For the Thing I Greatly Feared...

For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me...
Job 3:25a NKJV

God is very clear about Fear Not... it is one thing He kept repeating. Don't fear, don't be afraid, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid... over and over. Why do we ignore Him?

A friend of mine planned to retire, but because of the economic downturn, he lost a lot of money in his investments and didn't have the money to retire. It was what he feared the most. Often times, I have heard people say, "I was afraid this would happen" or "that would happen." I've said it myself and you probably have, too.

No doubt about it, people fear a lot of things - and the media makes their living from it. Terrorism, financial ruin, virulent viruses, cancer, heart disease. But in Truth, there is only one thing we are to fear - and that with holy reverence - the Lord our God.

Deuteronomy 6:1-2, reads, Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.

Jesus said in John 14:1-3, Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

What if the only thing we feared was the Lord our God? Then it would be with joy and great celebration that we would utter the words, For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me... Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Prayer:

Father,
            Forgive us for fearing anything other than You. Forgive us for not recognizing, acknowledging and accepting Your promises to be with us and to guide us and to protect us. Keep us from all unrighteousness, Father. We need Your mercy and Your grace and the courage to walk out our convictions. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Keeping Track

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

Psalm 56:8 NLT

Sometimes, it seems like the hard seasons of life are so much longer than the good times. It is in times like these I am SO glad we have the Word of God to stand on, to lean on, to wield as a weapon to ward off the onslaught of the enemy of our souls. Even though it may feel like all of hell has waged war against us, the battle is the Lord's! God has a weapon prepared to answer every attack. It's in the manual (the Bible). 2nd Corinthians 10:4 tells us, We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 

Sometimes our battles are fought through tear stains. I've said it before - tears are a gift from God. They are a language that God understands. I've lost track of the number of times I have stood with tears streaming down my face, declaring the Truth of God's Word over the facts I faced, wielding the sword of the Lord to knock down the lies of satan. I may have lost track, but God has never lost track. His Word tells us so. 

It's why we can stand and declare the victory that we may only see with our spiritual eye, and then pray it till it comes alive in us. If we continue reading from our Promise for Today, Psalm 56, verses 9b-11, we find the courage to fight through our tears. This I know: God is on my side! I praise God for what he has promised; yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? 

Prayer:

Father,

          You keep track of all our sorrows. You have collected all our tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book. Help us to see them as a vital part of our arsenal in the battle of life. Thank You for weaponry that will take down strongholds and destroy lies. Birth in us a fresh desire to read and embrace Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Read the Map

And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
Titus 2:12-14 NLT

Let's say I am heading west when I finally realize that the destination I desire is actually east. However, this road I'm on, heading west, is a wide road and has no tolls and I can travel at 75 miles an hour. No hindrances. No roadwork. No detours. No problem...smooth sailing, except I'm going in the wrong direction. Oh, it has lots of exits - opportunities to turn around - but if all I do is exit and fill up and get right back on the same road, I'm not going to make my desired destination. I can say where I want to go and actually make up my mind to go there, but unless I turn around and head in the right direction, I'm not ever going to arrive.

The same is true on our Christian journey. We all want to make it to Heaven, but we don't all want to take the road that gets us there. We're told to repent, but we don't want to make the U-turn. In order to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures, we cannot keep going in the same direction.

What keeps us from turning around? Is it that the road heading east is a narrow road? Is it because there's a price to pay? Is it because at times we're going to have to be still instead of being able to keep moving? Or is it because there are only rest areas instead of exits with all the goodies that go with the exits?

To turn from godless living and sinful pleasures, we cannot keep going in the same direction. Have you read the map?

Prayer:

Father,
             Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Go before us and make the crooked way straight, Father, as You have promised. Make the path plain so we can find our way to You. Keep us between the lines, O God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Take Me Back

     Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
    Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
Colossians 3:14-16 NLT

First day back to work after how long...? Grateful or groaning? It's all in how we look at it. It's a heart condition, actually. It's easy to grumble. What does our text read today? ...you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 

Will we lament and grumble because we had to go back to work or will we give thanks that we have a position with a boss we respect, and people we like, one that affords us a flexible schedule, and provides a good wage?  Will we choose to be hardly thankful or heartily thankful? Let's choose the path that leads us always back to the Lord our God. 

Prayer:

Father,
           We pray Your Word. It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and sing praises to Your name, O Most High. It is good to tell of Your loving-kindness in the morning, and of how faithful You are at night, with harps, and with music of praise. For You have made us glad by what You have done, O Lord. We will sing for joy at the works of Your hands. Give us opportunity to tell of Your excellent greatness, O God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Psalm 143

Hear my prayer, O Lord,

Give ear to my supplications!
In Your faithfulness answer me,
And in Your righteousness.
2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in [a]darkness,
Like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is distressed.

5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I [b]muse on the work of Your hands.
6 I spread out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

7 Answer me speedily, O Lord;
My spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me,
Lest I [c]be like those who [d]go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.

9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
[e]In You I take shelter.
10 Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.


11 Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 In Your mercy cut[f] off my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.

Prayer:

Father,

          We pray as David prayed, Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. 

Revive me, O Lord, in Jesus' Name we pray, Amen

Who Knows?

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Psalm 139:16 NLT

Let's talk about Esther. Orphaned at an early age, taken in by an older cousin, and offered up in the B.C. version of Queen for a Day - but only if you qualify. (This would not be my first choice, nor my second, not even my thirtieth...). However, think about this. If she hadn't been orphaned, if her older cousin hadn't taken her in and then offered her up for the king's wife lottery, where would she be when the time came to fulfill her purpose in life?

An entire culture had been sentenced to die. Mordecai expected Esther to fix it. Period. No excuses, because she was in the right place at the right time. He asked her, "If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

She was scared witless. She could die merely by taking the first step into the ruler's presence without his expressed permission. I am positive the words kept ringing in her spirit, 'For such a time as this!' 'For such a time as this!' 

It rings throughout my day, 'For such a time as this!' 'For such a time as this!' and echoes as Ephesians 2:10 repeats itself in my heart, "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."  

God knows all our days. He planned them... long ago.  As scary as this world can be on its worst days, we are here for such a time as this. God ordained that we would be here... in the right place at the right time... to do the things HE planned for us.

What will WE do?

Prayer:

Father,
           In the words of King David, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Let me fulfill the purpose You have planned for my life... for such a time as this. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

None There

And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.
1st John 5:11-13 NLT

Several of my family and close friends are grieving the loss of multiple family members this year and my heart aches for them. Grieving is so difficult. One can get lost in the wilderness of it all. I don't know how people who don't have a relationship with the Lord can find their way through the valley of the shadow of death. I'll just tell you straight up, I could not. Not without God. Not without His promises. 

As Christians, we lean heavily upon His Word with regard to eternal life with Christ. Paul writes in Thessalonians that we don't grieve as the world grieves (without hope), but we still grieve. There's sorrow in the loss we feel this side of heaven, but Psalm 119:50 tells us, Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles. Today, as I was thinking about a friend who placed a bench in the cemetery near the loved one's gravesite, I rejoiced with the great good news that there are NO GRAVES IN HEAVEN. None. This whole grieving process will be left behind when Jesus comes to get us...

Revelation 21:4 promises that He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. There will be none there. Thank You, Lord!

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for the promise of eternal life. Thank You for giving us Your Word so we can remind ourselves when we forget. Thank You for the comfort that only You can provide and Your precious peace that passes understanding. Father, I pray for those who are sorrowing. Please let them feel Your presence all around them, loving and comforting. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen