Snow.....
Ice.....
Freezing Rain.....
Mention these three words here in the South and you got yourself a full-fledged panic on your hands. People who haven't had a glass of mile in years, will suddenly become like lemmings racing to the sea...."I've got to buy milk." The shelves in grocery stores across the region will be depleted of the three basic ingredients needed to survive the coming storm...
(1.) Milk
(2.) Bread
(3.) Eggs.
Such behavior is based on past experiences. Back in the early 60's we were hit with an ice storm. Power was out for two weeks and no one was really prepared to weather it (no pun intended). Couple that with the blizzard of '93 and you got yourself a collective conscience that runs to the grocery store every time the word "snow" or "Ice" is mentioned. While I do believe in being prepared, I do not believe in operating out of a spirit of fear.
John 14:1 - "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe in Me."
There are a lot instances where our behavior is brought about because of fear. Maybe something happened in the past and we didn't know how to handle it at that time. Maybe we made a bad decision and the consequences didn't turn out like we thought it would. But whatever the case, because of it, we now operate from a place of fear.
I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I have learned that fear comes to me when I don't trust God. I am not a "Pollyanna" Person. One who thinks every situation is going to turn out covered with sunshine and lollipops, puppy dogs and daises. I try to be realistic in my expectations. I am learning to trust God, that (1) He is still in control, no matter what my circumstance may look like. And (2) God has my best interest at heart. In other words, He is not a spiteful and hateful God who plays with us like we're toys. I am learning to trust Him with every area of my life.
Sometimes I think the way we read Scripture has a lot to do with the way we interpret it.
The verse from John 14:1....Let not your heart be troubled.....if you think about it, Jesus wasn't suggesting something. He wasn't approaching this like, "Hey guys....this is a really good idea." It was a loving command that He knew could affect us and change our lives in way that we could walk and live in this old dark world. I would probably say that it was a loving command. One whose intent was to alter the way we see the world and the way we should respond to God.
I guess I would say that this would be food for thought today.
So the next time you find yourself operating from a place of fear, stop. Stop and let the words of John 14:1 roll over you. Stop and remember exactly who we claim we believe in. Stop and let the truth of God's word fill you and bring peace to you. Don't give the devil a place to pour even more fear into your life. Stop and let God be God.
God on you....
mb
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