the prefects and the
satraps, the high officials and the governors
have consulted
together that the king should establish a statute
and enforce an
injunction
that anyone who makes
a petition to any god or man besides you, O king,
for thirty days, shall
be cast into the lions’ den.
Now when Daniel knew
that the document was signed,
he entered his house
(now in his roof
chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem);
and he continued
kneeling on his knees
three times a day,
praying and giving
thanks before his God,
as he had been doing
previously.”
Daniel 6:7,10
Dear God,
How thankful I am for the example of Daniel. When faced with the
option of just closing his windows to hide while praying, he chose to pray
openly. Father, I long to have such fearless faith in You when faced with persecution.
How much more thankful I am for Your faithfulness toward me. Even
though You allowed Daniel to go to the lion’s den he was never in danger or
alone. I see a glimpse of Your purpose revealed when the King recognized Your
power to protect Daniel and proclaimed that all in his kingdom fear and tremble
before You!
Give me strength and courage to remain faithful and obedient to You
when any manmade decree or law conflicts with Your commandments to me. I
purpose in my heart today to remain faithful to You on my knees, in prayer and
thanksgiving though it costs my life.
Let those who would mock me or seek to harm me see Your mighty hand
and turn to You.
I pray in the precious name of Jesus, my Savior and example.
If you are a pet owner (or have a
pet that owns you – I’ve never really been sure how that works) then you know
the back story to this photo. For those who live lonely lives or have sparse
imagination, this picture was taken in the bathroom. Keep in mind that there is
only one door in and out of that particular room and he was standing in front
of it. All of that is irrelevant after 30 seconds when you know who doubts what he knows to be true and implements his locksmith
skills to confirm my location and dispel his doubt.
I used to bask in the thought he
just loved me so very much he couldn’t stand a moment without me. Now, I face
the reality that perhaps he just doesn’t want to lose me. I wear many hats, one
of which is the feeder of the dog,
which places me in high standing with him. I hold onto the notion that he loves
me, but understand that love might be somewhat related to the contents of (or
lack thereof) his dinner bowl.
The groomer of the dog hat is also mine, although I can’t say he
particularly likes that part. Well, at least he feigns a dislike of the
b.a.t.h. part (don’t say it out-loud or he will immediately gain 1,282 pounds of
gravitational pull). Despite his protests, he does like the part where he is
lying on a warm towel in front of a heater blowing his fuzzy belly hair
backwards as if he were on a tropical island with an ocean breeze. This is also
the part where I remind him how special he is to me and how handsome he looks…as his eyes roll back into his little head and the snoring begins.
The protector of the dog hat is one that fits my head from time to
time. If there is a loud noise, he immediately begins to try find me. His story
would be that he is alerting me to the danger but, his big, bad-dog woofs from behind
my legs tell me he is afraid and wants my help.
Early on, I was the teacher of the dog, and he was eager
to please. He would eagerly find any toy I named and follow several commands.
Again, there were treats involved – so I admit that might have played a part. Nevertheless,
the bright eyes and stubby tail wags told me that pleasing me was the main goal.
Schnauzer patrol. You still there?
So, my little buddy follows me whether
I am going to the kitchen or inspecting the flowers in the yard. He is happiest
when we are in eyesight, specifically making eye contact with him. Likewise when he can’t see us or worse yet, sees
us leaving him (GASP) the crying begins. I’m talking about “screaming like his
toes are in a guillotine” crying. We
call affectionately call it the “EEEOOO” song. Some have compared it to a siren. It serves as “you forgot the
dog!” and “I see you going out the door!” all expressed with volume that denies the “miniature” in miniature schnauzer. He just wants to be with us. That is basically
all he asks (well, besides the dinner bowl).
As I considered his silly
forgetfulness at the bathroom door, I was reminded of my very own. When I leave
him, I always remind him “You be a good boy, we’ll be back in a little while”. When
he is required to stay outside for a moment while I go in for something, I let
him know it isn’t permanent abandonment by telling him “I’ll be right back, you
stay here”. He is OK with that - as long as he can see me through the glass
door. The problem with the bathroom door is that (for reasons beyond his
comprehension) it is opaque. So despite my reassurance of a quick return, he is
not satisfied until he sees for himself.
My Lesson
Understanding that, just between
us, I tend to leave the door un-barricaded. I do it because I understand. I
know God is real. I talk with Him and listen to Him and know He is as real as
the sky above and the earth under my feet. I know He is faithful to His
promises. I know that God will never leave me or forsake me. But…at times, I am
tricked into doubt. (Beware of the Father of Lies who tells you such things. He
has been around since the Garden and is still roaming around.)
You and I are not the first to
experience it. Perhaps you remember that God demonstrated great signs and Pharaoh
released the Hebrew children only to give chase after them. The people (who had
witnessed these great signs and wonders) came to an impasse with Pharaoh and
his soldiers behind them and an un-crossable body of water in front of them. Their first thought – they were going to die.
Moses reminded them “Do not fear! Stand
by and see the salvation of the LORD…The LORD will fight for you while you keep
silent” Exodus 14:13, 14. Their salvation came that day in the form of the
parting of a great sea, and “the sons of
Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were
like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. And when Israel saw
the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people
feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and His servant Moses.” Exodus
14:22, 31
Now that’s something we wouldn’t
easily forget, right? Sure, easy for you to say. Three days later they were in
the wilderness and found no water. Of course, you know the story, God already
had it planned out and provided what they needed in a way they just couldn’t
see at the time. They needed to learn to trust Him. Years later, just before
they went into the promised land, Moses reminded them “Be strong and
courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them for the LORD your God is the
one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you”.
God came to earth in flesh to
demonstrate His profound love for us, and how we should walk before Him. Jesus
told His followers He would be killed (give His life actually) and then rise up
on the third day, yet when it happened they reacted in fear. After the
crucifixion, they were waiting in fear behind closed doors when Jesus appeared
to them.
Before Jesus ascended into heave,
He promised “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. I’m guessing He knew we would need to hear
that again.
If the Hebrew children saw miracles
and were still afraid and doubted what they could not see, the disciples who
walked with Jesus had fears, then perhaps fear is a bridge that leads to doubt.
It could be a fear that God has abandoned
us, or is not watching or will go back on His promises. Satan, our adversary,
our enemy, the father of lies would have us believe that. If these two examples
dealt wrongly with fear and doubt, then how should we deal with them?
Things to remember when dealing with fear and doubt.
We abide in Him. Like the schnauzer looking for assurance that all
is well, we stay near Him. Whoever confesses
that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God”. 1 John
4:15
God abides in us and is infinitely more powerful than our enemy. “The word of God abides in you, and you have
overcome the evil one”. 1 John 2:14
Abiding in Him brings His love within us.“God is
love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”1
John 4:16
His love casts out fear.“There
is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18
Without finger-pointing at all, I
recognize myself in both the doubts of a certain schnauzer, freed slaves, and the
disciples of Christ, simply because I am tempted to fear instead of trust. Any
and all of those fears are dispelled when I look to Him. I like to think that
is why He left the door cracked a bit – just so we can see Him and remember He
said “I will never desert you, nor will I
ever forsake you”, so we can confidently say “The LORD is my helper, I will not
be afraid.” Hebrews 13:5, 6.
My prayer
Most gracious and loving Father
in heaven,
Thank You for being so worthy of my trust,
and for the amazing patience You show me
even when I allow my fears blind me to Your presence.
Thank You for giving me Your
word
so rich in promises and assurance.
Show me new and fresh ways
to abide
more fully in You and Your word and
share that with a world filled with fear.
Help me to draw near to You
every day,
seeking Your face in all I do.
Thank You for giving me courage
in the face of fear,
by being with me and never leaving me.
Prod me to remember
to always look to
and trust Your hand to provide in ways
I might not be able
to see.
I pray in Jesus' name,
Amen.
~~~
From the Temple Institute. This Rabbi shares insights about the time of the exodus and the quick return of bitterness by those who had just been rescued. A very insightful look at human nature and the hand of God.
Let’s start with fear.
I must tell you I am a fan of fear well, at least one kind of fear. The fear of God is a good kind of fear.
We will start there. In Exodus 1:21 the
Hebrew midwives feared God and thus obeyed Him rather than the law of the land,
so they spared the baby boys instead of putting them to death as was the law.
Moses reminded them that fear (reverence) of God would help them remember all
He had done, and remind them to be diligent to teach their children
(Deuteronomy 4:1-14) and thus they would be obedient. Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise
wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 31:30 “Charm
is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears(reverences) the LORD,
she shall be praised.”
Fear of God – will cause us obey Him, will have us teach our children
about Him, will keep us from forgetting Him, and will be more praiseworthy than
beauty or charm.
Similarly, fear of punishment from earthly authorities can
reduce behavior outside the rules. Parents, schools or societies that have no
punishment for wrongdoing will give little motivation for rightdoing. We
usually call that a “healthy fear”.
Where does “spooky
fear” come in? Fear from ghosts, goblins, vampires, zombies, palm readers,
gothic dress and behavior….
Leviticus 19:31 “Do
not turn to mediums…do not seek them out to be defiled by them I am the LORD
your God.” Leviticus 20:27 even indicates they should be put to death, and
the “guilt” from that falls on them.
Deuteronomy 18:10 – 11 instructs His people to not imitate
the “detestable things” of the people
in the land. The list includes “divination,
witchcraft, interpreting omens, sorcery, casting spells, medium, spiritist, or
calls up the dead.” Consider verse 12 that follows this list “For whoever does these things is detestable
to the LORD.”
Even KingSaul
fell victim to this. 1 Chronicles 10:13 “So
Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the
word of the LORD which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a
medium, making inquiry of it, and did not inquire of the LORD.”
So did Manasseh, who “practiced witchcraft, used diviniation, practiced
sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight
of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.” 2 Chronicles 33:3-6.
“Spooky fear” may seem harmless, just provoking a little
adrenaline rush, but the danger is real. It is a bad fear, because it goes
outside the limits God has set.
Spooky fear also has an addictive quality that requires more
and more to produce the desired rush. That is pretty easy to track from a
generation that watched The Birds then Bewitched to the next
generation watching Walking Dead…Once “addicted” to an adrenaline rush,
the desensitization to simple fears requires a move to more fear, horror. Horror usually includes death, torture,
and violence. With the prevalence of video games and movies that encourage
killing, suffering, and gore, the addiction grows. For some that even leads down a path confusing
fantasy and reality.
Gothic fiction
began in the 1700’s and is characterized by “elements of fear, horror, darkness,
death, and gloom...including vampires, monsters who brought suffering and
death. Edgar Allan Poe is one of many gothic authors. Many a nightmare has been
wrought from his pen. During the 1980’s a culture of goth music emerged focused
on death, morbidity and horror. The dark
clothes, dark make-up and all things vampire and monster is now seen as
mainstream and harmless. Does any of it serve to point to God? Does it point
away from Him?
At a minimum these games and movies introduce disturbing
thoughts. Christians, on the other hand, are to “guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus…whatever is true, whatever
is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever
is of good repute, it there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,
let your mind dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:7-8. The verses before
and after speak of not being anxious, and the peace of God - a sharp contrast
to violence, gore, and horror. These are things that can pull you away from the
peace of God and steal your sound thoughts replacing them with disturbing
dreams, thoughts and fears.
Violence
is linked to turning away from God. He pronounced judgment against the
people “on account of the violence of all
who live” in the land. Ezekiel 12:19. Their “violence has grown into a rod of wickedness.” Ezekiel 7:11. Even
in Genesis when God “saw that the wickedness
of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually….the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and
the earth was filled with violence…god said to Noah, the end of all flesh has
come before Me; for the earth is filled
with violence because of them, and behold I am about to destroy them with the earth.”
Genesis 6:5-13. Sounds familiar.
Violence, horror and fear (other than the fear/reverence of
God) is a dangerous path we tread. If we desire our children to be introduced
to God should we allow their little minds to be filled with Goosebumps, walking
dead, and killing people for points? Should their diet include addictive
violent games that can lead to more and more violence?
I grieve that even children’s entertainment has become
saturated with ungodly and dangerous material. I pray that together, you and I
will work toward filling ourselves with things of lovely and godly nature, and
clean out the violence, horror, and chilling things that would distract us from
the peace of God. I pray that this season of Halloween will not entice us to
lace our minds with evil thoughts under disguise of “fun”. I pray we take on
the mind of Christ and pursue those things good in His sight regardless of what
the world says is OK and harmless. Please take a long hard look…and consider
what might have sneaked into your home, your mind, the lives of your children
and grandchildren…If it is time to clean house, please do.
Fear of God is
good –
it will cause us obey Him,
it will have us teach our children about Him,
it will keep us from forgetting Him, and
it will be more praiseworthy than beauty or charm.
Bad fear from spiritists,
mediums, divinations, and gothic things causes fear that leads away from a mind
filled with the peace of God and turn into a mind filled with evil. It is
detestable to God and provokes His anger.
Horror/goth tends
to be progressive. It may give a temporary adrenaline rush that can be
addictive and dangerous when it points to things outside the boundaries God has
set for us.
Violence is linked
to wickedness and is often an outgrowth of disobedience to God.
Father, we thank You
for giving us peace – the kind that passes all human understanding. We know
that in this violent and ungodly world it can only come from You. Help us to
see past the enticement, titillation or thrill of things from occult and death,
and see the true source – our enemy who wants to distract us from You.
Forgive us for not calling
sin “sin, and listening to the world instead tell us it is harmless and fun.
Help us to see clearly the sin before us, and clean it out. Help us to be
lights in this world so filled with darkness. Show us how to be beacons of hope
and truth as we mire through the trash whitewashed as “fun”. Let us ever be
reflections of You rather than the world, so the world can see You and know You
are LORD.
Want to learn more?
Romans 1 – (read here) about things people ignored about God
and what they set their minds on. They did not submit their minds, hearts,
actions to Him, and God gave them over to their depraved minds.
Romans 8 –(read here) about when our minds dwell on what
our flesh likes and where that puts us our relationship with God.
Revelation 21:8, read here 22:15read here where will sorcerers (includes
magic and witchcraft) be for eternity?
Does it sound harmless to YOU? As always, please feel free to comment -
The famous chickadees (see blog
posts Chickadee Choices and Chickadee Conflict) who have been living
in our yard (or their yard depending
on your perspective) have been challenged. You may remember the sparrows from
earlier in the year that tried to take advantage of the chickadee’s nest
building. The intruding sparrows thought they could move into a furnished
luxury apartment, until my husband stepped in and made the door chickadee-sized.
The sparrows could no longer gain entrance and finally the chickadees were able
to finish their home and start their family.
This week, just as the babies
were coming out of their shells the sparrows returned. Even though they knew
they could not enter and use the nest themselves, they were determined to wreak
havoc on the chickadee family. They did.
They travel in a herd, or maybe a
flock. Their stampede certainly seemed like a raging herd of bulls. Through sheer
intimidation, numbers, and persistence they bullied the chickadees until out of
fear, the chickadees fled. With the naked little ones unprotected, the sparrows
were able to grab one and pull it out of its home. When I heard the commotion I
went out to help and found the babe sprawled out on the ground. Because he was
still moving I carefully placed the tiny fuzzy-headed body back in the nest with
his brother and scolded the sparrows. They almost seemed to laugh at me as they
flew off.
We checked on the status of the
siblings throughout the rest of the day and saw no sign of Mr. and Mrs. C. The
next day, still no parents had come back to rescue their children. They were
now beyond hope. Gone. Lifeless and alone in a box that was so full of hope.
The chickadees were given a great
opportunity. They had a wonderful nesting box. They had the perfect size
entrance hole so no intruders could trespass. They even had our pond for bathing, and lots
of worms for snacks. The one thing they didn’t have was courage to stand. All they had to do was to stand firm in the
knowledge of the security of the box, yet their fear got the best of them. They
gave up when it got hard, and their fear cost them the lives of their chicks.
I must confess I am tempted to
give up at times. I KNOW without a doubt that God has a plan, yet wonder
sometimes how He could possibly work out certain circumstances that seem so impossible.
I KNOW that His love is greater than any other and yet I still wonder if He
really could love me. I KNOW He created
me for a purpose, and still wonder if He can use me flaws and all. Fears and
doubt, all of them. Weaknesses that plague many of us, maybe even you.
The GREAT NEWS is, He knows and has given us exactly what we need to get through it.
Christians have Him living within
us and have assurance that He will never leave or forsake us! Matt 28:20 http://blb.sc/1QE5 We can
stand firm with Him alongside us!
Stand firm in Who He is - Creator of the universe. Almighty God.
Limitless in ability. He can never be overwhelmed by any situation. Job 11;7-10 http://blb.sc/EXDs
Stand firm in His Word. It is unchanging. It will never fail. It
will build you up in greater knowledge of Him which makes you stronger. The
life built on it, will not fall. Matt 7:24-27 http://blb.sc/EqZ1
Stand firm against the enemy. Our adversary roams about looking for
weakness and pounces at just the right time. Like the chickadees and sparrows,
our enemy strikes us in our weak points. Many times that is fear. So many, many
times we are told “Do not be afraid.” Heb 13:6 http://blb.sc/4WBp It is a common weakness among us
and the chickadees, but we serve the God of Peace. 2 Thess 3:16 http://blb.sc/4UAx
Stand firm in His promises. If He has given you a mission (He has)
He will provide a way for you to accomplish it, no matter the odds, or
circumstance, or situation. He WILL close the mouths of the lions. He WILL
provide an ark in the flood. He WILL be with you in the furnace and loose your
ropes and bring you through without even the smell of smoke on your clothes. Be strong and courageous when He
directs your path. Joshua 1:6-9 http://blb.sc/EJYX
Stand with other Christians. It may feel like you are outnumbered,
but working together with other like-minded believers helps. Phil 1:27-28 http://blb.sc/4T3r
Stand firm when it seems like the enemy is winning. You may be
injured by the enemy, but Satan loses the war. 2 Thess 1:6-10 http://blb.sc/F2Vc
Don’t give up! You may be outnumbered, but they are just
sparrows and they do not have access to your home. Be STRONG! 1 Cor 16:13 http://blb.sc/4Qsb
Father, we seem to have enemies all around us and yet with You within
us we KNOW we are safe. Thank You for Your true and steady Word to strengthen
and direct us. Help us to be an encouragement to others who are at a weak point,
so they will remain strong in Your strength. Help us to look to You when fear
besets us so that we will be faithful to do what You would have us to do. Thank
You for defeating our adversary.
Have you experienced fear and
the hand of God that overcame it? Share your story in the comment section to
encourage someone. Let's create some happy endings!
