The Victory Cry of an Underdog: “How do you like them apples?”
Deanna and I passed this tree while taking a flatter route on her recovery walk this week. Something about it stood there defiant and hopeful — like a living victory cry.
David’s Victory Cry
Bring it on, Lord — I know we’ve got this.
Psalm 7 isn’t a polite hymn whispered from a comfortable pew. It’s a Shiggaion — one of those wild-edge songs where a bruised faith refuses to stop singing. David wrote it about a man from Saul’s tribe, and the NASB calls it “a wild, passionate song.” That’s exactly what it feels like.
Maybe life is pressing on you this week. Maybe people you honored, respected, even served — are now talking you down, cutting you out, or treating you like you’re invisible. Maybe the system around you feels tilted, or the family dynamics are tightening like a vice.
David knew that world. He lived it. And in that pressure, he didn’t curl up or collapse — he prayed one of the boldest prayers in Scripture:
“Bring it on, God. Test me — and let me walk through this with integrity.”
That’s a heart anchored in God when everything else shakes.
One thing I love about this psalm is how the central truth sits right in the middle — wrapped by reflections that deepen it through contrast and comparison. The structure itself becomes a kind of spiritual X-ray, showing us where David’s confidence really rests.
Take a slow look at the color-coded version below. Let it breathe over you. Let it remind you: You’re not alone. God sees. God tests. God shields. And God will vindicate the upright in heart.
How to Engage This Psalm
Before you dive in, take a breath and ask the Holy Spirit to open your understanding — just as He did for the disciples in Luke 24:31.
Now work slowly through the color-coded layout:
Start with the center Read and ponder the two central lines (vv. 8b & 9a). Let these verses set the heartbeat of the whole psalm.
Compare the fringes to the core Look at vv. 8a and 9b. Notice how they echo, sharpen, or contrast with the core idea.
Study the purple verses Compare them with each other, and then with the red center. Watch how David summons God’s throne — and how God responds.
Study the green verses Notice David’s oath of integrity. Hold it up beside the red verses. What changes when a person invites God to test their heart?
Study the blue verses Look at David’s opening cry for refuge. Then compare it with the red center. How does trust mature when God becomes both refuge and judge?
When you’ve walked through each layer, return to the center and pray those core verses with the same faith David carried.
A Final Word of Courage
When you are close to God, You are ultimately bulletproof. The worse things get, The more you feed your spirit on God’s Word, The stronger you become.
Jesus has walked this road before you. He walks it now with you. As the trials grow hotter, so does your resilience. Doesn’t that make you want to lean in?
Beware of anxious activity or avoidance. When your heart is ready, Pray David’s bold prayer:
“Bring it on, Lord — I know we’ve got this.”
“Yeah!”
Deanna’s Journey to Healing
The deep-healing process.
A Good Report About Deanna
This was a truly encouraging week.
All three specialists — the oncologist, the surgeon, and the radiologist — shared the same wonderful news:
” Deanna received a Pathologically Complete Response. That’s the best outcome possible.”
The surgeon removed seven lymph nodes. Six showed scarring, meaning cancer had once been there — but it is now completely gone, with no trace remaining.
Radiation is scheduled for January to give her body time to rest and heal through December. This treatment will further reduce the chance of recurrence.
And the 17 targeted therapy sessions ahead provide yet another layer of protection.
We are deeply grateful.
Thank you for praying, standing with us, and believing for full and lasting healing.
Ellis enters one of God’s great gifts, the World of Imagination!
Prayer Requests
For Deanna’s complete healing
For sustainable systems to expand God’s Kingdom to 1,000 churches in the Amazon Basin
For a church-planting movement that starts in Portugal and spreads across Europe and Africa
God Speaks in Two Great “Books”
As you look at the photos below — the wide skies, the mountains, the quiet stillness of creation — remember that God reveals Himself in two great “books.”
1. The Bible a) “All Scripture is inspired by God…” (2 Tim. 3:16a) b) When we linger in passages like Psalm 7, letting the Spirit open our understanding, our hearts learn to hear God’s steady, shaping voice.
2. Creation a) “The heavens tell of the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1) b) Spending time in creation — pausing, pondering, paying attention — expands our faith. Creation becomes a living sanctuary, a reminder that God is near, wise, and wonderfully present.
3. The Antidote If you’re fighting anxiety, discouragement, meaninglessness, or even doubts about God, the ancient sage who wrote Psalm 1 offers a simple, time-tested equation:
A + B = C
A) Stay away from the cynical, the condescending, the endless scoffers who drain your hope. B) Meditate on God’s Word — let it take root, morning and night. C) And you will flourish in every season, like a deeply rooted tree by streams of living water.
This is God’s invitation:
Look up. Look around. Look into His Word. Let both “books” lead you back to strength, joy, and clarity.
When you open Scripture and lift your eyes to creation, you enter the same conversation — God speaking through ink and sky, promise and beauty. And somewhere between those two great “books,” the heart grows quiet, courage returns, and hope takes root again.
A Few “Words” from Creation
Ross landed a huge coho and gifted it to Deanna as “healing food.” Salmon are running in the Fraser right now, and Matt and Emma (our third daughter) smoke/barbecued it to perfection. World-class — and a little taste of God’s kindness.
At Matt and Emma’s place, far from city lights, I walked into their field and was surprised to see red Northern Lights overhead. We’re at the high point of the 11-year solar cycle, making these rare southern sightings possible. The lights of Mission shine across the Fraser River in the distance.
Looking west toward Vancouver, the sky shimmered with green Northern Lights — a quiet ribbon of wonder above Whiterock.
At Mill Lake, Canada geese and a handful of mallards are resting on their long southward journey — a gentle picture of God’s creatures enjoying each season.
Closing Blessing
May the Lord steady your heart this week. May His Word strengthen your spine, His presence surround your steps, and His Spirit whisper courage into the places that feel thin.
Walk in peace, walk in confidence, and know that the God who tests hearts also guards those who seek Him.
Partnering in the Work
We each play a part in the Great Commission. Some plant churches in marginalized communities. Some help leaders grow and work together. Some sustain the mission through prayer and giving.
When we do our part—whatever it is—it just feels right.
