WISDOM WEDNESDAY

Vol. 1 Issue 12 - 5-11-22

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

- II Peter 3:18

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Greetings Church,

As Christians we often find ourselves putting expectations upon ourselves that we misunderstand. One of those expectations is that those who are in Christ are to be fearless. That following Christ makes us invincible and thus we are to be victorious daily in our walk with Him. Most of this expectation is true when it deals with the promised eternal state that we are to live out today. But we must find the solution to our fear in the daily abiding in Christ. Without Him it is impossible to be fearless.

Yet, when we properly understand this truth we must come to realize that fear is part of our existence in a fallen world. The key to responding to our fears does not come from within us as if we have the power to do so but comes from our dependence upon the Lord. In Psalm 56:3,4 we read, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" Please notice the first reality and that is fear comes upon us. The psalmist says, "when I am afraid". Fear here deals with the stresses and fears of this life. It is not the reverent awe we are to have before a Holy God. Fear is an emotion that stirs us, that causes us to act in response to a proper understanding of what is feared. We must not think that fear is something a Christian should never have.

The reason we have fear as an emotion we all have and often deal with, is that it causes us to run. The question then is where do we run to or who do we run to. The psalmist again gives us insight into that, as he states, "when I am afraid, I put my trust in you." Fear moves us to seek out the Lord for His grace and protection. His desire is for us to run to Him when we are afraid. Trusting in the Lord is the significant fear catcher. He longs with open arms to receive us when afraid, just like when we were children and we ran into our father or mother's arms when afraid. Trusting in the Lord is not only to be done when afraid but something we are to do always. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5,6) Here again the realization for our hearts is that we sometimes choose our own ways and we need to strive to trust Him for His ways. This should be an ever growing trust in Him.

How do we come to this understanding of fear before a Holy God? We do so by being in the Word that is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) The psalmist says, "In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid." The Word reveals the promises of God. The Word is to be praised not as if we put it on a pedestal but that we spend time in it and hide it in our hearts. We cannot give praise to something we do not know. "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word....I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:9,11) As we are in the Word we realize that when we are afraid we trust in the One who has revealed His promises that we have kept in our hearts. Therefore, run to Him, run to His Word, hide it in your hearts, let it bring the purity needed to trust in Him.

The last phrase in verse four brings the issue of fear to a conclusion. It references the life we live in the flesh. A life that needs redemption. A life that is born again through faith in Jesus Christ. The question is asked, "What can flesh do to me?" I like how this is translated as it helps us understand that fear can come from without and from within. Flesh then represents not just another human being that is causing the fear but also our own selves can be causing the fear. In either case fear attempts to draw us away from God. But trusting God with our fear brings the flesh into proper focus. What can it do to me? If our fear is given to the Lord by trusting in His promises revealed then the flesh can do nothing to us whether it is from without or within.

We all face fears and trials of many kinds, yet we have a solution to them all. "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" (Psalm 56:3,4)

Let us trust in Him!!!

Blessings,

PBS

 

WISDOM WEDNESDAY

Vol. 1 Issue 11 - 5-4-22

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

- II Peter 3:18

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Greetings Church,

On the eve of the National Day of Prayer I would like to encourage you to consider increasing your daily prayer output. Calling on the Lord should not be an annual event dictated by the world, it should be a moment by moment experience just like breathing. This is what Paul means when in I Thessalonians 5:13 he said, "pray without ceasing". As with breathing, prayer should be a natural expression of our existence. It should not be something we come to when we have exhausted every other avenue but the first place that we go.

Paul in Ephesians 6 in his discussion of the whole armor of God makes prayer a vital part of the armor. Listen to verses 18-20, "praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." He shares three broad things for us to consider in our prayer lives.

The first is that prayer is to be at all times. The time for prayer is always. There is never a time that prayer is not appropriate or beneficial. Thus we need to develop this awareness of the need to pray in the dailiness of our lives. We sell ourselves short when we limit the need to pray. I learned from my Nana that prayer was for all occasions not just a blessing at a meal. Paul clarifies what the prayer life should be like as he states, "in the Spirit". He wants the intercessor to be a part of our prayer lives. The Holy Spirit is to be the one who directs our prayer lives as we depend upon Him to give us insight and understanding. This is one reason at our prayer meeting on Thursday nights we begin with prayer so that we will be guided to pray in accordance to the Lord's will. Paul further gives insight to what this praying at all times looks like when he finishes, with "all prayer and supplication". Here Paul directs us to prayer, as in praying in general or prayer that does not ask but a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. Supplication means that we make a humble petition to the Lord, namely this is the ask. So Paul encourages us to be "praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication."

Secondly, Paul gives us direction or subject matter for us to pray for. In the midst of the armor that is put on we have a focused place of attention or use for the armor and that is prayer. Yet the prayer life is not just for the armor bearer/wearer but for all the saints. The second portion of verse 18 says, "To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." The alertness comes from our pursuit of the Lord in prayer. We are to do so with all perseverance. Being alert means we are aware of the battle around us and that we maintain this alertness with all our strength and follow through. The purpose for such is that we are "making supplication for all the saints." Our prayer lives then find their greatest strength not in just praying ourselves but praying for others. Here that prayer is broad in nature for all the saints. Yet it suggests that we take note of and are aware of the needs of others around the world. We need not only research those needs as published by various mission organizations but realize at the heart that our own struggles are not much different than theirs. So we pray not in generalizations but growing out of our own needs we pray with perseverance for them.

Lastly, Paul moves to himself as he asks for the Ephesians to cover him in prayer. He becomes the example to follow as we pray for all the saints. The saints here are those who profess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Paul is very specific about what to pray for, which helps us to know that we need to be specific about the needs of the saints around us. Take care to note that unspoken prayers are not found in scripture and Paul is very specific about what to pray for. Thus we need to be in relationship with one another to know how to pray for each other. We need to be consistent in asking how we can pray for one another. We need to be consistent in following up with those needs so that we are enabled to continue to pray for each other.

It is my prayer that you will be encouraged to pray daily and often. To be a prayer warrior for the church God has called you to be a part of. I would also like to invite you to make prayer meeting on Thursday nights a new weekly habit. I know you will be blessed as you pray with and for the saints.

Blessings,

PBS