Tag: Dread

52.y. Wilderness – 17.d. “The LORD your God himself will go over before you.”

 

 

Deu 31:1-8  So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. And he said to them, “I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ The LORD your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the LORD has spoken. And the LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. And the LORD will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Moses assures Israel of the constant presence of God with them. This is applied by the apostle to all God’s spiritual Israel, to encourage their faith and hope; unto us is this gospel preached, as well as unto them; he will never fail thee, nor forsake thee, Heb 13:5. Moses commends Joshua to them for a leader; one whose wisdom, and courage, and affection they had long known; one whom God had appointed to be their leader; and therefore would own and bless. Joshua is well pleased to be admonished by Moses to be strong and of good courage. Those shall speed well, who have God with them; therefore they ought to be of good courage. Through God let us do valiantly, for through him we shall do victoriously; if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. (Henry)

In chapter 30 Moses instructed the people on “Blessings and Curses”, and that the choice is in each individual person. Follow and obey and serve and trust and rely upon God will result in blessings. Conversely – curses. Being steadfast in this commitment and not being distracted by the worldly pursuits that those who deny God follow after. Now Moses is passing leadership to Joshua for entry into the promised land. He was not going because God said “You shall not go over this Jordan”. 

Moses encourages them; God will go before you, He will destroy these nations, You will dispossess them, Joshua will lead you. God will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og. They will be given over to you. Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or dread them. The Lord your God not only goes before you, He goes with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Then Moses summons Joshua before all of Israel and encourages Him as the leader who will take them into the promised land.

How many times do we have our hearts and minds on other things than God going before us and being with us? When God is not our internal vision of desire, then the things of this world will become a snare and lead us down paths neither pleasing or in line with God’s Word for our lives. It would seem that we want the blessings of God and yet we live with our hearts and minds focused on things of this world, its pleasures, worries, and fears.  

Every morning we awake we are given the opportunity to live that day to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ in every thought, every word spoken, and every action taken. This must be an intentional choice, a desire, purpose, and lived out. Are we striving after this or are we just tending our lives with lukewarm commitment? 

52.p. Wilderness – 16.v. “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart”

 

Deu 28:21  The LORD will make the pestilence stick to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. The LORD will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish. And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron. The LORD will make the rain of your land powder. From heaven dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed. “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them. And you shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. And your dead body shall be food for all birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away.  The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, and with tumors and scabs and itch, of which you cannot be healed. The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind, and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. And you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to help you.

Deu 28:34  so that you are driven mad by the sights that your eyes see.

Deu 28:37  And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where the LORD will lead you away.

Deu 28:45  “All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you.

Deu 28:47  Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things,

Deu 28:58-59  “If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting.

Deu 28:61  Every sickness also and every affliction that is not recorded in the book of this law, the LORD will bring upon you, until you are destroyed.

 Deu 28:63  And as the LORD took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the LORD will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you.

Deu 28:66-67  Your life shall hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life. In the morning you shall say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and at evening you shall say, ‘If only it were morning!’ because of the dread that your heart shall feel, and the sights that your eyes shall see.

The same variety of expression is used in these terrible curses, as in the preceding blessings, to intimate every kind of prosperity or adversity, personal, relative, and public.

If we do not keep God’s commandments, we not only come short of the blessing promised, but we lay ourselves under the curse, which includes all misery, as the blessing all happiness. Observe the justice of this curse. It is not a curse causeless, or for some light cause. The extent and power of this curse. Wherever the sinner goes, the curse of God follows; wherever he is, it rests upon him. Whatever he has is under a curse. All his enjoyments are made bitter; he cannot take any true comfort in them, for the wrath of God mixes itself with them. Many judgments are here stated, which would be the fruits of the curse, and with which God would punish the people of the Jews, for their apostacy and disobedience. We may observe the fulfilling of these threatenings in their present state. To complete their misery, it is threatened that by these troubles they should be bereaved of all comfort and hope, and left to utter despair. Those who walk by sight, and not by faith, are in danger of losing reason itself, when every thing about them looks frightful. (Henry)

Oh that our hearts and minds would grasp the holy blessings of God in light of the wrathful curses. Sin has a way of blinding us to only see blessings from God. Sin blinds us to the holiness of God. Neglect of His Word deafens our ears to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin. 

May the Word of God open your hearts and minds to His holiness and give you a deep desire to honor and glorify Him more and more each day.  We do not honor and glorify Jesus christ for the blessings we receive, but for who God is.

51.o. Wilderness – 15.u. “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.”

 

 

Deu 20:1-4  “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’

Deu 20:8  And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.’

 Deuteronomy 3:22   You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.’

 Genesis 26:3     Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.

 Joshua 1:5     No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

 2 Chronicles 32:7-8    “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.  With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

 Psalms 118:6     The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

 Romans 8:31    What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

 1 Corinthians 15:33    Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

 Deuteronomy 1:28    Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’

Israel, a small nation surrounded by great empires, was rarely in a strategically superior position. Despite the clear danger, they also had a clear command from God to not fear. Israel was commanded to not fear what any logical military man would fear: superior numbers, superior technology, and superior equipment. Yet, Israel was given a reason to not fear. God did not deny that the enemies of Israel would usually have more horses, chariots, and people than Israel. But God asked them to recognize a greater fact: That the LORD your God is with you. It was the job of the priest to encourage the soldiers to trust in God. Though the priests were not normally to go into battle. When Israel was obedient, and trusting in God, they could never lose. But when they were disobedient, or not trusting, they could never win – even if they had superior forces.

 To God, the size of the army wasn’t important; the heart of the army was far more important. He didn’t want people who might be distracted from the real battle by worrying about the cares of everyday life (their home, their vineyard, their fiancée’); nor did He want people who were not really trusting Him. God could do more through a smaller army that was really committed to Him than through a bigger army that was full of compromise. (Guzik)

There is a fear that most experience – It is a “sudden fear” of when something happens. A car accident that is about to happen, waking up to smoke in your home, loud unexpected noise, or being startled by someone or something you didn’t know was there. We are just born with this. Proverbs says, do not be afraid of sudden fear. When sudden fear occurs, recognize it, and do not be afraid. You would apply brakes or swerve in an on-coming accident. You would flee a burning building. You would not try to pick up a venomous snake as it slithers by.  You would be cautious, attentive, mindful, and putting things into their right place within your mind.  God is there. God is sovereign. God is all-knowing. God is all-powerful. He will never leave or forsake you.  

There is another type of fear that should not be in the hearts and minds of those who trust in, rely upon, and cling to Jesus Christ. It is the fear of an unknown outcome of a potential event of something in the near or distant future. How do these fears arise within us? How do they gain even a spec of space within our minds? If you spend any time reading or watching news outlets you will be told what to fear right now and what to fear in the future. They will lay out their narrative in convincing crafty words. Every news and weather outlet broadcast station is supported by income from advertising that pays certain fees depending on the number of viewers. How better to get more viewers than to incite fear? Stay tuned for more breaking news. We will keep an eye on this for you, stay tuned in. This is a developing story, stay tuned. New information has come to light, stay tuned. This could affect every single person, so stay tuned. Scientists confirm, stay tuned. Witnesses have stated, stay tuned. Researchers have just revealed, stay tuned. The more they can generate fear the masses will tune in and hopefully rely on them to make sense of the fear being generated. 

In contrast, God’s Word says to “Fear Not”, “Be of this world but not partakers of it”, “Be anxious about nothing”, “Trust in the Lord your God”, “God will never leave you or forsake you”, “I am with you”, “I am your rock and refuge”, “God is all-powerful”, God is ever-present”, God is all-knowing”, “the battle is the Lords”, “nothing can separate you from the Love of God.

The biggest battle we should fear is the battle with, neglect, complacency, lukewarmness, being attracted to things of this world, lust, greed, pride, envy, jealousy, arrogance, hate, anger, self-worth, self-reliance, etc….. Paul said that by the renewing of your mind, studying yourself as a workman who doesn’t need to be afraid, be anxious about nothing, guard your heart, be strong, be steadfast in your commitment, lean not unto your own understanding, be courageous, trust in Jesus Christ, be faithful, be holy, be more than babies in the Word of God and its application in your lives, hold onto what is true, rejoice, praise, be joyful, and love, these things must come to pass but do not be afraid, etc…..

Fear has no place in the heart that trusts in God. We can place all of our concerns at His feet and fully trust in Him to be with us no matter what the concern is. He will never leave you. He is ever-present. He can do all things mighty and powerful is He.

44.s. “Wilderness” – 8.y. “herefore they shall eat the fruit of their way”

 

Exo 32:20  He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.

 Proverbs 1:31   therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.

 Proverbs 14:14   The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

 Job 4:8    As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.

 Isaiah 3:10-11    Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.  Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.

 Galatians 6:7-8   Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Jeremiah 6:19    Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.

Ecclesiastes 11:9.   Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

 Proverbs 1:33  but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

There is much in the attitude of professing Christians in this day which fills me with concern, and makes me full of fear for the future. There is an amazing ignorance of Scripture among many, and a consequent want of established, solid religion. In no other way can I account for the ease with which people are, like children, “ tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” (Ryles)

“One great concern I have is that many of today’s Christians are not taking the Word of God seriously. For whatever reason, the Scriptures do not have authority in the Christian’s life in the way that is necessary for him or her to live a life to the glory of God.” (Tozer)

The longer I am in ministry, the more convinced I am that the church is filled with atheists. Now, I am not talking about theological atheists; I am talking about practical atheists. Many of us live our lives, conduct our relationships, and formulate our plans without ever once even thinking, “What would God have me do in this situation?” We live our lives as if there were no God. (Jeffress)

There is not much talk about sin and the sinfulness of man in light of the holiness of God. It is in this absence that a shallow approach is revealed to things of God and the wholeness of His Word. Where is repentance discussed? Where is sin called out? Where is holiness a pursuit? Where is the desire to live Holy? Where is the desire to be Holy Spirit led? Where is there separation from worldly and heavenly pursuits? Where is the desire to grow in understanding of God’s Holiness and our sinfulness so that we might repent and honor and glorify Him? 

There is so much more to a Christian life than living “Justified by Christ” – Granted all must come to the place of redemption through Jesus Christ, but the Christian life that begins (born again) as a baby is expected to grow and mature – “Sanctification”.  We can rest our salvation in our justification in Jesus Christ, but there should never be a moment where we are not seeking and desiring to honor and glorify Him in all we think, say, and do.  Being complacent and neglectful in this desire will leave us void of the Word of God in our lives and of little value to bringing honor and glory to Jesus. How empty is the appreciation that says; “I repent and trust you Jesus” and then does not seek to live each moment desiring to honor and glorify Him? 

We can rest in being justified but should never rest in our growth and desire to grow so that we can speak the word of truth and live so that honor and glory are given in all we think, say, and do, to Jesus Christ. Though we might start our Christian walk as a babe, let us not be content but rather seek to grow and mature in God’s Word. 

40.j. “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied”

 

 

Exodus 1:8  Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

This was God’s purpose for Israel’s time in Egypt. Egypt served as a mother’s womb for Israel, a place where they rapidly grew from a large clan to a mighty nation. The nation could not grow this way in Canaan, because it was practically impossible to avoid intermarriage with the pagan and wicked inhabitants of Canaan. Egypt was so racially biased and had such an entrenched system of racial separation that Israel could grow there over several centuries without being assimilated. This growth in the face of affliction has consistently been the story of God’s people, throughout all ages – the more they are afflicted, the more they grow. As the ancient Christian writer Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Because God’s purpose was to bless Israel and fulfill His role for them in His eternal plan, no amount of affliction could defeat His purpose. The Egyptians tried their best through cruel slavery; but it did not work. The principle of Isaiah 54:17 proved true: No weapon formed against you shall prosper. The wickedness of the Egyptians could hurt the children of Israel but could never defeat God’s plan for them. Pharaoh thought it best to not kill them; but he did want them to be slaves. In the midst of their cruel and harsh service, life must have seemed hopeless to the children of Israel, and the idea that God was working out His plan must have seemed very far away – yet it was true nonetheless. (Guzik)

38.g. “Because of the greatness of your arm”

 

 

Genesis 35:5  And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

 Exodus 15:15-16   Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.  Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O LORD, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.

 Exodus 23:27   I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.

 Psalms 14:5    There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous.

 Deuteronomy 11:25   No one shall be able to stand against you. The LORD your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you.

 2 Chronicles 17:10    And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah

 Joshua 2:9    and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

For most of our lives, we will be unaware of the protecting angels or of God’s protection. It is there even though we do not see it or know of it. There are those times we are keenly aware of it because there is no other reason for the outcome. I still wonder how many we miss – (thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions hundreds of millions?)

Our God is all-powerful. He has no limits in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He is ever-present and all-knowing. He has steadfast love for His children. He has plans and purposes far beyond our understanding. These plans and purposes are for our good and not to harm us. There is peace, joy, comfort, and rest for the soul that clings to and humbly relies on and trusts in God through Jesus Christ.

26.u. “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things”

 

Psalms 119:33  Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!

“The general desire expressed in this division is that for guidance. It is not an appeal for direction in some special case of difficulty, but rather for the clear manifestation of the meaning of the will of God.” (Morgan)  Without this understanding, the psalmist could not follow the desire of his transformed heart. We need the understanding to persevere in faith, obedience, humbleness, and loving-kindness. Spurgeon said God’s Word reveals the majesty of God and convinces the heart of His power, glory, grace, mercy, and love. How sad is it to have a heart to read God’s Word and not a desire to understand and know God more through it, or how to apply, or how to glorify and honor Him?  How sad is it to be distracted away from it so that our desires are shamefully shallow for things of God and amazingly deep for things of this world without a care if it honors or glories Him?  We certainly do not need instruction in the way of sin.  We do, however, need instruction in righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, and understanding of God and things of God.  When our heart is inclined toward God’s Word more than things of the flesh or this world, worldly stuff will not find a place of rest in your heart to breed covetousness.  Do I cherish God’s Word more than what the world has to offer?  Do I fear things of this world more than trusting in God’s power, plans, and will?  How many days are wasted on worthlessness?  How many are unable to turn their eyes away from what the world deems important? Technology, modern media, social media outlets, and entertainment technology sets before us an endless ocean of worthlessness to occur not only in our eyes and ears but also in our hearts and minds.  This world will try to tell you what is worthy, important, to fear, to be anxious about, what to watch, what to read, what to buy, what to think, what to do, how to be happy, how to be rich, how to find purpose, how to be satisfied, etc….. Most of it is foolishness, rubbish, and a distraction away from things of God.  They are not good, they do not last, they help no one else, they build no faith, hope, or love, they distract, temp, and carry us away, and they have nothing to do with Jesus Christ and His honor and glory.  We have a natural tendency toward the worthless and must cultivate a heart toward the pricelessness of the Godly.  You, we, have control over what we allow into our hearts, minds, and soul.  We intentionally choose.  We make these choices every day.  We choose – covet, lust, fear, lies, anger, pride, greed, just as we choose to neglect and become complacent in things of God.  We choose worldly or Godly.  We choose to spend time in God’s Word or not.  We choose to want to be led by Him, to honor Him, to glorify Him.  These choices happen hundreds/thousands of times each day.  Ask God to show and give you discernment between worthless things of this world (which includes fear of whatever this world deems us to be fearful of) and things that will honor and glorify Him.  Asking is the first intentional choice toward God-honoring living. Humbly and faithfully wanting to be led is an intentional choice that will fill the moments of each day like a refreshing rain to a barren dry land. 

17.i. “Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart?”

John 11:45  Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

 John 2:23    Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.

 John 12:42     Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;

 Matthew 10:32    So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,

 Romans 10:10    For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

 1 John 4:15    Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

 Isaiah 57:11   Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and you do not fear me?

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light 

A nearsighted person can see things clearly that are close to them but not things that are far away. The opposite is someone who is farsighted.  As Christians, we are told to focus on Jesus Christ.  That means both the present and the future.  Now (in the present) we see him dimly but we will see Him clearly in the future.  Now as we see Him dimly we honor and glorify Him to the best we focus on Him, but in the future, in heaven, we will see Him in all of His glory and our honor and glory to Him will be so much more pure, holy, and complete.  

As Christians, we can lose sight of our present focus of Jesus due to many things, primarily though it is due to our love of this world and what it has to offer and our neglect of His Word.  Do you want to keep getting clearer and clearer pictures of Jesus Christ now?  Stay diligent in His Word.  Keep Him in your thoughts as you wake every morning and when you close your eye in the evening and every moment in between.  There is so much more than believing in Jesus Christ – LIVE FOR JESUS CHRIST.

11.h. “The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might”

Micah 7:13  But the earth will be desolate because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their deeds. Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.  As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.  The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf; they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God, and they shall be in fear of you.

Job 4:8    As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.

Proverbs 1:31    therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.

Isaiah 3:10-11    Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.  Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.

Jeremiah 17:10    “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Jeremiah 21:14    I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the LORD; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.”

Galatians 6:7-8   Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

There is a time coming when all mankind will be held accountable for their deeds.  Some will see in their lifetime the fruit of their deeds falling back on them.  Others will pass on into eternity and it will be seeming to us that they beat the judgment due them.  God is not mocked and their deeds will catch up to them in eternity at the Great White Throne Judgment.  They are the ones who reject redemption through Jesus Christ, reject their sin, reject their need for repentance and forgiveness, and reject the gracious and merciful gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.  They have chosen wisdom of this world over the understanding, knowledge, and truth proclaimed in God’s Word.  We all were in this state before God, but He somehow softened our heart to the message of the gospel.  We were just like those who still reject Jesus Christ.  It is hard to say how God’s Word and Gospel cut straight into our heart but it most certainly did.  I still don’t know how a person could have had their eyes, heart, mind, and soul opened up to the gospel and the need for salvation, forgiveness, and redemption and then reject it.  But scripture is clear that there are those who do exactly that.  For those born again, their deeds should all be for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ. Our Savior bought and paid for our sin at a great price and we should ever be mindful to live to honor that great sacrifice and gift of eternal life.

2.l. But with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles

2 Chronicles 20:15  And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.

Exodus 14:13-14     And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.  The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Deuteronomy 1:29-30    Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them.  The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

Isaiah 41:10-16    fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.  You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.  For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Psalms 17:1-2   Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!  From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right!

Isaiah 43:1-2    But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Deuteronomy 31:8    It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

2 Chronicles 32:8    With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

The battle is not ours.  We may not be fighting a typical war but we do have battles don’t we?  We battle with addiction, greed, pride, complacency, lust, hate, coveting, health, relationships, finances, employment, sickness, self-centeredness, etc…..  We may not be facing an overwhelming army but the battles we face are none the less overpowering and seemingly uncontrollable.  We are made aware of some of these battles as we read God’s word, those that reside inside of our heart, mind, and soul.  The battles with self and our yielding to its sinful desires.  We also battle with attacks from Satan and his deceptions, lies, temptations.

Other battles come into our lives very forcefully and are not necessarily brought on by something we did or didn’t do.  Some of these are just because we live in a fallen world filled with fallen people, but that does not mean they are not unknown or purposed by God.  We never fully understand and know the plans and purposes of God but we do know that  God says; “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” and “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  God’s love is steadfast.  His grace, love, and mercy are unconditional.

We fear the unknown, overwhelming, and overpowering.  We play many scenarios out in our head and most of them have very bad outcomes.  We seem to play this tune in our head over and over again thinking that we might find some way out of our troubles.

God tells us to believe, trust, and rely on Him.  The battles are all His. If we truly believe they are His, what do we have to fear?  This is so easy to say but harder to put into practice.  Why is that?  If we are void of Him, for most of our daily lives it is very very certain He will be hard to believe in when the battle is at our door.  Living in a void of Him throughout most, if not all, of the day or week does not grow us into a mature, thankful, reliant, hopeful, faithful, obedient Christians.  In fact, living in a void of Him allows us to live and do what seems right in our own eyes.  We end up traveling far down the path of life alone and in our own wisdom and power for so long that when the battle lines form we are overwhelmed, powerless, angered, and afraid.    This is sin and sinful. So what are we to do?  How can we get off of this destructive and unfruitful path to a path of victory?

Recognize it, confess it, turn away from it, and cling to, rely on, and trust in Jesus Christ.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Purpose with all your heart, mind, soul and strength to seek, desire, honor, follow, obey, and trust Jesus Christ.  Feed on His word, think hard on it, live in His presence, and keep your heart and mind focused on Him continually.  Do not let the world entice you away from the blessings, courage, power, might, and strength found in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.