Jos 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
Jos 24:15 ¶ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
I am still studying fear, and now have moved into discovering what is the fear of the Lord. I came across this verse and the idea occurs to me that fear is not a passive thing when it comes to truly fearing and honoring and valuing my relationship with God. Fearing God is very active and deliberate, unlike the passive fear response we experience when threatened.
The setting is Joshua is telling the people to actively choose to fear the Lord and put away idols. I did a quick inventory of the idols I currently tend to worship: money, my kids, my job, being in control, self pity, pride, stubbornness. I determined these were idols in my life by considering how much time, money, energy and thought life I put into those things.
One thing I realized when I thought about these idols--I really can change how I think and feel about these things--but I haven't really WANTED to. And, here's the key--TO COVER UP THE FACT THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE, I TOLD MYSELF I WAS TOO HELPLESS TO CHANGE THE WAY I AM.
I have great reasons why I have to keep on doing things the way I do--stressed out, worried about what people will think, wondering how to keep everybody happy, not taking care of my body.
But buried in those excuses is the solid "NO!" that I am saying to God. And all the wishing or agreeing in my mind with what I should do will not change the fact that I am rebelling against God.
The other thing I realized is that I WILL KNOW WHEN MY WILL IS SURRENDERED WHEN I ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. Until I actually make a change, I am merely accenting to obedience.
Knowing this actually gives me a freedom to pray and seek God with more authority and sincerity. Instead of praying, "God help me, because I CAN'T do what I should," I can pray, "God help me, because I don't WANT to do what I should". My prayers are directed to the root of the problem instead of at the periphery. God can handle my honest lack of will and work on my heart. If I am feigning helplessness, He has to wait for me to get real.
"God help me change" becomes, "God help me WANT to change" and that is truly fearing the Lord.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
The Gift of Relationship
I love Christmas Day. Today is no exception. I like the fun of seeing the gifts I've wrapped make people smile. I like opening my gifts to enjoy the fact that I have been thought of and loved. I love eating, I love Christmas music. I love the whole thing, but what I am really reveling in is the fact that I am spending time with people I love.
Right now, my daughter is playing a video game with her friend down the street. My youngest daughter is watching bonus features on the "A Christmas Story" with Greg and myself.
It's just a warm feeling when people are together, even if they are not roasting chestnuts or decking the halls with boughs of holly.
It strikes me that the whole reason Jesus came was motivated by some of the same togetherness that I have been loving this Christmas. Jesus didn't come to prove he was bigger than Satan and could save the world from sin, though he is, and did. He came because he was so passionate about making a way for mankind to cuddle up and be in God's presence.
The fact remains, that if Jesus did not come as a tiny infant when He did, we would not be able to call God our father, and not be able to stand in the presence of a holy God who can not tolerate the presence of anything less than perfection. Jesus is the solution to the dilemma between God's passion for holy perfection, and God's passion to be united with His creation.
So Jesus came to make a true, lasing relationship between God and mankind--all those who would accept Jesus as the bridge between humanity and God. No one is forced to walk that bridge, but all who do enter into the relationship they were designed to have. God's passion to relate is the greatest gift of Christmas.
I want to use Christmas as a launching pad--to relate more intimately and personally to God than I ever have in the past. I want to put away the trappings of going through the motions and really relate to the God who went to the trouble of becoming like me so He could restore my relationship with Him.
The gift I most want to receive this year is one I have already been given: The gift of a deeper relationship with God Himself.
Right now, my daughter is playing a video game with her friend down the street. My youngest daughter is watching bonus features on the "A Christmas Story" with Greg and myself.
It's just a warm feeling when people are together, even if they are not roasting chestnuts or decking the halls with boughs of holly.
It strikes me that the whole reason Jesus came was motivated by some of the same togetherness that I have been loving this Christmas. Jesus didn't come to prove he was bigger than Satan and could save the world from sin, though he is, and did. He came because he was so passionate about making a way for mankind to cuddle up and be in God's presence.
The fact remains, that if Jesus did not come as a tiny infant when He did, we would not be able to call God our father, and not be able to stand in the presence of a holy God who can not tolerate the presence of anything less than perfection. Jesus is the solution to the dilemma between God's passion for holy perfection, and God's passion to be united with His creation.
So Jesus came to make a true, lasing relationship between God and mankind--all those who would accept Jesus as the bridge between humanity and God. No one is forced to walk that bridge, but all who do enter into the relationship they were designed to have. God's passion to relate is the greatest gift of Christmas.
I want to use Christmas as a launching pad--to relate more intimately and personally to God than I ever have in the past. I want to put away the trappings of going through the motions and really relate to the God who went to the trouble of becoming like me so He could restore my relationship with Him.
The gift I most want to receive this year is one I have already been given: The gift of a deeper relationship with God Himself.
Friday, December 20, 2013
God's Comfort Lasts Forever--Not Fear of Man
I have a confession to make. I have needed the comfort of some sort of blanket in order to sleep for my entire life. When I was young it was a blanket my great aunt gave me at birth. When I was 17 I threw it away thinking I was too old. I promptly replaced it with an afghan my mother made. When that wore out, I replaced it with another afghan given as a wedding present. It's been a life-long comfort for me.
In Isaiah chapter 51, God is talking about real life-long comfort. He goes over with the Jews the fact that His salvation lasts for all eternity--even as the earth and heavens are consumed and all inhabitants die. His comfort and salvation are coming from the same eternal source that created the world and put it in motion. This is God Himself, who will also put in motion a new heaven and earth.
In the midst of this chapter, God says this:
Isa 51:12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
Isa 51:13 And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?
Going back to the theme of this week--Fearing God is the antidote to fearing man. When we fear what people think of us or what they may do to us, we are forgetting God and his great love for us!
We are putting our trust in our ability to please people in order to gain peace instead of setting our hearts firmly on the fact that God loves us.
I've seen demonstrations where a pencil can obstruct the sun if held in the right way. Fear of man is like that; a very small thing that looms larger in our mind than the very powerful and great loving God we serve. We can't be afraid of man and at the same time be fully immersed in God's love for us.
I will probably keep my blanket. But as this freedom from fear journey continues, I want to draw deep into the comfort of the Lord and keep Him in focus, not the thoughts and opinions of people.
ricochet.com
In Isaiah chapter 51, God is talking about real life-long comfort. He goes over with the Jews the fact that His salvation lasts for all eternity--even as the earth and heavens are consumed and all inhabitants die. His comfort and salvation are coming from the same eternal source that created the world and put it in motion. This is God Himself, who will also put in motion a new heaven and earth.
In the midst of this chapter, God says this:
Isa 51:12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
Isa 51:13 And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?
Going back to the theme of this week--Fearing God is the antidote to fearing man. When we fear what people think of us or what they may do to us, we are forgetting God and his great love for us!
We are putting our trust in our ability to please people in order to gain peace instead of setting our hearts firmly on the fact that God loves us.
I've seen demonstrations where a pencil can obstruct the sun if held in the right way. Fear of man is like that; a very small thing that looms larger in our mind than the very powerful and great loving God we serve. We can't be afraid of man and at the same time be fully immersed in God's love for us.
I will probably keep my blanket. But as this freedom from fear journey continues, I want to draw deep into the comfort of the Lord and keep Him in focus, not the thoughts and opinions of people.
ricochet.comThursday, December 19, 2013
Batach Again
Pr 29:25 ¶ The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
I think the most common fear I struggle with is fear of man. It's subtle, somehow my day is shaped by the expectations of others and I get anxious to do what I think will be accepted by others. My work performance, what my kids want for dinner, how my husband will think the house looks when he gets home--all day I am bombarded with what others will want and what they will think of me. It's not wrong to do a good job, make your kids happy and keep the house clean. It is wrong to let my life focus to be based on what people will think of me, and what I can do to please them.
Living for others to love me is a wrong type of fear that brings a lot of heartache--anxiety, disappointment, confusion over priorities, and depression. It keeps you from hearing from God what he wants you do and focusing on that. And, once again, fear is a twisted form of worship-it is trusting (in this case) the opinions of others more than trusting the love of God for me.
The second half of this verse is the antidote for fear of man: "whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." "Trust" here is that word from my blog of the other day, "Batach" which means to hide for refuge, to trust, be confident or sure:--be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one, woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.
Trusting in God means I may not please everyone, but I trust His love for me. My confidence comes not from keeping everyone happy, but from my relationship with God. I trust Him and do what HE tells me to do, regardless if it keeps the world happy.
The result is that I am "safe". That word means "lofty" "inaccessible" and "strong". If I am truly trusting in the Lord, I am going to be high above the fears that people won't like me, or that I am rejected for my bad hair, or rough day at work. The cacophony of anxious thoughts about the people around me will sound very distant. Peace will return to me as I sit quietly in God's presence.
And I will not have my head in the noose of fear of man. YAY!
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Who We Should Fear
I am still studying fear and how to overcome it. Today I came across Ps. 2:11---
"Serve the Lord with reverent awe and worshipful fear; rejoice and be in high spirits with trembling [lest you displease Him]. Amp.
First, I was thinking that when you fear something, you are giving it power over you. You are making it a controlling factor in your life. So in a sense, what you fear is what you worship.
It may sound negative to say, "Fear the Lord". But if you look at it like, "Make Him the chief concern in your life" it seems reasonable. Because what you fear the most has the most power over you.
I like that, according to this verse, I am full of awe and worship, rejoicing and in high spirits while I fear the Lord. The fear of God brings liberty from every other fear we can have. It sets us free to enjoy life. I like just having one thing to fear.
The part about "lest you displease Him" makes sense too. I hate to disappoint someone I really love and care for. Part of true love is caring about how the other person feels, even when that person is God.
So, I want to simplify my life and just focus all my "fear energy" into making God my chief concern. I think that is the best way to squash the little fears and not so little fears that plague my soul.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The Righteous are Bold as a Lion
"The wicked flee when no man pursueth but the righteous are bold as a lion." Prov. 28:1
I can identify with the first part of the verse easily. I am constantly battling fear and worry over things that don't even happen, or aren't even likely to happen. "What is that noise in my car--will I have to get a new one ---we can't afford that right now!" Or, "What if my girls hate me when they grow up ---how can I prevent that?" Dumb stuff.
The hurdle I have with this verse is on the "righteous" part. When will I be considered "righteous" enough to be truly confident? When can I say, "Ok, I am finally good enough to be bold? It seems that I am always looking at my level of behavior and skill and then shrinking back in fear because it's not good enough, not perfect enough to warrant the bold confidence I crave.
Performance driven confidence is seductive, we feel good about what we think we know or can do well, but it masks fear of being surpassed by someone else or we lose our abilities. Then there is the remaining fear of failure that concerns the areas we are not so hot.
I am convinced that the "righteousness" in the verse is not "doing good". It is RELATIONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS. We are in right standing because of Christ and our relationship with Him, nothing more.
There is a hint of this when you look at the Hebrew for the word "bold". The word, Batach, means:
" to hide for refuge; figuratively, to trust, be confident or sure:--be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless, put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.
Its more about Who you know than what you can do. Confidence comes in knowing the One who can do it all and knowing He cares for you, rather than strength, will power or skill.
So I would rewrite this verse: The self-confident flee when nothing pursues them, but the ones who know God loves them and trust Him to help are bold as a lion.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)