Fear of consequences does not produce love or even obedience. It is ONLY an enduring, reverential, and respectful love relationship with God that will keep us from sin. When we reverence God’s Holiness, when we respect His way, when we have a genuine relationship with Him we will find it increasingly uncomfortable to disobey Him, we will avoid sin.
…sometimes God does tell us to change course for a while. Sometimes God moves us away from what He had given us to do…. The challenge, for us, is to hear His voice… and trust His guidance as Jacob did.
…if we were to depend on our own righteousness for God’s protection/blessing, then we would have none because our righteousness is worthless… But we don’t have to depend on our goodness. Instead, we rely on the PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS of Jesus our Lord and Saviour and through Him we we are blessed.
Whatever the reason that we find ourselves in the wilderness facing (what seems like) certain death, KNOW this: The LORD hears your cry for help!
The challenge for us is to believe, to accept in faith that God has not “let us down”, but rather that He is lifting us up and carrying us through the fire, the purifying fire that melts away all the dross, the impurities, from our lives…
In the midst of struggle tinged with pain
I must never once forget
That the Son who made the brightest skies
will raise me up to them yet.
They had no guarantee that they would survive the storm, BUT they could be absolutely sure that God controlled the storm and controlled their lives. They could be absolutely sure that as fierce as the storm raged, God’s love for them raged even more fiercely. No storm could ever blow them out of God’s mighty hand.
Our weakness and fears will not stop God from calling us to serve Him. Our weaknesses don’t matter, because God is sending us out in His unfailing strength. And, our fears are of no concern, because He has given us all we need to triumph over the adversities we will face. The only thing that does matter is our OBEDIENCE! How will we respond to God’s call?
Nothing we do of our own strength can protect us from the evils of this world… But, while we are walking in God’s will, though the evil of the world may touch us, it can’t defeat us, because a believer’s victory is not in earthly security, it is in eternal security. Our victory isn’t in physical safety, it is in spiritual strength: we are victorious when God’s will is accomplished in us, not when we escape the travails/struggles of life.
“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” ~ Proverbs 29:25
Fear of man (a) Dishonors God, (b) Distorts God’s Message and (c) Disables the Believer.
Instead of fearing man, let us fear God. Let us acknowledge His omnipotence, His absolute righteousness and His complete authority…
Reflections in The WORD 