Teeth of Assault Rifles, Tongues of Bombs--Nov. 16, 2015

Dear God, too many people in the world

lie down among lions that greedily

devour human prey.  Their

teeth are assault rifles    

and bullets; their

tongues bombs.

They deceive

the nations and

do to their victims

whatever they please.

Deliver the peoples from

ambushes and from the hands

of their enemies; let your hand be

upon them, Lord, as they suffer battle.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 57; 145; 85; 47

Ezra 7:27-28, 8:21-36

Rev. 20:7-15

Matt. 17:1-13

Selected Verses

Ps. 57:4

I lie down among lions
          that greedily devour human prey;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
          their tongues sharp swords.

Ezra 8:31

Then we left the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem; the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes along the way. 

Rev. 20:7-8a

When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them for battle…

Matt. 17:12

"…but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased.  So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands."  [Jesus to Peter, James, and John]