What Do You Fear?

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; 

they cannot touch your soul. 

Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28

 

 What are you afraid of?  When I was younger, I wasn't (am still not) too fond of heights. It was so much the falling that frightened me, so much as the intense pain of the sudden stop at the bottom.

 

When we were children, we used to fear many things:

   *  Like spiders (and some still have an aversion to them), 

   *  and clowns, 

   *  and drowning, 

   *  and alligators, 

   *  and any number of things.  

 

And as we grow up, we mostly grow out of those fears because we have new ones to replace them:

   *   losing your hair.

   *   developing a long term illness.

   *   having to speak in public

   *   being summoned to the boss's office.

   *   failing in school or in a career

 

There are those who will tell you that if you face your fears, you can overcome them.  Apparently, they have never watched a single horror movie, because when you face the critter that scares you in a horror movie, bad things happen to you.

 

Fear can paralyze us.  Fear can stop us from reaching out to someone who needs our help.  Fear can make us......well, afraid.  And then I saw a movie that I wish I could remember the title of, but the main gunfighter was facing his nemesis who was holding his weapon to the head of a hostage.  The nemesis said, "One more step and I'll kill her."  To which the hero said, "Then there will be no one but you and me."  

 

While that may sound cruel and rather heartless, think about this for a second.  Why are we afraid to speak to someone?  Because they may tell us to go away?  So what?   

 

Why are we afraid to help someone?  Because they may not want our help?  So what?

 

Why do we not pray when we're in public?  Because someone might not like it?  So what?  You don't have to bow your head, close your eyes, and look "holy" to pray.  

 

Our enemy would have us afraid of him, because he can cause our life here to be not so much fun.  But when we let God's light shine on his false "power" we will see and God will grant us the strength and courage we need.  

Be Brave!

Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

I love reading.  And one of my favorite series of books to read are the Lord of the Rings (if you haven't read them, I highly recommend them).  In this story, Frodo has to take an evil item to it's place of origin so it will be destroyed, and it is quite the adventure.  But Frodo is given a bit of advice: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door.  You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

 

How often have we been afraid to step out of our comfort zone because we don't know where we might be swept off to?  How many times have we "played it safe" and chosen to try to hide from the world because of all the evil that seems to be running rampant all about?

 

Read what the Psalmist reminds us of: "Even when I walk THROUGH the darkest valley, I will not be afraid."  We were never told to enter the darkest valley and stop.  When we are in our darkest places where we feel as though we are being attacked from every side, we are to keep moving!  We are not to be afraid!  Because God is not only with us, but He has already traveled this road ahead of us; He has already fought this fight for us!  And here's the best part....He has already WON!  

 

When you step out of your door or your comfort zone or your hiding place, step out with the knowledge that God has already won!  Step out with the courage that nothing can take God's victory away!  Nothing can change the outcome God has already proclaimed.  Absolutely NOTHING!

 

Armor Up! Step Up! And let's march on together!

The Land Of Far Far Away

If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.

Psalm 139:9-10

Have you ever wanted to just get away from everything and everyone?  Ever thought about escaping to some tropical island and living the rest of your life as a beach bum?  Me too!  I love the beach!  There's something relaxing about listening to the surf.  The only reason I don't go to the beach every time I have an opportunity...all the PEOPLE!  And it never fails, when I take time to "get away" to think...the one person who doesn't understand the whole "boundaries" concept will park right next to me and chatter away like a monkey mainlining Starbucks Espresso.

But guess what? No matter where I go, no matter where I try to hide, God is always there.  Even if we run away to the most desolate place on earth, God is there loving us and caring for us.  And here's the MOST important part of this...even if we try to hide within ourselves and let no one in...God is there too!  The One who created us also loves us, cares for us, provides for us, gives us strength, and wants us to know how loved we are.

If you need to escape, run to Him!  

What's Your Excuse?

Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

  “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”
Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath. 
~John 5:2-7

Excuses!  Boy aren't we good about finding excuses.  Why? Because if we can get people to accept our excuses then we don't think we have to take any personal responsibility....after all, it's not MY fault!

Here we see Jesus in Jerusalem walking by one of the public pools.  Tradition stated that when an angel moved the water, the first person into the pool would be healed.  Jesus saw a man laying on a mat by the pool and asks him if he would like to get well.  The man thought Jesus was just passing the time of day in small talk so he explains that while he would like to be healed, there's a reason why he can't.  Some would wonder, if the man could get to the edge of the pool with no apparent help, why couldn't he roll into the pool on his own.  Such answers we are not given.

You see, the man gave Jesus a plausible excuse why he couldn't get into the pool.  Jesus, on the other hand, saw the man's potential and healed him.  While we celebrate the face that Jesus healed this man, we don't notice the truth of what Jesus did for this man.  In reality, Jesus took away the man's excuses!  When Jesus healed this man, He took away all the excuses why the man couldn't become self-supporting; Jesus took away all excuses why the man needed someone to do everything for him; Jesus took away all the excuses why the man should be pitied.  Jesus takes away our excuses all the time!

Jesus takes away our excuses!  "I'm too tired to make it to church this week" - Go to bed earlier instead of partying all night.  "I don't have enough money in my month" - Get rid of the expenses that aren't vital to survival.  "I hate my job" - Change your attitude or change your job. 

I'll admit, I much prefer to exercise my mind over my body.  My body is built for comfort.  My doctor told me I must walk (quick march) no less than 45 minutes each day.  I gave him all the excuses I could think of why I "couldn't" and the response I got was "You got legs that work?  You can walk!"

Jesus teaches us every single day and in teaching us, He takes away our excuses.  When you stand before God to give account for your life, what excuses will you offer?

No Place To Hide

Can a man hide himself in secret places so that 

I cannot see him? declares the Lord. 

Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.

~Jeremiah 23:24

 

When my daughter was a toddler, she loved to play Hide-and-Seek.  She would stand in the middle of the room with her eyes squeezed shut thinking no one could see her. Now that I have partially embarrassed her (I left the photos of the event out of this), let's think about something.

 

How many times do you think we do the same thing with God?  We think God can't see us or we think we can hide from Him.  Hmmmm...can we hide from Him?

 

Psalm 139:7 asks: 

"Where can I go to escape Your spirit?
Where can I flee to hide from Your presence?" 

 

I don't know about you, but I find it comforting knowing that God can never lose me in a crowd.  I find it comforting knowing that I can never hide from the love of God!  That means God knows me far better than I know myself!

 

Where can I hide from God?  The better question would be, Why would you want to hide from God?