Johnny’s Battles
“You’d better leave me alone!” Johnny Lee did his best to duck away. It didn’t do any good. Eric was lots bigger and faster.
“Ow! Don’t! It hurts!” The bigger boy twisted Johnny’s arm behind him and savagely pulled his ear.
“Won’t fight, huh.” Eric gave his twisted arm a yank which brought another cry of pain from Johnny. “When I tell you to fight, you better fight! Or you’ll wish you had,” he continued grimly.
Peter laughed with glee. “Get him, Eric. He’s too scared to fight!”
It was Johnny’s second day at school. Every boy at Mount Everson had to fight a boy every day until he lost. Eric Canterbury said so.
But Johnny knew that Jesus didn’t want boys to fight. The Bible said to love your enemies, not fight them.
His arm hurt all day. His ear hurt, too. That evening, at home, Johnny couldn’t split the firewood.
“What happened to your arm, Johnny?” Mother asked. Dad looked up, too. So Johnny told them about the way the boys did at school.
Dad looked sad. “Well, Johnny,” he said, “let’s kneel down and pray that Jesus will take care of you.” He knelt down right in the yard, so Mother and Johnny knelt, too. “Dear Lord,” he prayed, “You said in Your Word that You would fight our battles. We are trusting You to help Johnny at school so he won’t have to fight. Amen.”
When Johnny went to school the next morning, Eric said that he would have to fight Peter.
“No,” said Johnny bravely, “I won’t do it. I don’t have to do it.”
Eric laughed like a donkey. “Haw!” he roared. “Who’s going to help you, now?”
“Jesus will help me,” Johnny said.
Eric’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s Jesus?” he said, scornfully. “Where is he?” He started for Johnny.
“Get the little coward, Eric,” said Peter.
Just then, something happened. Eric let out a yell. He began to hop on one foot while he held the other foot with his hand. He hopped away, still yelling. “Oh! It hurts!” he screamed, as he tried to get away. Then, God’s bumblebee went back to gathering food from the clover.
Peter backed away from Johnny. “I didn’t do anything,” he stammered. Then he ran, too.
“I didn’t do anything, either,” thought Johnny happily. “Jesus fought my battle for me.”
“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17)