Trust Erases Fear

Fear is a paralyzing thing. It can give us that frozen response to something frightening, make us run away, or make us fight. Fear cripples us in so many ways. Take, for example, someone who fears rejection. This Fear is rejection, and it is one of the most common yet deadly fears known to humanity. Fear enslaves us and controls how we think and act. The Fear of failing is also a powerful force that can fetter us. Often, we avoid trying something new because we fear failure. The Fear of not having enough is what feeds our scarcity mentality. There are fears of not having the ideal body, losing our health, and the Fear of harm. Each of us has our own fears that attack us, and we have to learn to deal with them.

Zachariah sang about Jesus’ ministry before Jesus was born in Bethlehem as a babe. He said that he would “rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and …enable us to serve him without fear” (Luke 1:74). We need to be rescued from our fears and delivered from them to be able to live our lives with purpose and meaning. Jesus can do that for us. Instead of living in depression, confined by Fear, Jesus will set us free and enable us to serve him, liberated from Fear. Once we have been delivered from Fear, we can use our gifts and talents in creative ways that benefit others for his glory.

Find a place to serve as we enter a new year. There are many ministry areas you can serve; in your local church, in local ministries, and wherever God leads you. Nothing is as fulfilling as serving because the rewards of giving are a healing salve for the soul. They are also one of the ways we erase the fears that plague us. We trust God to enable us to serve and empower us.

Paul reminded Timothy: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear does not come from God but from our weakness, our sin, and the evil in this world. However, when we trust God, He erases those fears and enables us to have a healthy, sound mind to serve him.

The Scandal of Christmas

In the telling of the Christmas story, Joseph often gets overlooked. Luke gives us more information about the actual birth of Christ, and so it is to Luke we most often turn for the reading of the Christmas story. Luke tells it so clearly in the fewest words possible. However, Matthew gives us insight into what it would have been like for Joseph and Mary from a different angle. That first Christmas was surrounded by scandal, and both Joseph and Mary had to battle its fallout.

Mary was in a tough spot. She was pregnant and not by any man, but who would believe her story that God had done this to her? We are not told whether her parents believed her. It’s unlikely they did, since she left right away to visit her cousin for several months, a long, dangerous journey for a young woman.  

When Mary shared with Joseph what had happened to her. She must have explained how Gabriel appeared to her and what he said. The angel had informed her she would become pregnant and have a son. The Holy Spirit would make this happen. Joseph loved Mary, but this would be a strange story to swallow if you heard it from the woman you are engaged to be married to.

Walk a moment in Joseph’s shoes. What emotions he must have experienced: anger, jealousy, and, indeed, confusion. Matthew doesn’t tell us, but, knowing something of human nature, we can imagine he was going through an emotional whirlwind. One minute, he thought he could accept it, and then another, he couldn’t. He asked himself, “Am I being hoodwinked if I go through with this?” This is no way to start a marriage.

He must have had some sleepless nights. He just could not put the pieces together. There was Mary’s story, and there were people who were saying things, probably even family. Joseph gave the matter serious thought and finally resolved to do what was best for both him and Mary. Joseph felt he couldn’t just disregard God’s Law and marry Mary. It just wouldn’t be right. He finally chose to privately divorce Mary so as not to publicly humiliate her, but he would not compromise his conscience.

That’s when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Joseph and confirmed Mary’s story, telling him to name the child Jesus because he would save his people from their sins. Joseph obeyed the angel and took Mary to be his wife, but did not live with her as man and wife until the child was born. The lives of Mary and Joseph were intertwined with scandal, but they were also chosen to be God’s vessels to care for his Son.  They overcame the scandal and were faithful to God in fulfilling God’s purpose for their lives. This is the part of Christmas that is often overlooked.

Only God Fulfills the Longing

Everyone has a longing heart. We all long for someone or something—whether that is love, friendship, or recognition. Stalin, Hitler, and Mao longed for power, and they got it, but it didn’t satisfy them. They all died miserable deaths as life closed in on them. The rich long for more riches, and the famous for more fame. However, the heart that longs to find absolute satisfaction is the heart that longs for God.

David expressed his longing for communion with the living God in these words, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalms 42:1-2).

Here in Isaiah is expressed a longing for redemption and restoration--for that day when suffering and sin are eradicated, “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9).

There was a priest named Simeon who longed for the Messiah. God had given him the assurance that he would see that longing fulfilled before he died. That day came when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to be named and to be circumcised. That day, Simeon found the longing of his heart completely satisfied. It was probably just another day until Simeon heard that inner voice—a voice he had come to know. It was the voice of the Lord. “Simeon! Go to the temple.” (Luke 2:25-27).

Simeon approached the young couple with excitement, putting them both at ease. They felt as if he had been waiting for them—actually, he had. They sensed his excitement as he reached out to Mary for the child, and she handed him the baby. He took the child and suddenly broke into song and prophecy.  Simon was so overwhelmed because he had the assurance that he was holding the Lord’s Messiah. He said, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation,” (Luke 2:29-30).

Simeon held the baby tight. What a moment! He looked at Jesus with his heart overflowing with joy at the sight of the Redeemer and the fulfillment of God’s promise to him. When you embrace Jesus as Simeon did, you will find the fulfillment of God’s promise to you. Jesus is the Redeemer—the one who can restore what is broken and messed up in your life. You will find your longing fulfilled in Jesus!

 

 

 

A Dark Day For David

When David fled the city of Jerusalem during Absalom’s rebellion, he encountered six different encounters with people, three positive and three negative encounters. As David set out, there was no pomp in his departure from Jerusalem, only haste.

Ittai, the Committed Soldier, was the first person David encountered. David tried to get him and his six hundred followers to turn back, but Ittai would not. He replied to the King, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be” 2 Samuel 15:18-22).

Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, were there to follow David with the ark of the covenant. Zadok seemed to have assumed that where King David goes, there the ark must go. However, David insisted that the ark of God must not be part of his departure. The ark belonged to God, not the King. David did not want to presume that the ark of the covenant of God should be with him. It belonged in the city. It belonged to God. David trusted God’s promises and expected to return to Jerusalem. David asked Zadok, Abiathar, and their two sons to remain in Jerusalem and be his spies. They willingly placed their lives in danger for David (2 Sam 15:27-28).

Terrible news arrived at David’s worst moment: his most esteemed advisor, Ahithophel, had betrayed him. David prayed: “Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness” (2 Samuel 15:31). Later, David would write, “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me” (Psalm 41:9).

Hushai, David’s Loyal Friend, was there weeping and mourning as the rest of the people were. David requested that he go back and convince Absalom that he was joining forces with him, and, having prayed that the Lord would turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness, Hushai was the answer to his prayer: “help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice” (2 Sam 15:34).

Ziba, the opportunist, was there. Ziba came with donkeys and provisions for everyone. It looked like the gift everyone wanted. Ziba was an opportunist who betrayed his master, Mephibosheth, while he convinced David to give him all of Mephibosheth’s estate. Time would prove who he really was. When asked where his master was, he answered, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will restore to me my grandfather’s kingdom.’” (2 Sam 16:3). That was a lie!

Shimei, David’s enemy, was there cursing David. Shimei heaped all this abuse on David because he believed he could get away with it. Now that things had changed. His rage had made him completely irrational. Did he not think that David’s men would eliminate him in an instant? This is what resentment and hate do to a person.

Abishai, one of David’s soldiers, wanted to remove his head. Still, David replied:  “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’” (2 Samuel 16:10-12).

David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.  It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”

David accepted what was happening as the Lord’s will. He did not know how or when, but he hoped the Lord would show him mercy, and the Lord did.

We can reflect on these six encounters and ask ourselves who we are.

·         Ziba made a show of his devotion to the King, but it was false. He was the opportunist who was always looking out for himself.

·         Shimei abused the King, believing it was the end for David. His hatred came to light when he thought he was free to say and do what he had always wanted.

·         Abishai thought he could help his King by resorting to violence. He is the person who resorts to violence because they cannot see any other way to resolve their issues.

 

·         Ittai, the model disciple, only wanted to be “with” his King.

·         Zadok and Abiathar were willing to risk their lives to serve their King

·         Hushai was David’s friend who served the King well.