It's my greatest fear. It grips me at the oddest times, leaving me restless, knowing there is so much more than what I have experienced. It is a force deep within, urging me, pressing me to rise up and go forth. To not give up, to not give in, to not give over. To seize the Promises of Almighty God and not let go until each one is a solid reality in my life. The fear that drives me to my knees in prayer is simply this: to have lived out my years in the wilderness of this life. To have been gloriously delivered from the bondage of sin, to have had the yoke of slavery broken from my heart/spirit and yet, never enter into the victorious, wide open freedom, the LIFE, that Christ purchased for me, with His own Blood, when He triumphed over satan, over sin and conquered death and hell once and for all. To have wandered aimlessly through my days until I am on my dying bed and realize that I never fulfilled the purpose and plan the Lord had ordained for me, to realize what He wanted to do through me for His Kingdom that unbelief or fear hindered me from accomplishing for His Glory. The people God had chosen for Himself found themselves under the cruel and heavy hand of the Egyptian taskmasters. Their lives consisted of slavery and affliction, but the Lord both saw their affliction and heard their cries and declared, "I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that land, unto a good and large land, a land flowing with milk and honey." (Ex 3:7-8) You know the story, God miraclously delivers His people by causing a strong wind to blow back the Red Sea, parting the waters for them to walk through on dry land. His Presence manifested as a cloud of light to His children to guide them through their passage, yet was darkness to their enemy. After His children were safely on the other side of the Red Sea, God allowed Pharoah and his enemies to pursue and in the middle of their crossing, God lifted His wind and the mighty waters rolled over, completely destroying every enemy, until there "remained not one of them." Surely, surely the Lord wrought freedom and glorious liberty for His own and He was leading them forth to the Land He Himself had promised Abraham, Issac and Jacob...a land of abundant provision from His own Hand, a land where His blessing and favor was manifested openly. A land, where there would be battles, but the Lord Himself would fight for them, where victory was most certain. And yet, most died in the wilderness, without every setting foot in the promise and provision for them by their God. Unbelief, murmuring, complaining, sin, fear, doubt, rebellion, kept them from what was their Father so desired to give them. Beloved, don't you see? We, every man, woman, boy or girl, was chosen before the foundation of the world to be God's own child...for His own pleasure and purpose. (Eph, 1:3-6) When you cried out to Jesus, because you were sick and tired of being in bondage to sin, of living selfishly, when you had enough of doing things your way and were ready to let Him be the Lord of your life, He heard your cry. He came, the atoning, cleansing Blood of Jesus washed your sin away and you crossed over your own personal Red Sea. The Lord Himself rolled back the waters of death and destruction to allow you to come into new life in Him. And just as God wrought a marvelous victory for the Hebrews, He did for you!!! You were set free from the oppression of slavery and the land God has promised you is one of glorious abundance in His provision of joy, peace, comfort, strength, hope, love, LIFE!!!!! And He has promised you that He would fight for you and with you and in you!!! That He has already caused you to triumph in Christ Jesus!!! And yet, you are dying by degrees as you wander aimlessly in the backside of the wilderness of this physical life. Unbelief & fear, griping and complaining, hinder the Presence and Fullness of the Life Christ has already promised and provided. For us, the believers, the Promised Land is not Heaven. Because God said there would be enemies and battles and struggles for the Israelites in the land of Canaan. But He also said He would go before them, He would fight for them, that victory was certain!!! And so, he tells us, until we reach Heaven, there will be struggles and battles, enemies and traps, but that He is with us, even until the end of this age! So, back to my original thought: My greatest fear is that I will die without laying hold of all that Christ has for me in this life. But, today, I choose faith over fear. I believe, with every fiber of my very being, that the Word of God is absolutely true and that I am an overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony and by choosing to die to self and live for Him each day!!! I am persuaded that what God has promised He shall bring to pass. I refuse to die in the aimlessness of the wilderness, by rising up from the comfort of easy convenience and lukewarmness. I shall, with the Holy Ghost as my guide, march forth towards the prize of the high calling of God. I will reach the banks of Jordan and I will, through His Power alone, undo the shackles of shame, the remnants of failure, cross over into the Lord's glorious liberty, LIVING, REALLY LIVING, for Him!!! Praise His Holy Name!!!! Don't you want to come????? |
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Categories"Lighten my eyes, O Lord"Coming Out of Bondage For God's Glory He that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit hath to say More than Redemption Passing through the storms of Life Somewhere Between the Will of God and will of man The Power of Being God's Possession....Who you are in Christ for God's Glory |
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