“Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” (Psalms 27:3, NIV2)

This Psalm written by King David is based on David’s own experiences. How many times hadn’t he faced enemy armies? He was even been continually chased by his own countryman, King Saul himself, who had only David’s destruction in mind. Nevertheless, fear was unknown to David, because he knew the Almighty God!

Last time we explored the story of an oak tree in France that had been struck by lightning to the point that its entire core of the tree was burned out. Nonetheless, it spouted new leaves and an abundance of acorns. The local inhabitants of Alouville-Bellefosse, eager to give due credit to Whom credit belonged, built two chapels inside the hollowed-out tree.

A century after this event, the French Revolution began. Calamity and suffering were the norm for anything having to do with nobility and religion. The little town of Alouville-Bellefosse wasn’t spared, and its church was burned to the ground by drunken revolutionaries.

Being right beside the church, the oak tree was next. The village school master quickly came to its rescue by hanging a sign in front of the tree that read, “Temple of Reason”. That sign completely confused the drunken enemy. Revolution, after all, was all about reason. But weren’t the chapels in that tree unreasonable? Or was it the other way around?

That gave the brave villagers time to come to the tree’s rescue. Armed with pitchforks, they chased these drunken revolutionaries out of their town. They saved their miraculous oak tree and through it, glory would still be bestowed to God.

In 1996 that little village celebrated the 300th anniversary of these Oak tree chapels. The inhabitants of Alouville-Bellefosse are happy that their ancestors stood up for what they believed.

As believers, we truly have nothing to fear. We are overcomers through the blood of Christ, Who did the outstandingly miraculous for us. He turned us from darkness into light, and once graced with such a light we can’t help but overcome evil with good!

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21, NIV2)

We may be chased, but this doesn’t faze us. We are overcomers in the Lord!

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31, NIV2)

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “When Suffering Knocks on our Door” devotional series, please click here.)