake them by surprise—
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
 

Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.
 My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you, Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
    the poor and needy from those who rob them.

    . . . ….

Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;
    they gnashed their teeth at me.

 How long, Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my precious life from these lions.

Do not let those gloat over me
    who are my enemies without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason
    maliciously wink the eye.
 They do not speak peaceably,
    but devise false accusations
    against those who live quietly in the land.
 They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha!
    With our own eyes we have seen it.”

 Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent.
    Do not be far from me, Lord.
Awake, and rise to my defense!
    Contend for me, my God and Lord.
 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
    do not let them gloat over me.
 Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”
    or say, “We have swallowed him up.”

 May all who gloat over my distress
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
    be clothed with shame and disgrace.
 May those who delight in my vindication
    shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
    who delights in the well-being of his servant.”

 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
    your praises all day long.

 Prayer is powerful enough to change tyrants’ hearts, to stop bullets and rockets. But there is more we can do!

I have some good friends in Slovakia and Moldova who are working tirelessly, through Navigators and CRU to provide housing, food, classes, and love to the refugees. Here’s a video of a few of these people expressing their thanks to their Moldovan hosts.

My friend Tanya is there on the ground in Moldova (which is the poorest country in Europe.) If you’d like to give to their efforts, here is the most recent update and a link to give:

CRU's work with refugees in Moldova

And Here is a way to help through the Navigators on the ground there: https://www.leadedge.org/navigators-cee

(Here is what they’re doing and how your monies will help: From a dear friend and ministry leader who wrote me last night:

“That link is raising funds for the most urgent needs on the Slovak-Ukrainian border. We work directly with three local Evangelical churches there who are working with a local Baptist church in Uzgorod - the closest town on the Ukraine side. That small church is serving one of the refugee camps - this one has 20,000 people who are being relocated by groups, step by step, over the border.

The second part of our work is more strategic here in Bratislava, for the families once they will settle in. Our schools are setting up Ukrainian classes for the kids, so we are raising money to set that up and hire the native teachers.”

One more: from my dear friend Diana in Romania. Listen to what she wrote me this morning:

“The stories I hear every day from my friends who receive them (there at the center, which is improvised in the church building, you will see, beds even on the stage, and in their homes)...are beyond sad! It is only mothers, children and elderly that can leave the country. The wealthy left early, now it is those who have little who are coming. BUT, I've never seen the Romanians so so so generous!! (never been more proud to be Romanian!!) and churches working together in unity like never before to help, to receive, to shelter, to feed, walls coming down in the most beautiful and powerful way! Literally being Jesus' hands and feet! wow wow!”

Let us rise up from our weeping (which is what I want to do all day long). God has given us words to pray and ways to give. And as we do that, let’s unleash mercy, compassion and kindness into the world, wherever we are. Evil cannot win.

with much love, praying with you all,

Leslie