In Psalm 64:1 King David asked to be preserved not from the enemy but from the fear of the enemy.
Fear and faith cannot live in the same heart (Mark 4:40). If the enemy can make you afraid, he has almost won the battle.
A calm heart makes a confident soldier.
Jesus asked the disciples "Why are you so fearful?"(Mark 4:40) ....... Are you?
Warren Wiersbe
Bible Teacher/Author
The above note came to me from my good friend John Samuel. John often send me profound wisdom in his daily emails to me. It is true that in our moments of deepest trouble, we find God there. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
a couple of thoughts... first, the Greek word for comfort is in the future tense. That means that whatever the type of comfort that we receive (that will be my second point) it isn't happening right at the time when we start to mourn. My thought is that though it does not come when we start to mourn, our comfort comes when we are most desperate. When we reach the end of ourselves, we can have an inner state of happiness because that is when God shows up.
Second, the word for comfort literally means "will have someone to come alongside". Consider the implications. the idea that Jesus conveys in relation to comfort is not that your pain will be eased or that your heart will be without hurt. But that you will not be alone. First, you have the Holy Spirit as your inner guide. He is always with you. Second, we have each other as believers in Christ to walk through life's crazy circumstances together.
How devastating it would be to have to navigate life's tragedies alone! So, may you always have a life full of friends. And may you find the strength to journey with others as they hurt in the deepest parts of their souls. And may you find comfort in life's darkest moments because you know that you are not alone. And may you never have a fear of the enemy!
So amazing that you posted a quote from Warren Wiersbe. I was just pondering something he wrote about worship:
ReplyDelete"God and Satan have this in common: each desires our worship. God wants us to worship Him because He is worthy and He graciously wants to transform us. Satan wants our worship because he wants to destroy us, and worship is the easiest way to achieve that diabolical purpose. This explains why worship involves warfare: whenever we bow to worship God, the Adversary will oppose us. . . . A worshiping church must of necessity be a warring church, for true worship is spiritual warfare. 'Let the high praises of God be in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hand.' (Psalm 149:6)
Warren Wiersbe, from "Real Worship"
I am sometimes very afraid of being thrown into hell. I am a Christian. I love Jesus. When I am rational, I know that God came to save. Jesus came to earth, and his disciples came to be witness and died deaths only ones telling the truth would be willing to die for.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time with the statement that fear and faith cannot coexist. I fear God. I fear hell. I fear the fate of non Christians. I have deep anguish for the world. I sometimes fear I am not good enough. What is the answer to these things? If I fear at times, does that mean that I am not a good enough Christian? Not a Christian at all? I believe, I try my best, sometimes I fail, sometimes I get caught up in life, and the world. Sometimes I watch TV, and don't know if I should eat pork or not, I listen to NPR and rock and roll and not Christian radio. I read my Bible mostly everyday and pray. Sometimes I don't have much interesting to pray about, or that my prayers are vain. But what should I pray for? I pray that God reminds me of his will. That I will be bold. That he would have his way in my life. I pray I can have chances to witness in my family's lives who are non Christians.
You said we are either really mean, or just really don't care about those around us to share God's message, then come out with this statement about just sharing within relationship. I guess I don't get it. Isn't that what you mean? Are we mean, or lazy, or don't take these around us seriously? Can we not fear for others? Does it not say in the Bible that we fear the Lord? I don't fear my earthly fate, but I do fear not living up to this "standard". I don't understand, faith without works is dead, but we are saved by faith. I have faith(maybe not enough, but then does anyone?) I do works. Still I feel.. deeply anguished. What is wrong?
Anonymous, thanks for the honesty. that is good stuff. I wonder - what is the source of the anguish? Paul makes an interesting observation in 2 Corinthians 11:25-28... Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.[a] 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
ReplyDelete28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.
I find it interesting that of all the hardships that Paul listed, the last and "above all else" is the burden (anguish) of all the churches. We often make the mistake that the Christian life is one of happiness, rainbows and butterflies. But anguish for things is part of the Christian life as much as any other life choice. the difference is that it is not without purpose, reason, and hope. as the scriptures say - we do not grieve as those who have no hope. We grieve, but not without hope. We do not have to lose our peace. While we anguish over people, we do not have to lose our peace which is a fruit of the Spirit.
Hopefully, we are getting to what you are writing about...
Thank you Aaron.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I guess we have to have a good fist pounding the table sort of conversation with God. Or (in my case) a long bitter cry in the middle of a heartfelt prayer. I am keenly aware that this life is a curse. But that we have hope. Sometimes I get frustrated and freaked out when God is helping me with my patience. Especially when He has given me this burden especially, which I do not perceive others having (as much). Sometimes I feel that many Christians must have a stronger base of faith, because they do not become as grieved quite as easily as I sometimes do. Perhaps this is me confusing despair and anguish(the type Paul speaks of) with lack of faith. Because I feel that If i do actually have faith, I would not be anguished because I would know God is in control. But I do have faith, and I do know that God is in control, I just love people, and do not want them to be in hell for eternity. It is very difficult to change people's minds. Even with the most obvious and convincing evidences. I suppose that these are areas I can be praying more and more. Thank you for answering my post. I appreciate it.