Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as the father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.
Deuteronomy 1:29-31
I am never really without rest- insomnia is not (thankfully) something I battle. (Except that is when I was 8 and 9 months pregnant. ha) These days with an infant son I could pretty much sleep any time; any where. So, I was perplexed when I arose at 3:40am and felt like I had slept an entire night. I tried to go back to bed but continued to feel a tug at heart to rise and read. Now, what comes in passages immediately following the above scripture is equally important and I would encourage you dear reader to take it on yourself to study. However, what jumps out at me is this:
Usually when I read scripture (either Old Testament or New Testament) and I see something about fear or something saying 'do not be afraid' I usually get this semi-fluffy feeling about God being the gentle guiding hand soothing us as children who may be afraid of the dark. (You may take that as literal or implicit as you choose)
But here, what Moses writes in Deuteronomy is a command. A strong command, not suggestion or reassurance for our nerves.
Ponder on that instruction today.... any takers?
Much Love
It reminds me of the first part of Joshua. I love that story because he isn't asking. He isn't consoling. He is commanding. I love that God really does want us to be a people of action. He really does want us to war fearlessly for this world. While victory may be assured in the end, that doesn't mean that there won't be casualties. He is specific. He is the God of the details. He is commanding us to stand. It is the authority that makes Ephesians 6:10-18 so powerful! It is outside our comfort zone. It is a challenge. I love it! Thanks for sharing! Faith
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