Faith over Fear..

 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.—Genesis 20:11

The fear of man brings a snare, but those who trust in the Lord shall be safe.  

Abraham arrives in Gerar and begins to be afraid. Instead of trusting God with the situation he finds himself in, he allows fear to rule and decides to deceive Abimelech.  His eyes are not on God but on his circumstances.  Abraham tries to control the narrative so he can be seen in the best light by those in authority and perhaps preserve his life.  

Fear is the opposite of faith.  Fear produces chaos in our hearts and in our lives. Faith produces peace which is a fruit of the Spirit.  Sometimes, we, like Abraham, forget who God is.  Our faith falters and we sink in the mire of doubt, fear and even unbelief.  

Beloved...Our God is mighty...His works are wonderful. His arm is not short and there is nothing too hard for Him.  We, who believe, stand in grace...in God’s permanent,  unmerited, divine favor.  Our sure and certain destiny is that we will share in the very glory of God. Trust Him.  He will work in every situation you face for your good and His glory.  He is sovereign and no one and nothing can separate you from His love. 

God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear,—Psalm 46:1-2a

Psalms 18

God the Sovereign Savior

(2 Sam. 22:1–51)

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:

1 I will love You, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;

So shall I be saved from my enemies.

4 The pangs of death surrounded me,

And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;

The snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called upon the LORD,

And cried out to my God;

He heard my voice from His temple,

And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

7 Then the earth shook and trembled;

The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,

Because He was angry.

8 Smoke went up from His nostrils,

And devouring fire from His mouth;

Coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down

With darkness under His feet.

10 And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;

He flew upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness His secret place;

His canopy around Him was dark waters

And thick clouds of the skies.

12 From the brightness before Him,

His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

13 The LORD thundered from heaven,

And the Most High uttered His voice,

Hailstones and coals of fire.

14 He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe,

Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.

15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,

The foundations of the world were uncovered

At Your rebuke, O LORD,

At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

16 He sent from above, He took me;

He drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,

From those who hated me,

For they were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

But the LORD was my support.

19 He also brought me out into a broad place;

He delivered me because He delighted in me.

20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;

According to the cleanness of my hands

He has recompensed me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD,

And have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all His judgments were before me,

And I did not put away His statutes from me.

23 I was also blameless before Him,

And I kept myself from my iniquity.

24 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,

According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;

With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;

26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;

And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

27 For You will save the humble people,

But will bring down haughty looks.

28 For You will light my lamp;

The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

29 For by You I can run against a troop,

By my God I can leap over a wall.

30 As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the LORD is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

31 For who is God, except the LORD?

And who is a rock, except our God?

32 It is God who arms me with strength,

And makes my way perfect.

33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,

And sets me on my high places.

34 He teaches my hands to make war,

So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;

Your right hand has held me up,

Your gentleness has made me great.

36 You enlarged my path under me,

So my feet did not slip.

37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;

Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.

38 I have wounded them,

So that they could not rise;

They have fallen under my feet.

39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;

You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies,

So that I destroyed those who hated me.

41 They cried out, but there was none to save;

Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.

42 Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;

I cast them out like dirt in the streets.

43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;

You have made me the head of the nations;

A people I have not known shall serve me.

44 As soon as they hear of me they obey me;

The foreigners submit to me.

45 The foreigners fade away,

And come frightened from their hideouts.

46 The LORD lives!

Blessed be my Rock!

Let the God of my salvation be exalted.

47 It is God who avenges me,

And subdues the peoples under me;

48 He delivers me from my enemies.

You also lift me up above those who rise against me;

You have delivered me from the violent man.

49 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles,

And sing praises to Your name.

50 Great deliverance He gives to His king,

And shows mercy to His anointed,

To David and his descendants forevermore.

Is There Anything too Hard for the Lord?

 8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;

Make Your way straight before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;

Their inward part is destruction;

Their throat is an open tomb;

They flatter with their tongue.

10 Pronounce them guilty, O God!

Let them fall by their own counsels;

Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,

For they have rebelled against You.

11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;

Let those also who love Your name

Be joyful in You.

12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;

With favor You will surround him as with a shield.—Psalm 5:8-12

Oh, Lord, come to our rescue!  Save us O God!  

Lead us in right paths because of our enemies.  Make Your way straight before our face. They, Father, delight in evil. They have rebelled against You.  Pronounce them guilty.  Do not extinguish Your light here on the earth.  Allow them to fall by their own counsels. Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions.  Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

But let all those rejoice who have placed their trust in you. Let them shout for joy because You defend them.  For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous...with favor You will surround him as with a shield. 

 

Single Minded Heart...

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”—Genesis 15:1

Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?”—Genesis 16:13

Give ear to my words, O LORD,

Consider my meditation.

2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,

My King and my God,

For to You I will pray.

3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up.

4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,

Nor shall evil dwell with You.

5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;

You hate all workers of iniquity.

6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;

The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;

In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.—Psalm 5:1-7

He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;—Proverbs 2:7b

And preserves the way of His saints.—Proverbs 2:8b

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!—Matthew 6:21-23

Each one of the verses above from my Bible reading this morning seemed to join forces to bless me and chase away my dark, useless thoughts.  Satan battles for our minds.  Mine, if I am not vigilant, is easily captured.  I read the news and my mind goes into overdrive with dark possibilities of the future.  In reality, NO ONE knows what tomorrow will bring except God.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend my perfectly good today being sick to my stomach and anxious about what might or might not happen tomorrow. 

The Bible tells us that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. So many things clamor to be front and center in my mind...my prayer today is that Christ would be first in my heart and in my mind. I want Christ to be what “I” am about.  I want Christ to be treasure. 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.—Matthew 6:21

He lights up my darkness. He brings me joy.  Ensconced in Him, I can smile through the dark days...even the nights will be light about me.

Paul is such a good example in this because Paul, despite his often terrible circumstances, was joyful.  Paul had a mind that was singularly devoted to seeing ALL that came his way in the light of Christ. For Paul, to live was Christ and to die was gain. I want that.

Like Christ, Paul also focused outward and put others first.  He clothed himself with humility.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.—Philippians 2:3-4

Lord...I am tired of me...by Your gracious Spirit, focus my heart outward.

Paul set his mind on the heavenly and not the earthly declaring in Philippians 3 that his citizenship was in heaven. 

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.—Philippians 3:20-21

Father...help me to cling to You and not to this world.  

Finally, Paul trusted God with all...he knew he was not sufficient for any of it. It is my guess that this was truly the key to his joy.  When I can really see that there is nothing in this life that I am in control of or sufficient for and when I TRULY cast it all on my Heavenly Father, then His peace, His provision and His power are mine and my mind can rest securely in His perfect love.  ❤️ (read Philippians 4)

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Notes for my heart on today’s verses...

Genesis 15:1 reminded me that it is God who is my shield and my exceedingly great reward.  I am in Christ!  I am accepted in the beloved.  He is my treasure, my refuge, my strength, my song and my salvation. 

The Angel of the Lord’s words to Hagar in chapter 16 have blessed my heart and renewed my mind since the first time I read them 26 years ago.  I serve a God who sees ME!  He knows the way I take.  He is my guide even unto death.  I can only fall as far as His everlasting arms. 

Psalm 5 tells me from where my true help comes.  My voice He will hear in the morning....in the morning I will look up and direct it to Him. In the multitude of His mercy, He will hear me.  My God is a God of mercy, truth and justice and He is angry at the wicked every day. They shall not stand unpunished in the day of judgment.  But the Lord preserves the way of His saints...they will be blessed both temporally and eternally.  

Per Matthew 6:22-23 I will fill my mind with those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and praiseworthy. I will by His Spirit see His lovingkindness before my eyes.  

You Alone, Make Me Dwell in Safety....

 Be angry, and do not sin.

Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.

Selah

5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

And put your trust in the LORD.

6 There are many who say,

“Who will show us any good?”

LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.

7 You have put gladness in my heart,

More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.—Psalm 4:4-8

The words of Psalm 4 spoke to my heart this morning as I read them.  Beloved, we can’t always rejoice in our circumstances, but we can always rejoice in the Lord!  The Lord reigns...Let His people, rejoice!  

Stand in awe of who He is. Tremble before the One who holds the power of life and death in His hands.  The One who is truly in control. The One who loves us with an everlasting love and upholds us with His righteous right hand.  The fear of the Lord exempts us from every other fear. 

Think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Fill your mind with His goodness and the richness of His word. Be still (literally “hands off”) and know that He is God.

"Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."  Do the next right thing!!  Do not react according to the dictates of your own heart but respond rightly according to His word.  Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.  Honor Him by trusting Him.  Know that He is your defender. 

You, O Lord, have put gladness in my hearts in both good times as well as bad. Your grace is sufficient.  Your lovingkindness draws me and Your love overwhelms me.   I will not fret nor will I fear.  I will lay down in peace and sleep...casting all my care upon You, for You care for me. You alone make me dwell in safety. 

And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation." So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.—Exodus 34:6-8

Be Gracious to Us and Deliver Us

 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

You have relieved me in my distress;

Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

2 How long, O you sons of men,

Will you turn my glory to shame?

How long will you love worthlessness

And seek falsehood?

Selah

3 But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly;

The LORD will hear when I call to Him.—Psalm 4:1-3

Father...

In You and You alone is our righteousness and our strength.  To You, our God will we come...You are our help.  You will put to shame all those who are incensed against You. O God, the battle is Yours!  In You and You alone will we glory. You will fight for us (ME!) and we (I) will hold our peace.  

The enemy confronts us in the day of our calamity, but You, our God, are our support. You bring us out into a broad place...You deliver us because You delight in those who belong to You..ME!  You are our God and You are for us.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!

For my soul trusts in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,

Until these calamities have passed by.

2 I will cry out to God Most High,

To God who performs all things for me.

3 He shall send from heaven and save me;

He reproaches the one who would swallow me up.

Selah—Psalm 57:1-3

Go with us today, Father, and have mercy on us!  For how then will it be known that we, Your people, have found grace in Your sight, except that You go with us?  We cast our care upon You today, Father. Our hearts are steadfast, O God, our hearts are steadfast.  We will sing and give praise.  

I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing to You among the nations.

10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,

And Your truth unto the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

Let Your glory be above all the earth.—Psalm 57:9-11

The Bow in the Cloud...

 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud;—Genesis 9:14

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction . . .” (2 Cor. 1:3-4 ESV).

For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.—2 Cor 1:5

I have spent much time this year meditating and reading on Genesis 9:14.  Rather than writing a devotional that could not possibly do it justice, I am sharing here portions of some of my favorite expositions on this particular section of Scripture.(Genesis 9:8-17). I would also recommend reading in full both Warren Wiersbe’s exposition as well as John MacDuff’s book.  Praying they bless you and that you take them into your heart for the inevitable rainy days to come. 

Matthew Henry:

“The seal of this covenant was the rainbow. The rainbow appears when we have most reason to fear the rain prevailing; God then shows this seal of the promise, that it shall not prevail. The thicker the cloud, the brighter the bow in the cloud. Thus, as threatening afflictions abound, encouraging consolations much more abound. The rainbow is the reflection of the beams of the sun shining upon or through the drops of rain: all the glory of the seals of the covenant are derived from Christ, the Sun of righteousness. And he will shed a glory on the tears of his saints. A bow speaks terror, but this has neither string nor arrow; and a bow alone will do little hurt. It is a bow, but it is directed upward, not toward the earth; for the seals of the covenant were intended to comfort, not to terrify.”—Matthew Henry

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction . . .” (2 Cor. 1:3-4 ESV).

For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.—2 Cor 1:5

John MacDuff

No bow of promise in the dark and cloudy day shines more radiantly than this: God, my God, the God who gave Jesus—orders all events and overrules all for my good! 

“When I” says He, “bring a cloud over the earth” (Gen. 9:14), He has no wish to conceal the hand which shadows for a time earth’s brightest prospects. It is He alike who “brings” the cloud, who brings us into it, and in mercy leads us through it! His kingdom rules over all. “The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD” (Prov. 16:33). We are tenants at will; but, blessed thought, at God’s will. He puts the burden on, and keeps it on, and at His own time will remove it!—John MacDuff from “The Bow in the Cloud” (Editing Author - Ralph Tilley)

Spurgeon:

And I will establish My Covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off anymore by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the Covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token for a Covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud. And I will remember My Covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it 

“What a wonderful expression that is! It is similar to that remarkable declaration of Jehovah, recorded in Exodus 12:13. "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." The blood was not to be sprinkled inside the house where the Israelites might be comforted by a sight of it, but outside the house where only God could see it. It is for our sake that the rainbow is set in the cloud and we can see it there. Yet Infinite Mercy represents it as being there as a refreshment to the memory of God — "The bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it."

That I may remember the Everlasting Covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 

So when my eye of faith is dim and I cannot see the Covenant sign, I will remember that there is an eye which never can be dim — which always sees the Covenant token — and so I shall still be secure notwithstanding the dimness of my spiritual vision. For our comfort we must see it, but for our safety, blessed be God, it is only necessary that He should see it!”—Spurgeon

Warren Wiersbe

“Let’s pursue that thought. If the rainbow reminds us of God’s faithfulness and grace, then why do we fret and worry? God hasn’t promised that we’ll never experience storms, but He has promised that the storms won’t destroy us. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you” (Isa. 43:2 NKJV). When the clouds appear and the sun is hidden, we have nothing to fear.

Let’s think about the bow. A bow is an instrument of war, but God has transformed it into a picture of His grace and faithfulness, a guarantee of peace. God could certainly turn the bow of judgment upon us, because we’ve broken His law and deserve judgment. But He has turned the bow toward heaven and taken the punishment for us Himself! When Jesus died on the cross, it was the Just One suffering for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18) and bearing the suffering that rightfully belonged to us.”—Warren Wiersbe from Be Series Commentary “Be Basic” Genesis 9:8-17