That Guy or That Gal!

Oh My Gosh!  When I opened the door to take Fiver out front for his morning walk… THEY WERE THERE!  We had GIANTS in the neighborhood.  The big red monsters with their army of bright green camouflaged riders were being disgorged from their enclosed transports and began to roam feely throughout the neighborhood… and with only moments to spare, I yanked back the leash on the dog and miraculously slammed the door shut just before they could get to us!

Well… at least that is how I imagined that Fiver saw the dreaded lawn care guys as they fired up their big professional riding lawnmowers and began their assault on the large extent of grassy commons area between us and the gold course.  The young guys running the equipment are actually very nice and always go way out of their way to keep their distance when they spot Fiver and I on our morning walks on the commons.  But just the same… Fiver gets very spooked and anxious when he even gets the slightest idea of their presence in our neighborhood.

They usually come on Friday’s so I was taken by surprise when they showed up today.  But I know my dog and realized that although he would be upset that we COULD’NT go on our walk… that he'd be more miserable if we DID go out amongst the noisy machinery. 

So… I decided that I needed to be “That Guy” and make the tough decision to close the door and opt instead, for some ball-tossing in the protection and confines of our fenced backyard!

I had begun to think about what it means to be “That Guy” in my daily life, earlier in the morning, when I read from Psalm 37:23 in my King James Bible.  In “this Psalm of David, (which is) rightly considered one of the most beautiful written by him,”* David declares that “The steps of a ‘good’ man (ie; mankind) are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” 

My attention was aroused as I began to study out the verse, when I noticed that the word “good” in this version is italicized, meaning that it was added by the interpreters to best complete the original writer’s train of thought.  But the more commentaries that I read, the more I became aware that the interpreters for the King James Version missed it with this verse.  Both Finis Dake and Adam Clarke summed it up best by explaining that, “There is nothing for (the word) good in the text. גבר geber is the original word, and it properly signifies a strong man, a conqueror or hero;”

Therefore, the better interpretation of this verse would read that “The steps of a STRONG man are ordered by the LORD: and He delighteth in his way.”  In my way of thinking, the use of STRONG instead of GOOD better defines and clarifies the way or lifestyle that the Lord wants His children… we Christians… to live our lives within the authority that Christ provided for us through His death, burial, resurrection and subsequent ascension to the right hand of the throne of God in heaven.  The Abarim Publications’ Biblical Dictionary explains that,

“The verb גבר (gabar) means to be strong or mighty or to prevail. Noun גבר (geber) is one of a few words for man, perhaps comparable to our words "guy" or "dude". Adjective or noun גבור (gibbor) means mighty or strong or valiant man. Noun גבורה (gebura) means strength or might. Noun גביר (gebir) refers to an alpha male: a lord or master, and the feminine equivalents are גבירה (gebira) and גברת (geberet), mistress (ie; a woman in a position of authority or control**) or queen.

So, according to that definition of the original Hebrew word used in this verse… It is pretty obvious, when it comes to walking in the truth and promises that are included within the BENEFITS*** of our salvation, that God is calling on us to be THAT GUY or THAT GAL in our daily lives!

There are a couple of lines in the 2007 movie “Live Free or Die Hard” where the two main characters discuss what it means to be “That Guy,” which in their case, was the one who puts aside his fears and does whatever he has to do in order to be a hero when the bad situations in life come to us.  At the end of the movie the brave policeman looks at his new friend, who finally overcame his fears and helped to save the policeman’s daughter, and says with a pause and a smile, “You were That Guy!”  - and then threatens the young man to NOT even think about dating his daughter!

I never even considered it at the time… but I heard that small still voice deep inside of me this morning say, “You were “That Guy” for Piper, when she needed you the most…”

I firmly believe that this verse and many others throughout our Bibles, are a reoccurring theme and directive of the Lord for all Christians.  I believe that He is calling each of us… both you and me to be “THAT GUY” or “THAT GAL” in the way that we live our lives, in the way we believe in the truth of His Word and in the way that we reach out to others with an encouraging word, a phone call, a visit, a warm meal, a simple smile and with acts of Christian love and assistance to others in need.

Be aware though… in our world today… this way of life is coming more and more under attack.  Many people don’t like STRONG GUYS or STRONG GALS… (ie; those of us who are actively STRONG and outspoken in our convictions of faith!)  I experienced it first hand when I was taking care of Piper… and I still see it rearing its ugly head today!

But… as far as I am concerned, I’d much rather be “THAT GUY” for the Lord and His standards, than a blinded follower of the world’s convoluted standards… WOULD YOU?

Have a great day today!  Enjoy life and ENJOY being “THAT GUY” or “THAT GAL” in your Christian beliefs and lifestyle of faith… God’s approval is really all that matters!

… and through it all… Keep EXPECTING God’s best for your life!

 

*Dr. Kretzmann’s Popular Commentary – written between 1921-1924 - http://kretzmannproject.org/

**Oxford Online Dictionaries https://www.bing.com/search?q=mistress%20def&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=mistress%20def&sc=0-12&sk=&cvid=35BE7FF0B2D244CCA86E13B8385C4FBD

***Refer to a couple of my past posts “The Ultimate Sacrifice” (6/31/21) and “Accessing Your Benefits” (6/2/21) for a discussion on our BENEFITS as a Christian.