06/05/2023
I will not be afraid today. My God stands with me, and in trusting this, I fear nothing. Are you facing the world alone? Do you only seek God when you come up against trouble? Do you only turn to Jesus in the midst of life’s storms? Try walking with Them before hardship arrives!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”
Proverbs 3:5-8
As humans, our will is strong and leads us instinctively to do things on our own. We are plagued with the desire to face everything by ourselves. In certain circumstances this might seem to serve us well, but in the long run it does not. Listen as Jesus teaches us this lesson during His three prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane…
“And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.””
Matthew 26:39 ESV
“Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.””
Mathew 26:42 ESV
“So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.”
Matthew 26:44 ESV
A couple of my children were particularly hard headed and always wanted to do things on their own. Even as babies they would take the spoon from my hand and try to feed themselves. Then, as adolescents they would want to operate the television by themselves... well... you get the picture! You may have a child like this too. Dealing with such children can be excruciatingly frustrating and trying. As they attempt to find their favorite show among hundreds of channels you want to snatch the remote from their hand and go directly to it. God must feel that way with us when we take the figurative remote from Him and try to guide our own lives. It must tweak at His nerves as He waits for us to give up, or come against some insurmountable hardship before calling on Him. Wouldn't it make more sense to move through life in concert with Him as we go?
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Hebrews 13:5-6 KJV
God is indeed our helper, but so often we face the world alone and only as a last resort call upon Him for help or salvation. We find ourselves in a particularly bad spot and then we search God's Word trying to find something, or make something fit our circumstance. In my devotional reading Oswald Chambers acknowledged this frailty in us when he wrote...
"Are you learning to say things after listening to God, or are you saying things and trying to make God's Word fit in? Get hold of the Father's Say-so, and then say with good courage - "I will not fear."" - Oswald Chambers
Life becomes smoother when we maintain a continuous conversation with Jesus as we travel through our days. Some trouble will have an obvious solution, while other situations can be avoided all together. God's Holy Word isn't so much like the instructions that come with our television, which we flip through to find a section on common problems and fixes when the set goes on the fritz. It is more like a travel guide that instructs us every step along the way of our pilgrimage through life, and tells us how to form a relationship with Him. Just like seeking God's will for us in the morning of every day, His Word warns us beforehand to identify impending trouble and handle or avoid it.
“The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”
Psalm 121:7-8
Do you talk with God all day long? Do you work with Him to do His bidding, and allow Him to help you in yours? Do you have a partnership in which He is the senior partner, or do you treat Him like a repairman that you only call on dire occasion? Don't be like the Israelites in the desert... fearing death because of a lack of faith in God. Listen to their voices, full of fear, as the pharaoh's army closes in on them.
“And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?”
Exodus 14:11 KJV
No, we should be more like Enoch who walked with God all his life, and feared not because of his trust in the Lord. His life was full and God's peace was upon him...
“And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
Genesis 5:22-24 KJV
If we consult with the Father in all things, we will find His counsel sufficient, and His deliverance from trouble perfect. When we trust in Him then we can face the world without fear.
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”
Psalms 34:19 KJV
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for walking each day with me. I thank you for your wise counsel and unwavering defense against all harm. I thank you for revealing your will to me and for the faith it takes to abide within it. Holy Father you are my strength and my courage. In you I fear nothing; not even death itself can defeat me. Guide me as you did your Son Jesus Christ. Wake me early in the morning and call me away to a quiet place where I can be still in your presence and know you for who you are... my God. Stand by me in the face of trouble and let your Word be my shield and your strong right arm my defense. In you Father I fear nothing, for all things are subject unto you, and nothing can stand against your might. I praise you for your strength. I praise you for your wisdom. But I praise you especially in your unwavering Love and faithfulness. All glory be yours… now and forevermore.
Rich Forbes