It was always a fierce battle!  First, the coin toss to determine who would get Green and who would be stuck with Tan.  Green was Great and Tan was Terrible!  Then came the placement of troops.  Whoever won Green would leave the room while the owner of Tan would hide their 20 Tan Troops around the room – you had 4 minutes!  The the owner of Green would then hide his 20 troops – being sure to line up each soldier so that it could eliminate a Tan.  The key was the hidden Sniper.  You had to be sure to hide the Sniper under a dirty sock or in the curtain fold!!  The last soldier surviving was the winning team.

This was a ritual that my brother and I would go through every time we played Army Men!  No one wanted Tan but you cannot argue with a tossed coin – it overrules everything!  Once the soldiers were hidden in the room, we would commence with the Battle.

“My Bazooka guy just took out your 3 grenade guys hidden in the pillowcase“

“Well my Flame Thrower just took out your platoon of scouts that were behind the alarm clock“

Back and forth went the battle until there were only two soldiers left – one of which was probably a Sniper.  Whoever was able to hide their Sniper the best would take out the last soldier and declare victory!  A great game and every time we played it I was guaranteed a victory!  After all, I was 7 years older and always found a special place to hide my Sniper that my brother had not yet discovered.  (He would say that I always changed the rules in my favor!  I admit to nothing!)  My son would later call this game “Guys“.  My brother and I just called it war… and it was awesome!!  Looking back, the hidden sniper always seemed to determined the Victory or the Defeat! It just depended on whose Sniper took the first shot in the final round – mine or my brother’s!

So much often rides on the smallest thing.  Important events hinge on the small things that determine Success or Failure; Victory or Defeat. – I forgot my wallet so I went back to get it.  This small delay caused me to miss being in the accident at the end of the street. — You couldn’t help saying one more word of “advice” and your child stormed off angry rather than encouraged.  —  If I had only checked the bank balance two hours sooner, the check would not have bounced!. – The battles seem to turn on the smallest of things and our risk of defeat in so many confrontations relies on just a small change in what we say or do.

Everyday it is a game of Green vs. Tan .  We are tempted – we fail!  We are challenged – we give up!  We strive to do right – we trip over the small tug to serve ourselves instead of others.  We all need a Sniper to strike a fatal blow to the Enemy or our selfish whims at just the right time!  With our game of “Guys”, it was about how well you hide your Sniper; perhaps the same is true for life:

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalms 119:11

The Sniper we seek is actually God’s Word!  His Word hides in our heart and provides a line of defense that cripples the Enemy and destroys the Tempter.  Our confidence and righteousness are mere foot soldiers to the sharpshooting accuracy of His Word.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  Hebrews 4:12

If we do not hide the ‘Sniper‘ of God’s Word in our hearts, the Tempter will win the day.  As kids, we would memorize Bible Verses for Bible School or Sunday School.  It was just a “thing” we did it to earn a badge or get prizes but the benefit is carried over to the present.  I was hiding small sharp-shooters in my heart to fight at just the right moment.  I encourage you to find and share those verses that carry you through the challenges of life – Encourager, Moral Fortitude, Comforter, Defender of the Faith, etc…these are the names of some Snipers.  Do you know where to find them?  Search them out and hide them well – they will save your life someday!

Open Mic: Share Your Thoughts

1. What are some Sniper verses that have helped you win a battle?
2. If you had to choose a favorite verse, what would it be?

– Michael G