ENTERTAINING FEAR

Entertaining fear is terminating one’s own blessing. Have you consciously or unconsciously allowed fear to come between you and your miracle deliverance or miracle provision?

Once during the late hour of the day and in the middle of the water, a storm took over the journey of life for the disciples. Jesus’ disciples were on the journey to the other side of the sea when the storm took over. While they were being tossed around by the wave, Jesus showed up to rescue them. It is written, “Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear.” (Matthew 14:25-26) By virtue of fear, Peter must have requested for deliverance when he asked Jesus to command him to walk on the water. Jesus responded to Peter’s request by commanding him to come. The Bible records, “…and when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ (Matthew 14:29-30) Peter, in his obedience to walk a difficult walk (walking on water), took his eyes away from Jesus as he gave his attention to the troubling storm and fear took charge while faith was discharged. Peter simply entertained fear and his deliverance was set for termination until Jesus intervened.

During a season of famine across the land, the Zarephath woman was set for miraculous provision when God sent Elijah to her as a route for her miracle. The Zarephath woman was approached by Elijah and he requested, “’…Please bring me a little water in a cup that I may drink.’ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’” (1 Kings 17:10-11) Evidently, the woman of Zarephath only had just enough for herself and her son to eat because it was a time of famine in the whole land. In her sincerity and honesty, she responded to Elijah’s demand stating that she only had enough for herself and son to eat and die; meaning that after they ate, there would be nothing coming forth. Elijah did not hesitate when he responded to her. “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’”(1 Kings 17:13-14) The encouraging word of Elijah denied fear from denying the Zarephath woman from her God ordained miraculous provision. Fear would have provoked doubt and doubt is the agent of denial. The woman of Zarephath responded well to the word of Elijah. How often have you unconsciously allowed fear to give way to doubt and deny your miraculous provision?

The Zarephath woman had reasons to turn down the request of a strange prophet. However, she had no good reason not to trust or respond to a stranger in the name of God. In these days of fake and self-appointed messengers of God, it is easy to denounce a strange prophet in the fear of being cheated. However, we do have evidence that when means of provision seem to be over, God often provides in ways that might not seem to be meaningful to us. In response and full compliance to Elijah, the Zarephath woman denied fear and, “…went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.” (I Kings 17:15-16) God is beautiful for situation! Trust in Him that nothing forms against you; not even a deceiver shall prosper. In the time of lack, do all that is within you in the name of God for your neighbor and God will not overlook your area of need.

FAITH CAPSULE:
How often have you unconsciously allowed fear to give way to doubt and deny your miraculous provision?

GOD’S DESIRE; OUR DESIRE

It is written, “He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” (Psalm 145:19) Any man who truly knows to fear God knows what God wants and what God does not want for His children. Knowing what He wants for us will make it impossible for us to ask or have a desire for what does not line up with His desire for us. All that we need to desire is the grace to constantly fear Him. God alone knows all of our desires; He knows those who fear Him and He is more than capable of fulfilling everyone’s desire.

Everything a man can consider as need is obtainable when we live in the fear of God. Proverbs 19:23 buttresses the importance of fearing God when it states, “The fear of God leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.” (Proverbs 19:23) Are you one who desires not to have the Lord’s desire for your life? A man who presses for his own desires will get it with persistency.

Often time, however, getting one’s desire that is not of God leads to self-destruction. For example, the children of Israel, coming out of bondage of over four hundred years, seeing the wondrous work of God, strongly pressed for their own desire that was outside of God’s desire for them. They could not let go of Egypt but pressed in their asking for all kinds of food they ate while being enslaved in Egypt despite the fact that the Lord did not allow them to experience any lack. God responded and gave them the food they desired. The Bible records, “So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them their own desire. They were not deprived of their craving; but while their food was still in their mouths, the wrath of God came against them, and slew the stoutest of them, and struck down the choice men of Israel.” (Psalm 78:29-31)

Be assured that God wants the best for you and whatever we do not receive could possibly be because it is out of time or out of place for us. Also, whatever we do not receive is evidence that we are still abundant in His provision. To know that we have abundance in His provision is to hold on with satisfaction. Anyone who loves abundance with increase could possibly become vulnerable to dissatisfaction. As stated above, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.” (Proverbs 19:23) Without doubt, if we fear Him and are able to hold on with satisfaction, there shall be no evil visitation. God will not fail in giving us only what leads to life and not to our self-destruction like that of the stoutest of the Israelites who were destroyed as mentioned in the above verse. (Psalm 78:29-31)

Among the dangers of having desires of our own over God’s desire is that it leads to temptation. The Bible makes us realize this in James 1:13-15, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” Wrong desire (desire that is out of place for us before God) and temptation often lead to sin and with sin there will always be destruction. Are you allowing your desires to direct your focus from what God can do for you?

It is worthy to desire the fear of God so we may abide and become satisfied in God’s desire and not end up in life’s dissatisfaction which always bring evil to man. The point of this write up is for us to live a life that brings desirable good things that are encased in the fear of God. Where there is no fear of God, nothing good will move in the direction of man.

FAITH CAPSULE: To know that we have abundance in His provision is to hold on with satisfaction.

A WAITING EXPERIENCE

Waiting on God is timeless. It can take longer than expected or shorter than expected when we are waiting to hear from God. The waiting that takes “Mr. A” a short time before getting an answer can take “Mr. B” a longer time to get his answer from God. One thing is certain, where there is waiting before God, none can wait and become wasted. God never fails because time is in His hand and He can answer at the first hour or at the eleventh hour. God is God and no one controls the timing of God.

King David, once at a time of waiting for God’s salvation, testified his experience by stating, “Save me, O God! for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God.” (Psalm 69:1-3)

King David encountered a grave challenge that stretches from being in deep mire where he could not stand to deep waters where the floods overflow him. In the face of his challenge, however, he waited on God. For him, there was no sign of any answer coming forth for his deliverance but yet he had no back-up plan but to wait. Indeed, faith does not have a back-up plan but to wait without ceasing.

King David, in his waiting, kept on praying when he stated, “But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of Your salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink…” (Psalm 69:13-14) Prayer and expectation is the anchor of waiting and David demonstrated it. In time of waiting on God where there is no expectation for getting an answer from God, when the answer comes from God one might not recognize the answer for the purpose of waiting. Waiting demands persistence and expectation for manifestation.

When waiting longer period becomes painful, praising and giving thanks should be the antidote.  King David testifies, “But I am poor and sorrowful; let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” (Psalm 69:29-30) David did not stop expecting despite his challenge but he rather kept on praising and magnifying God with thanksgiving.

God is good and He will never allow our waiting to become wasted in His sight without acting on our behalf. It is written in Isaiah 64:4, “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” The Word of God is true to deliver. In your waiting, rejoice. Be upright remembering all that He has done in the past and know that He is more than able to do more abundantly. King David presented a case of what it takes to wait when challenge persists and it seems God is no more there to deliver.

Paul and Silas, after having suffered being beaten with rods and stripes laid on them, they were thrown into inner prison and had their feet fastened up. They were in a challenge with no way out and pain was in place but praise prevailed for them. The Bible records, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.  Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” (Acts 16:25-26)  Praising God in the prison of life will provoke heaven to raise the prison door for your escape. Resist your challenge; persist on your expectation; hope continually by praising and magnifying Him with thanksgiving.

FAITH CAPSULE:
When waiting longer period becomes painful, praising and giving thanks should be the antidote.

ENTERTAIN NO FEAR

The word of God describes Job, “…blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.  Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.” (Job 1:1-3) Job had it all. Above all, he was indeed a man of God. He was straight with God but he was not sure of his children’s walk with God. As a result of him not being sure about his children’s walk with God, he would sanctify them and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all making a statement, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” (Job 1:4-5)

After Satan was allowed by God to attack Job, he lost his properties, he lost all his children and his health was attacked. By virtue of all his adversities, he deplored his birth by cursing the day of his birth. On top of it all, Job gave a testimony, “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.” (Job 3:25-26) What could have been the fear of Job which eventually came upon him? Was it the fear of not having destruction of properties? Could it have been the fear of not having all his children die together? The bottom line of it is that Job was nursing fear and what he feared eventually found him.

Fear is not of God; fear is the initiation of Satan. Whenever fear rises in the life of man, faith will sink. Fear and faith does not complement each other. What could have happened to Job to be exercising great fear? Not knowing the extent of God’s protective covering over the affairs of our life or over the areas of our concern will possibly expose us to fear and not faith. Clearly God is not pleased without faith. Unfortunately Satan knew the extent of God’s covering over Job when he mentioned that God had made a hedge around him, around his household and around all that he has on every side. (Job 1:10) When God makes you to be impenetrable but you make yourself penetrable, Satan will have no choice but to attempt dressing you up. The Psalmist states, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20)  It is extremely important to know that God is mindful of us. He visits us and He crowns us with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:4-5)

Know who you are and disallow compelling forces which cause great fear in man.
Whenever the compelling force in your life is positively in line with the word of God, the end result will be nothing but a positive and blessed result. However, when a compelling force in your life is negative and not in line with the word of God, you are set for a negative and complicating result. Constantly keep it mind that the most active and most frequent compelling forces that often complicates the life of man is that of fear. The story of King Saul depicts exactly what it is to allow a negative compelling force, such as fear, to have a place in our life. King Saul was the first king of the children of Israel. He was a king anointed by God for God’s people. He had God on his side along with Samuel in place for him as God’s mouthpiece. What else could a man need but to fully rest and trust on God? Despite King Saul’s position, he could not function effectively without fear.

At a time of war with the prominent enemy of the children of Israel, he allowed fear to take over as a compelling force that led him to his complicating decision. King Saul was commanded by Samuel to wait for seven days until Samuel arrived to offer the burnt offering before his battle with the Philistines. “Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.  So Saul said, ’Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.’ And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came…” (1 Samuel 13:8-10) Saul made the wrong move because he could not travail in waiting. Samuel came as promised the same day but not at Saul’s timing. When Samuel asked why King Saul took such a decision, Saul’s response was that, “…when I saw that the people were scattered from me…” (1 Samuel 13:11) Who are you looking up to? Do you look up to God or the people and situations around you? Saul went further in his testimony and stated, “…I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.” Saul succumbed to fear when his people scattered and was compelled to make an unlawful sacrifice. Samuel made it clear that he violated God’s command. Violating God can lead to termination from God. Samuel made it known to Saul, “…the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever but now your kingdom shall not continue…” (1 Samuel 13:13-14) When fear compels, complication prevails. As the year goes on, keep focus on God and you shall not be in place for fear but faith.

FAITH CAPSULE
Fear and faith does not complement each other.

WHAT YOU SOW

In your new beginning allow the newness of God’s grace to reign in your life.
In the past year, whatever it is that does not represent God; that which does not glorify God, disallow it from having a place in your life as you engage the journey of a new beginning.
It is true that what a man sows he will surely reap. God is a perfect Manager and He perfects in managing each and every of His creation by virtue of allowing His creation to reap from what they sow. In life, it is impossible to sow the seed of deception and expect to reap the fruit of perfection. If what a man sow is good, man shall reap good. Just as God will not overlook rewarding good for good so He will not overlook reward bad for bad. He is a righteous judge and man should always expect to reap from what man sows.
Any man who sows the seed of lie will reap the fruit of being deceived. It is worthy to live life as one who knows Him and anything short of living life as one who knows Him is living life as a liar. It is written, “He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”(1John2:4-6) How do you walk His walk?

It is important to understand that working the works of God is not same as walking as He walked.
To work the works of God is to believe in Jesus. (John 6:28-29) To walk is walk is to behave the word you believe. God invests so much in us while we extend so little to Him by the way we walk His walk. Working and not walking will not get us to where He wants for us to be.
Our walk is also our seed which we sow for God to reward us.

WHAT YOU SOW YOU WILL REAP
Esau, the first son of Isaac, knew well enough not to marry outside of his father’s prescribed area but nevertheless, he still went and married without Isaac’s blessing. It is written, “When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.”(Genesis 26:34-35) Esau could not walk before his father Isaac; he disobeyed his father and also violated God’s command which states, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12).
Esau’s act of disobedience activated a grief of mind to his parents which can be likened to heartache, stress, disruption, anger and maybe sleepless nights.  At a very old age when it was time for Isaac to bless his children, Esau was in line to take the best part of the blessings.
Regardless of Esau’s act of disobedience his father still considered him to be the one receiving the best of the blessings. Isaac called on Esau and spoke to him, “Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”(Genesis 27:3-4)

There is no procedure neither is there any mishap that can obliterate or erase for one not to reap from what was sown and this was also the case for Esau.
Esau could not reap right where he sow wrongly when his mother re-assigned His chance to reap the blessing from his father to Jacob his brother. Jacob took the position of Esau’s blessing. There was no documentation of a conscious and purposeful act by Rebekah to punish Esau for his disobedience act.
The point here is that nothing passes outside of God’s seeing…man shall reap from whatever man sows.
Esau sowed the seed of grief to his parents and there was no way out for him but to reap the fruit of grief.
As the year progresses, watch the kind of seeds you sow because when reaping time starts, prayer will not help to deny you from the pain of what you sow.

FAITH CAPSULE:
It is true that what a man sows he will surely reap.
Your work without walking in Him is not enough.