Jeremiah 1:8 - "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, " declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 1:17 - "Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them or I will terrify you before them."
Happy 2009!
Finished reading through Isaiah (wow!) and have moved onto Jeremiah. Learning lots along the way. These two verses stood out to me. Again, our strong Father reminds us why we shouldn't be afraid - He is with us, He is for us, He wants the best for us. These verses have a simple message: obedience through the fear. God simply says, listen to me because I will tell you what to say. Say it and don't worry about it - just do it. What about the need for connection. If God gave me this kind of message I'd be so afraid I'd miss something I was supposed to say - the enemy using his normal tactics. The truth is that when we are connected it's easier to hear God's voice. When we're not connected, He still draws us near.
Lately, I haven't been very kind to my heart. Been doing, doing more and doing more still and not taking time out to care for my heart and what my relationship with the Lover of my soul needs. This week on two different occassions, God simply said, "Be still. Know that I am God. Enjoy me. Let me enjoy you. This is just for you." I was in a spirit of humble thanksgiving - just amazed at what He's been up to around me. Had a great conversation with a dear Christian friend of mine that was challenging to me spiritually. Then the next morning had great praise and worship time. Just singing his praises and enjoying his presence. Saw a rainbow in the clouds in the morning (and it wasn't raining). It was just full of surprises. I had to just be still - be obedient to what he asked of me - which in reality was do nothing - just be.
I look again at the prophets and what they endured. At the end of the day, it is all about obedience because He supplies everything else that is needed. I listened to Chip Ingram earlier this week (www.lote.org) and he said soemthing profound that I considered all week long: "God favors obedience over sacrifice." Where I've landed is here: There are often times that sacrifice is the by-product of obedience. However, with our "comfortable Christianity" we often consider our obedience to be a sacrifice instead of worship.
Obedience through the fear - enjoy the adventure. He shows us more of who He is along the way!
Be bold! Be brave! Be you!
