Fear: Genesis 15:1

Regina’s Note: I stood under the roller coaster for several trips to the park, staring straight up at the sheer drop and thinking “there is no way I would EVER get on that thing.” The shrieks of fear – and joy – from the people plummeting down the nearly 90 degree incline were enough to keep me terrified of ever climbing on the metal
twisting monster.

That fear was easy to identify. But the fear we experience in our walk with God is sometimes not so clear. My faith in God and His provision is strong, I have seen miracles over and over. So when a friend pointed out this week that I was paralyzed with fear in my current situation, I rejected her analysis. When a second person related the same observation days later, it began to sting. When God Himself pointed it out, it could not be denied. Fear is pervasive in our world, and can be crippling. There is a reason we are told hundreds of times in the bible not to fear – it is a real emotion. But it is not meant to be one which paralyzes, not when we trust God. I did eventually climb onto that roller coaster, despite my fear.  And I found it was a great ride.

Lord, I pray You will use me to impart knowledge and revelation, not my words but Yours.

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1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield,  your very great reward.”

The above verse is so simple, yet reveals so much about our God. In this single statement, God tells Abram 1) not to fear 2) that God will protect him and 3) that God will reward him.

In the Bible, we see the word fear many times, but often it is in the context of “fear of the Lord” – reverence, and awe in the worship of God. Yet the fear we experience in our everyday lives  is often far different and more temporal. It is into these circumstances that the Lord often tells us not to be afraid. I always found it so remarkable that in Romans 8:15,  we are told “The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  God Himself tells His children not to fear in the more common, everyday sense. “Do not be afraid, my child. Daddy is with you.”

Fear is caused by many circumstances in our lives, and not surprisingly, God is faithful to point them out to us, one by one. Contrary to God expecting us never to have fear, the overriding theme is that He knows we will, and so He is reminding us continually that He is with us, and we need not be afraid on any of these occasions.

Guilt and Shame :
Genesis 3:10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” We first see fear  manifested on the Earth when Adam and Eve sinned. This story reveals right from the beginning the origin of fear – separation from God brought on by disobedience and sin. Adam was not afraid or shameful before the sin, but he was after. When we are not walking in fellowship with the Lord, fear is present.  I think it important to point out that God, knowing the sin had taken place, was still seeking out Adam. Regardless of the guilt and shame we feel due to our sinfulness, God continues to pursue a relationship with us, and when that relationship is established, this type of fear is alleviated.

Lack of Provision
Matthew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not much more valuable than they? In this day and age, being afraid of lack of provision is a huge issue. According to studies, the fear of not having enough money is the most prevalent daily fear in a family; and is at the root of despair, violence, addictions, divorces and suicides.  Jesus assures us that God knows our basic needs, and is looking out for us. Although often we do find ourselves is tight situations, He is clear that we should continually look to Him and not worry. Matthew 6:27  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Storms of Life:
Matthew 8:25-26 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”  He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The promise of Jesus once we accept Him as Lord and Savior is that He will never leave us and is always with us. Therefore we can be assured that He is with us even through the most difficult storms of life, and He has the ability to calm even the greatest storm with just a word. Notice in the story that Jesus was in the boat before and after He calmed the storm. He wasn’t waiting in a safe place to swoop in at just the right time, He was there the whole time . Remember Jesus is in the boat with you, and remember His words “Why are you so afraid?”

Rejection and Abandonment: 
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Fear manifests when we feel alone, threatened, or attacked by others. Jesus certainly understands such emotion, and assures us that no matter how alone we feel, He is right by our side.  While often in our lives we find ourselves fearfully staring down loneliness and pain, He reminds us that He has never, will never, and can never leave us.  This is especially true when we are doing His work and suffering rejection for it. 2 Timothy 4: But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. And further, 1 Peter 3:14  ^“even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.”

Death of a Dream:
Mark 5:35-36 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.“Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”  Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Often we see what we think is the end of the road – the end of a relationship, a job, an opportunity, a dream . Although the tendency is to give up and mourn the loss, Jesus is clear that with Him, situations are often far different that they appear to us. Just as Jesus went on to resurrect the little girl, He can resurrect dead things in your life. He tells us clearly not to be afraid, but to simply believe in Him and in His care and concern for our lives. In this story, the girl had to die for the miracle of her renewed life to occur and for God to receive the glory. Remember that when you think that you are experiencing the end of something; often it had to die to bring a about God’s greater miracle and plan.

The final piece to the Genesis scripture is that God promises that He is Abram’s  reward. This is the explanation to those who suffer hunger, despair, loneliness, loss, or even death. The reward that the Lord offers for relationship with Him is ultimately not a an earthly one, but an eternal one. The reward is everlasting life in heaven with our God, who will forever provide for us and keep us safe. The word “reward ” in this verse actually means “wages”  – what we have earned by what we have done. If we walk with God, He is faithful to give us everlasting life. If we reject Him, we have a very different payday. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today, Realize: It is said that courage is not the absence of fear, but action despite fear.  Jesus doesn’t expect us to walk without fear, but He does expect us to trust in His Words and step out in faith. The more you walk in this type of courage, not based in your abilities but in His love, the more precedent you will have that He will not let you fall.  Like the little girl who died, fear can signal that something has gone wrong in your world – but is also a harbinger of God’s great glory and power if you trust in Him and hand over your fears.

Ultimately, the goal is to get to the place that you realize that the God of the universe, the One Who holds all things together in His hands  -and the One who asks us to call Him “Daddy” – promises that if we trust Him, we have nothing to fear.When fear strikes, get into His Word and learn what He promises. And fear not.

1 John 14 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in My love. 

Promises – Genesis 9:8-13

Regina’ s Note: “You promised!” For some reason, I remember it like it was yesterday. My 4 year old daughter, pouting because she had been promised ice cream after dinner, and the day just did not work out that way. I remember that little face, and her disappointment. I had promised. That sad little face, fallen because she trusted me and I let her down –  has stayed with me to this day.  That same daughter’s imminent wedding has me thinking a lot about promises. Promises I made and never lived up to. My own marriage, the covenant I did not keep. As human beings, we have a choice everyday to live up to those things we made a vow to do. Life, sometimes, gets overwhelming and we lose track of what it was we committed to.  Thankfully each new day brings us an opportunity to do better.

For my daughter and her fiance, I pray that they honor God first, each other always, and therefore stay true to their covenant. And if they mess up one day, and forget the ice cream, that they realize that every day is a new opportunity to live up to one’s promises, to God and to the people around them.

Lord, I pray You will use me to impart knowledge and revelation, not my words but Yours.

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8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”  12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

A covenant is more than a promise – it is a sacred arrangement entered into by two parties. In the Hebrew, it has divine connotations and involves pledges, and signs. God makes several covenants in the Bible between Himself and His people. This covenant with Noah is the first major one, when He promises to never again destroy the earth, although He has every right to do with the Earth as He pleases. 1 Corinthians 10:26 “For the earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.” – He instead promises us that He will preserve it for our sakes. 

I do not know what is more astounding – that the Almighty God would think it appropriate to make His creation a covenant promise, or that we seem incapable of accepting so precious a gift. 

Psalm 8:4 Who is man that you should think about him, human beings that you should care for them? We have gotten so familiar with the concept of an all-loving God that we forget the miracle of His love and promises to us. In human terms, when someone has all the power, they generally do not feel moved to make a deal. They do not see the necessity of setting up an arrangement that benefits the people over which they have complete power and authority. No, we have phrases like  “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”. We have cruel tyrants and evil despots. And yet God has seen fit to consider us, to stoop down talk with us, and make us promises when He absolutely does not have to! He vows to us protection, love and blessing if we but follow Him. His love promises us safe passage. 

Seems simple enough.

Lamentations 3:23 “Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” Not only are the Lord’s mercies new every morning, but throughout the ages He has made promise after promise, covenant after covenant. To Abraham; Genesis 17:2 “I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”  To Moses, a covenant the terms of which are known worldwide: Exodus 31:18 “When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God.”

Yet over and over, the people rebelled. Hosea 10:4 “They spout empty words and make covenants they don’t intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s field.” We have been taught that God continually forgives us and moves to re-establish His relationship with us, and somehow we have lost the awe that should accompany that thought. Imagine someone whom you loved dearly, breaking promise after promise to you. Would you be so willing, even unto death, to be the one who moved to reconcile – over and over? This quote by Isabelle Adjani perhaps sums up the human condition when it comes to broken promises. “In love, one should simplify, choose persons worthy of their promises and leave them if they don’t keep them.”

It is a very good thing that God never leaves us. The capacity for human rebellion and foolishness is huge, considering the promise He ties to His covenants. Deuteronomy 5:10″ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love Me and obey my commands”.  

“Lavish unfailing love”. That sound like an amazing deal to me. 

There were definite adverse consequences for not keeping the covenant with God, and yet we still cannot seem to keep our side of the bargain.Deuteronomy 11:26-28 “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from Him.”

He offers us abundant blessing if we stay in covenant, and curses if we do not. And yet, we consistently walk off  in our own ways and ignore Him.

But God was orchestrating the unthinkable. Even when His people were far away from Him, God spoke through the prophets of yet another promise in the works, to replace the covenant that we had broken.  Jeremiah 31:31 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.”

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Ephesians 2:12-13 “Remember that at that time you were separate, foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” We as human beings are wholly incapable of keeping God’s law to His standards. That is why the life and death of Jesus Christ, and the new and final covenant which that ushered in, is the centerpiece of human history. Everything prior to Christ’s sacrifice points towards the cross; everything after Christ’s sacrifice looks back to it. The covenants God made in the Old Testament were but foreshadowing of the great and ultimate covenant secured by Christ once and for all – for all time, and for all people. 

Luke 22:20 “After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people–an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” The new covenant orchestrated by God was sealed by Christ’s death and sacrifice. And this covenant is the most mind-boggling of all.  Not willing to give up on His children, God Himself stepped down from His throne. He becomes the sacrifice,  He becomes the “works” , He becomes the human and divine embodiment of the promise.

He keeps BOTH sides of the promise to ensure our deliverance. 

Hebrews 8:6 “But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for He is the One who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.” God never breaks a promise. In Jesus, He makes a better promise, that of eternal life obtained through grace and forgiveness. You do not deserve it. But His love for you compels Him. 

Today, Realize: No matter how many times you let God down, He is right by your side waiting to make it right. 

There is nothing you have done that would disqualify you from a relationship with the Lord. His record proves it. Though we have broken promise after promise, He continues to chase us down and give us another chance. There is no earthly relationship that can compare to His faithfulness to you. Therefore, do not learn His words and follow His precepts out of duty or fear; do so out of thankfulness and love for a God who has never lost sight of you, not for a second. Recognize that there is no way that we can hold up our side of the deal, so Jesus came to take our place to ensure that the covenant was kept. Accept the terms of the new covenant, which He has obtained for you. And understand that the only way to not step into the fullness of His promise, is to decide not to.

Hebrews 6:18 So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.