When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19 NIV Continue reading “CONSOLATION”
FEAR
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 NIV
I visited a puppy who had never seen feet. He was all over me, leaping and chewing, then he saw my bare feet in sandals. He backed up looking scared to death. He sat on the couch in a little ball as far away from me as possible. When I showed him my feet again to reassure him they would do him no harm, he tried to climb over the back of the couch to get away.
Mallory doesn’t like men who wear hats or hoods. She barks like a mad dog till they bare their heads. Harley didn’t like hardwood floors. He would go from throw rug to throw rug and even walk backwards when necessary to avoid his paws touching a bare floor. Each of us could contribute a story on our dogs’ phobias and idiosyncrasies.
Like dogs, we all have things in life we fear or at least find unpleasant, but the bible tells us not to fear. I read that we are told not to fear or worry at least 80 times in the bible. God constantly reassures us that he is with us and in control. There is no reason to be afraid when God is on your side.
Fear is one of the enemy’s favorite weapons. Satan uses fear to paralyze us. We will not be victorious Christians if we are afraid. There will be no hope and no victory with fear controlling us. II Timothy 1:7 tells us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” I John 4:18 says, “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 love.” God is love and he will cast out your fear. Ephesians 6:11 states, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Protect yourself from fear by wearing the armor of God.
Having the word of God hid in your heart is the best defense when fear attacks. The following verses will give you ammunition against Satan’s fear tactics:
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“But now, this is what the Lord says…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
When you come up against something which makes you afraid (even if it’s a pair of feet), call upon God. He is the one who spoke the world into being. He is the one who gave you all the precious promises in the bible to call your own. He is your God. He will never leave you or forsake you. He loves you and that’s why there is nothing to fear.
ENCAMPMENT
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Psalm 34:7 NIV
The cat got out. This worried the dogs so much that they chased her under the porch. The cat hid there and wouldn’t come out. This bothered the dogs even more and they went under the porch too. After much calling, they came out and surrounded the porch. The dogs set up an encampment around the back porch crying and whining for the cat.
The dictionary defines encampment as a place with temporary accommodations consisting of huts or tents, typically for troops or nomads. The dogs didn’t set up tents or huts but the Israelites did when they left Egypt. They set up a tent of meeting for God to dwell in during their journey to the promised land. It was a portable earthly dwelling place and the tribes of Judah camped around it. The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire to give them light at night. They could travel day or night (Exodus 13:21). The Israelites did not leave their temporary encampment around the tabernacle until God moved.
God laid out the design for the tent of meeting and how the tribes of Judah would camp. The Levites had a special place with Moses as they were the priests. They were set apart to care for the tabernacle. Each person and tribe had its place and God was in the center. When God moved, they broke camp and followed. When he stopped the Israelites set up the camp and stayed until further directions were given.
I don’t think we have to camp around the sanctuary today to hear from God. Jesus died and gave us direct access to the Father but there is definitely something to learn from the Israelites. Are we encamping around God’s throne today? Do we follow him by day and night, ready to set up camp at the drop of a hat. Do we wait for further instructions or run ahead? Is his throne room filled with our prayers?
We all love to envision throngs of angels surrounding us. We know they are protecting us and waiting on us according to the father’s will but do we also imagine us, God’s people, surrounding the throne of God? Not only do we need to encamp around it for prayer and direction but to cry “Holy”! We should be bringing praise and thanksgiving to him 24/7 for he is worthy!
GOD HAS PROVIDED A LAMB
ABANDONED
FRIENDSHIP
TORN
TEAMWORK
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God, who make things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. I Corinthians 3:5-9 NIV Continue reading “TEAMWORK”
Just Another Dog Devotion 