Psalm 27 Whom Shall I Fear?

The just shall live by his faith, not by his fear. There are many things in life that can be a source of fear. It can be financial, social, even political. But whether enemies surround my life, or I lose everything I own, or   people persecute me for whatever reasons, I can trust in the Lord all the days of my life. Let's examine some of the things David says about God that should move me to trust him.

The Lord is my light... In the darkest hours of persecution, ridicule, slander, etc. God remains as the source of light for my life. It is a light that shines within. It is not external. I may look down the tunnel of life, filled with darkness, with no light in sight, but I have a God who promises to be with me and provide the light I need. The light at the end of the tunnel may help me see the path, but the Lord illuminates one step at a time. Faith is not to fret because I can't see the path. It is to overcome the paralysis and take one step at a time with the light God provides.

The Lord is my salvation... If my life had been all safe and secure, I would have no need of saving. But the truth is that my life is in danger. I was lost, in sin, estranged from God. But God rescued me and continues to rescue me day by day. The perils of life cannot take my confidence in God away because he saves me. Many times I think that this rescue is from the dangers against my physical life, but the truth is that there are many more threats against my soul. God saves me from losing my faith in him.

The Lord is the stronghold of my life... When enemies assail me, I can run to the arms of my God. He is my refuge. A stronghold is a place that has been fortified to resist enemy attacks. When I am bombarded by ungodly thoughts, I can run to God's presence. When temptation seems to overcome my will, I can seek God's face. It is not necessarily a physical place. It is a soul place. It is to engage the mind, the emotions, and the will to connect with God through all the resources he has given us: his word, prayer, etc.

The one thing David asked God was to dwell in his house all the days of his life. That prayer has been answered through Jesus Christ. Through the Spirit of God, I can enjoy God's presence every day without having to visit a building made by human hands. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit thanks to the work of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He fills my life with his light. He rescues me day by day from the perils of life that assail my faith. He becomes a stronghold for me when I need to take refuge from the attacks of the enemy.

Father, help me live by faith and not by fear. Fill my heart with your light. Rescue me from the world, self, and sin. May I run to you when I feel faint under the attacks of life. Amen.

Joshua 11 Conquests in Northern Canaan

Joshua now moves to the north to subdue the remaining city-states in the promised land. Jabin, the king of Hazor calls in all the kings in the surrounding territories to join forces against Israel. They were a great horde, in number like the sand on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. Military power in those days was determined by the number of warriors, the number of horses, and the number of chariots. The Canaanites had a great advantage over Israel on all three. But the Israelites were instructed not to fear!

Moses, wrote in the Law: "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." (Deut.20:1) Israel was instructed not to amass horses, chariots, or soldiers throughout its history for one simple reason. God wanted them to trust him and not their resources. In Psalm 20:7 we are reminded: "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." (Psalm 20:7) 

The establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth is the battle of faith that I must wage in this world. It is a personal battle for the establishment of God's kingdom in my heart as well as a corporate battle for the establishment of God's kingdom in our communities. Many are the enemies of the kingdom and many are the resources available to them, but I am to trust in the Lord. I am not to fear their might against me because God has promised to fight for me and I am to depend on him. Am I really depending on God for this conquest? Or am I seeking comfort and strength in other things?

Because Joshua and the Israelites trusted in the Lord, they were able to subdue the Canaanites greater fighting power. They burned their chariots. They hamstrung (it seems to be a procedure by which they cut some tendons rendering them unfit for warfare) their horses. Even the Anakim were cut off from the land. These were the giants that instilled so much fear in the hearts of the 10 spies. Nothing is impossible with God. If God is for me, who can come against me?

Lord, fill my heart with trust in you. Don't allow me to put my trust in the things of this world, not even to fight the battle of faith. Search me and show me my dependencies. Try me and transform me to trust in you alone.

Joshua 1:1-9 God Commissions Joshua

God's plan for his people is established and firm. It is not dependent on any one person in particular. As powerful as Moses' ministry was, the ongoing development of God's plan is not solely dependent upon him. No one person is indispensable in God's kingdom. It is a team effort to complete a relay race of sorts, and it is Joshua's turn. Moses' performance is indeed commendable, but his time is up. Moses is to pass on the baton to Joshua.

The mission is unchanged no matter the leader in charge. When the Lord commissions his leaders, he reminds them of his presence and reiterates his promises for reassurance in order to ensure confidence in performance. The confidence is not in the self, but in the Lord. He will be with his new leader in the same way he was with Moses and no one can stand against a leader God has appointed for his purposes. "I will not leave you or forsake you" is an awesome assurance, especially in the beginning of a leader's term.

The promises are encouraging and reassuring, but it is also necessary to heed the call of our God in the performance of leadership. God calls, not once, but thrice: "Be strong and very courageous!" Strength is the power to resist strain and stress. It is durability. It is the power to resist attack. Confidence in God's presence is not a shield against strain and stress. It is only the guarantee that I am not alone in the middle of the heat of battle. I must be willing to deal with strain and stress and overcome it empowered by his presence.

Courage is the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult, and painful instead of withdrawing from it. It is not lack of fear, but the willingness to act despite of fear. It is to refuse to allow fear to paralyze me and to move forward in the name of the Lord empowered by his presence and his promises. Leadership in the kingdom of God requires strength and courage. Am I willing to heed the call?

Father, reassure me of your presence and promises. Grant me strength and courage to overcome stress and fear. May I never shrink back from your call to obey. Help me perform well during my term.

Matthew 18:15-20 If Your Brother Sins Against You

When it comes to conflict resolution, nothing beats the procedure outlined in this passage. Yet I find myself ignoring it time and again. The first step is one of evaluation: "If your brother sins against you..." I have to discern if my brother's fault is worth a confrontation (second step: "...go and tell him his fault")  or if I am willing to let it go without a confrontation. I should be willing to sit down and talk if my brother's well being is in danger due to sin or if it bothers me to the point that I can't be at peace. Even if there is a misunderstanding on my part, I should be willing to sit down with my brother to clarify.

The reason I ignore this precious passage so often is fear. I fear hurting someone, so I tell myself. But reality is that true love speaks the truth and does not hide behind a mask of being "nice." There is no value in being nice when your brother's soul is in danger of hell or your peace of mind does not let you sleep at night. Since my need of venting is so great, my fear drives me to sin by violating the privacy clause "between you and him alone." Somehow, I feel justified to tell someone else my problem with my brother falling into gossip. I realize there is need for counseling to deal with internal issues, but venting with others and speculating about my brother's intentions and motives is not healthy at all. I must go to him!

So often I look at conflict as a nuisance to avoid instead of an opportunity to grow a relationship. The benefit is clear: "If he listens to you, you have gained your brother." There is much to gain from proper conflict resolution. If my brother does not listen, I should be willing to bring witnesses. If I am willing to bring witnesses it is because I am very certain of what I am talking about. I should not bring witnesses to a situation if I am not certain. If my brother still ignores my warning, then I should be willing to come to the church - not the whole congregation, but its representative government (pastor, elders or governing board).

If no resolution is possible after all this, it means that my brother may not be a brother at all. I should have compassion and treat him like an unbeliever: "let him be to you like a Gentile and a tax collector." This does not mean to despise him, but to love him as one who needs Christ. The powers of binding and losing are given to me as a kingdom person through the Gospel. Just a reminder that the binding and losing takes place in the heavens and I am called to discern what my God is doing and follow his lead not the other way around. The Father has promised to be with me and answer my prayers when I am willing to sit down with my brother to resolve our conflict.

Father, thank you for your presence and power in my life to deal with conflict. Don't let fear hold me hostage to be nice and never deal with my issues. Set me free to welcome conflict as an opportunity to grow as a Christian and mature in my relationships.

Matthew 14:1-12 The Death of John the Baptist

In Herod the tetrarch or Herod Antipas we have an example of a life dominated by fear. His father, Herod the Great, was a very able but cruel and ruthless leader killing some of his wives and sons to keep his power. It was this Herod who massacred the children of Bethlehem when he felt threatened by Jesus' birth. A father who is capable of killing his sons is not a comforting figure in the life of a child, but a disturbing one. I speculate that Herod Antipas feared his father. 

At his father's death, his kingdom was split in four (that's where the title "tetrarch - a quarter" comes from). Herod Antipas was made king over Gallilee (Jesus' hometown) and Perea. His brothers were made kings of other territories in Palestine. Antipas divorced his own wife to marry his brother Phillip's wife. Understanding the background of the family, I infer there was a great competition among them as kings and that Herod Antipas feared his brothers.

Due to his marriage with his brother's wife, John the Baptist called him to repentance since it was unlawful for him to be with his brother's wife. Tired of hearing John's accusation against him, Herod imprisons John. But he does not kill him because he fears the reaction of the people. Herod was not well liked among the Jews (he was of Edomite descent and had built a city where there was a cemetary - unclean) and he did not want to hurt his popularity any more. In a flashback, Matthew explains how John was killed and why. Herod's sorrow is not for John, but for the difficult situation that his promise got him into.

Herod's theology surfaces when he hears about Jesus and his miracles. He deduces that Jesus is John the Baptist resurrected and that is why he is able to perform miracles. His pagan background comes to light where it is believed that the dead can come back among the living.  Herod fears the spirit world and Jesus as a possible threat to his life and kingdom.

Herod chose to ignore John's warnings and call to repentance. When Jesus was before him, he only desired to see some sign done by him. Jesus only served him to patch up his relationship with Pilate. When Caligula became Caesar, Herod was accused by his own nephew of conspiring against the emperor. Herod was thrown into exile with his wife and died of an unknown death. He lived with many fears and his worst nightmare became true. Herod is an example of the unrighteous life and the consequences of such a living.

Father, guide my life day by day to make righteous decisions. May Jesus' righteousness fill my life and enable me to follow in his footsteps. May I fear you above anything else on earth so that I may enjoy life everlasting. Amen.