Joshua 1:8-11
Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. 9 “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. 10 For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left
The entire nation of Israel except for two people feared the giants and warriors in the Promised Land so much that would rather go back to Egypt as slaves to die as slaves than live in freedom in their own country (Numbers 13:25- 14:4). As punishment for their faithless disobedience they died out in the wilderness wandering around for forty long years. Now, in the Book of Joshua, we are learning from Rahab that God had already prepared the way for the Israelites long ago. Rahab and her people anticipated the Israelites coming and trembled in fear before the Lord. They had no courage to fight God’s people. What a shame,
How often do we allow fear to stop us for obeying the Lord, only to find out a little later that what was stopping us was only in our minds? I think all of us are guilty of this from time to time. God brings the next great challenge in our life to help us grow stronger to help others and we find something about the challenge strikes fear in our hearts and stops us dead in our tracks. Now we have a dilemma, if we act in fear we stay right where we are in our own proverbial dessert wandering around but going nowhere. If we have a “duck-and-run” kind of faith we learn that God had already prepared the way for us and there was never anything to fear.
Most of us have experienced this throughout our walk with God but when we find something to fear we need to make the right decision. Some of the people in our church are facing this very thing.
Based on your experience, what are some things they can do to squash their fear and have that “duck-and-run” kind of faith?”
I understand what it is like to run away because I fear many things. The loss of my mother caused the fear of abandonment. The times of abuse made me afraid to trust real love. The many traumatic events that happened to me and other family members over the years caused me to run away to my own safe places. Addictions. Anything that could fill my heart and erase the memories and fears. But... God can fill that empty love container. Everyday I grow closer to Him by allowing His words to fill my heart. I am slowly beginning to trust safe and healthy people. I am learning more about God through His truth in the Bible. His way is the only way and His way is safe. Jeremiah 29:11
ReplyDeleteWow, that is an awesome testimony Angel! That is excellent advice. Will you please share more verses that have helped you overcome your fears?
ReplyDeletePsalms 9:9-10
ReplyDeleteI Chronicles 28:10
Matthew 6:34
Matthew 17:20
1corinthians 10:13
My cousin Danny gave his testimony at Teen Challenge last night. I prayed with him moments before he spoke. There were 25 men graduating and he was the one sharing. God is using him. I never imagined how strong the Spirit would move through him as he spoke. His desire is to stay on board as a volunteer and go to college to be a youth Pastor. He knows the Lord in a deep and profound way. I am so happy. I pray that seeds can be planted for his 2 sisters and 2 brothers.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I thought he was next on the list to die in our family. Praise God!!!!
I have a real problem with reading. I just never really liked it. And it is not that I can't read. Cause I surely can. It's just deciphering the meaning of the story. To hear the story is so much easier for me. I can imagine everything a bit easier. I do read the bible. But I find my self in front of the TV or PC more. After Pastor Steve’s message on the bible and all its new Medias. I looked-up his sermon notes at the CLCC web site. And I found the links to the sites he had mentioned. And so I got started with the book of Geneses. it took about two days, but well worth it, a good bit of the word all at one time. The plus side was: I was finally finished a book of the bible with full understanding of the story and its apex massage, the bad thing was the digestion of the true meaning of the many passages and compact communication. The bible is deep! So deep, you can find great meaning in the smallest group of text. I will always have to revisit the book of Geneses. I wish to know it, like one would have to watch his favorite actors, following every movie after movie and roll after roll. Memorizing their lines, after awhile I could reflect on his word. I can hear a line in a movie, and know where it came from and what else happened prior and post, that line was said in the movie. Basically I wish to know the bible as I should know my father’s words and more importantly his intentions. I mean that’s the real reason for me reading it … to know his intentions for me and all that I love. But am I really that selfish, am I alone in feeling like this? I mean isn’t the bible the ..
ReplyDelete(B)asic
(I)nstruction
(B)efore
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To know the ways of our Lord, how else would we know of heaven? If not without the bible, and the love of the Christ. may we all stay in the word, GOD bless