Do Not Be Afraid And Do Not Panic…

 

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.—Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT

This verse from Deuteronomy really spoke to my heart last night and gave me the impetus to talk with God about my fears and ask Him for His help in being strong and courageous. 

Beloved…God is so good.  As I began praying, the Spirit of God graciously uncovered the root of all my anxious thoughts.  As He did, my eyes brimmed with tears at the Lord’s tender-hearted love and kind desire to be my help. He reminded me through His word that any strength and courage I have are His and not mine. I didn’t have to listen to my feeling of fear because He had promised me in His word to not only go “personally” ahead of me as I walk through this world, but also that He would never fail me nor would He ever abandon me.

I don’t know about you, but I REALLY like those promises and want to be reminded of them often. Last night, as I pieced out each of them from Deuteronomy 31:6, my heart filled with the courage. At that moment I was able to do what was right despite how I felt because God’s word  had strengthened and righted my heart.  Truly, the word of the Lord is right and all His work is done in truth!

So did I go to sleep last night set free from fear and miraculously cured of all my anxious thoughts?  Not exactly. But here is what did happen. God was my help, my strength, and my song.  Each and every time my heart wavered, the Spirit of God reminded me not to be afraid or to panic, but to instead put off fear by dwelling on the promises found in Deuteronomy 31:6. He would personally go before me.  He would never fail me nor would He ever abandon me. 

The eternal God is your refuge,

And underneath are the everlasting arms;

He will thrust out the enemy from before you,

And will say, 'Destroy!'—Deuteronomy 33:27

Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."—John 6:29

I asked the Lord last night for a good thing. His will for me comes from His word. It is clear He does not want me to be afraid. I can learn how to be strong and courageous by looking at my Jesus. He can teach me to take courage and obey my Father in heaven even when I feel scared and the way is difficult. His perfect love will cast out my fear. 

Day by day…moment by moment…He will complete the good work He started in me so many years ago. I will look to Him and be radiant, my face unashamed.  Because He is at my right hand, I will never be moved. 

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."—Matthew 11:28-30

The LORD is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation;—Exodus 15:2

'I will go before you

And make the crooked places straight;

I will break in pieces the gates of bronze

And cut the bars of iron.

I will give you the treasures of darkness

And hidden riches of secret places,

That you may know that I, the LORD,

Who call you by your name,

Am the God of Israel.—Isaiah 45:2-3

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.—Psalm 23:6

You have hedged me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.—Psalm 139:5

How Precious Is Your Lovingkindness…

 

Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;

Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the great mountains;

Your judgments are a great deep;

O LORD, You preserve man and beast.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,

And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

For with You is the fountain of life;

In Your light we see light.

Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,

And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

Let not the foot of pride come against me,

And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.

There the workers of iniquity have fallen;

They have been cast down and are not able to rise.—Psalm 36:5-12

Beloved…If you are in need of something to meditate on this morning, you need go no further than these precious words of God.  Find relief where David found relief…by thinking on the inexhaustible splendor of the wonderful attributes of our God. 

Truly, we could spend a lifetime just considering His lovingkindness…His unfailing, loyal love to those that are His. David, like us, had experiential knowledge of the Lord’s lovingkindness and, therefore, took His refuge under the shadow of His wings.  

God’s attributes are not only inexhaustible in their splendor but they are inexhaustible as resources to sustain and preserve us as we walk through this dark world. In Christ,  every one of His wonderful qualities are ours. We are as immovable as the mighty mountains because He is our righteousness.  In Him we enjoy the provisions of His house, we drink from the river of His pleasures, lose ourselves in the unfathomable heights of His mercy and faithfulness, and drown in the unplumbed depths of His perfect judgments.  He is the Source of all that is good. In Him is the fountain of life. In His light we see light. We can rejoice even in difficult times because the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in faithfulness. 

In contrast to the obedient believer’s life discussed above which is distinguished by covenant love, safety in the Lord, life, and the light of understanding that His countenance brings, the life of an unbeliever is marked by wickedness, deceit, darkness and corruption. 

An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:

There is no fear of God before his eyes.

For he flatters himself in his own eyes,

When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.

The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;

He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

He devises wickedness on his bed;

He sets himself in a way that is not good;

He does not abhor evil—Psalm 36:1-4

Ending with some verses from Joshua and Philippians. 

"Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."—Joshua 24:14-15 (emphasis mine)

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.—Philippians 4:8-9

Let the Lord be Magnified….

 

I have read through Psalm 35 quite often over the past few days.  In it David prays three times.  

Verses 1-10 could be summarized as a prayer for protection from the attacks of those who were his enemies wrongfully. David wanted the Lord to be His Advocate in both the proverbial courtroom and on the battlefield. 

In verses 11-18 David prays that God would look at the evidence and act on it and finally in verses 19-28 David wants vindication for himself and justice for his enemies. 

All of David’s prayers were eventually answered, but what struck me most about this psalm were the songs of praise that came directly after each of his three pleas for help. 

 Verses 9-10 ( after his prayer for protection)

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD;

It shall rejoice in His salvation.

All my bones shall say,

"LORD, who is like You,

Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him,

Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?"

Verses 18 (after his prayer for God to act on his behalf)

I will give You thanks in the great assembly;

I will praise You among many people.

Verses 27-28 (after David’s plea for vindication and justice)

Let them shout for joy and be glad,

Who favor my righteous cause;

And let them say continually,

"Let the LORD be magnified,

Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness

And of Your praise all the day long.

Beloved…Despite the deep betrayal, hurt, fear and loss that  David was experiencing, what he wanted most was for His God to be glorified. David’s delight was in the Lord. It was His salvation for which he trusted, waited and prayed.  In this Psalm David teaches me not only to pour my heart out to my God and depend on His help, but also to desire that He be magnified in and through everything I face in this life.  Ultimately, David wanted what God wanted. The words of Psalm 37:4 come to mind. 

Delight yourself also in the LORD,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Ending with Psalm 62:5-8 and Psalm 34:1-10

My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be moved.

In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

Selah—Psalm 62:5-8

I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

I sought the LORD, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,

And delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!

There is no want to those who fear Him.

The young lions lack and suffer hunger;

But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.—Psalm 34:1-10

It is Good to Give Thanks to the Lord…

 

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,

And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,

And Your faithfulness every night,—Psalm 92:1-2

Today as I read these verses the prophet Daniel came to mind because Scripture tells me that when Daniel wanted to do something he purposed in his heart ahead of time to do it.

Similarly, I want to be intentional with giving thanks to God, with praising Him, with declaring His lovingkindness in the morning and speaking the testimony of His faithfulness to me at night. How perfect to begin each day by being reminded and assured of His love and end the day by looking back on His faithfulness. 

Here is the thing…The Spirit of God tells us to do these things not because God needs our praise, but because doing this helps us because it encourages our faith.  As I regale my God (and my own heart) with the specifics of His love and faithfulness toward me that day,  I create what I call a rainbow path behind me that serves to bolster me and keep me from falling (and fearing) when my faith inevitably falters in times of testing.  In short, I need the reminders!  

Beloved…It is good to praise and give thanks.  It is good to declare His lovingkindness each morning and His faithfulness at night.

Father, Your lovingkindness is always before my eyes!  Your graces toward me are steadfast and sure and as numerous as the the sand on the seashore.  By Your Spirit who lives within me, help me to see them and offer to You a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for each one.  Looking at me as I go about my day, causes my heart to sink and lose perspective...Help me to instead, look to You and remember your continual gifts of grace.  

Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.—John 1:16

Praise the LORD!

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?

Who can declare all His praise?—Psalm 106:1-2

The Lord is the Avenger of His People…

 

Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me;

Fight against those who fight against me.

Take hold of shield and buckler,

And stand up for my help.

Also draw out the spear,

And stop those who pursue me.

Say to my soul,

"I am your salvation."

Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor

Who seek after my life;

Let those be turned back and brought to confusion

Who plot my hurt.

Let them be like chaff before the wind,

And let the angel of the LORD chase them.

Let their way be dark and slippery,

And let the angel of the LORD pursue them.

For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,

Which they have dug without cause for my life.

Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly,

And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;

Into that very destruction let him fall.—Psalm 35:1-8

In a world where truth has fallen in the streets and evil and oppression seem to reign unchecked, reading the words of this psalm brought much hope and consolation to my heart. It is comforting for me to know that the battle is not mine but His. The Lord my God stands up for my help.  He is my salvation. The Lord is the Avenger of His people. His timing may not be our timing but it is always perfect. As believers in Jesus, He is on our side. He fights against those who fight against us. Read through verses 1 through 8.  Let these words of David sink down into your heart and fill it with courage. Our all powerful, all knowing , everywhere present God, fights for us. Blessed are the people He chooses as His own inheritance. Blessed are those who put their trust in Him!  His loyal, unfailing, kind, promise-keeping, covenant love belongs to them. They need not fear.  

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

To deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the LORD;

He is our help and our shield.

For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.—Psalm 33:18-22

Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us just as we hope in You. Your lovingkindness is always before our eyes!  Surround us with Your goodness on every side. May Your perfect love cast out each and every one of our fears.  LORD, by Your favor You have made our mountain stand strong.  

Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His,

And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

For His anger is but for a moment,

His favor is for life;

Weeping may endure for a night,

But joy comes in the morning.—Psalm 30:4-5

Thank you for the sustaining help and comfort your merciful lovingkindness brings to us in our time of need. Thank you that Your mercy is not shown in accordance to our merit but in accordance to the promise which You  have given us in Your word and according to the faith which You have, by Your gracious Spirit, worked in us.  Your steadfast love never ceases. All of Your promises are yes and amen in Your Son. 

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.—Romans 8:28

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?—Romans 8:32

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

The LORD will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You!—Psalm 84:11-12

But I have trusted in Your mercy;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

I will sing to the LORD,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.—Psalm 13:5

Return to your rest, O my soul,

For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.—Psalm 116:7

 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!—Psalm 27:13-14  

A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break…

 

Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 

Before I came to Jesus I never really thought too much about what He was like.  If I thought of Him at all, I would picture the very large cross that was in front of the Catholic church where I grew up. As I draw closer to Him, however, I see all of my life through Him.  He is my starting point for everything I see and hear. 

I can remember reading this verse 20 or 25 years ago and really not knowing quite what to make of it.  But over the years as I abided in Him...as I beheld Him...I began to catch glimpses of who He is and as I did what I saw made me fall down (metaphorically speaking) in worship.  Truly there is none like Him. His love is amazing, His mercies never fail, His ways past finding out, and His faithfulness reaches to the heavens.

"A bruised reed He will not break."  Reeds are pretty fragile...they are hollow tubes and bend, break and crush pretty easily.  This is how we are before we come to Christ...beaten down and crushed by the world and our sins.  Hollow inside...empty.  Jesus longs for you to come to Him when the burdens of the world become crushing, when the hollowness and emptiness of our lives scream for something to fill it.  Jesus is the only remedy for that emptiness.  He will not break you or destroy you...He wants to heal you.  He wants to make your crooked places straight and lift the burden from your shoulders.  As a non believer you really can't understand this, because faith is the access to the grace and mercy that is in Christ.  When we do cry out, however, we begin to understand that the only life living is one lived in Him and for Him.

"And smoking flax He will not quench." This is a reference to the last piece of wick in an oil lamp. It is the piece you just want to throw out and replace. The one that you don't want to bother with.  It is still smoking a bit...kinda just making things stink rather than giving any light.  In fact the smoke gets in the way of your vision. The oil is gone as is the light.  The natural reaction to that would be to snuff it out and put it out of its misery...just like the natural thing to do with a bent reed is to throw it into a fire to be burned.  When you come to Jesus with your "smoking flax" He does not snuff it out...He blows on it...fans the flame and pours oil into your lamp and makes your flame bright again.  He does this for me every morning as I study His word. He is not a threat to those who come to Him...He wants to help and heal.

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Matthew 11 gives us the the only autobiographical statement Jesus ever made.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." 

Come to Him now if you never have before...bring Him your burden. If you know Him, draw near to Him now...draw near to Him daily...immerse yourself in His word.  Jesus came to heal the broken hearted and set the captives free.