As I brought in the new year, I entered with no sense of real direction from the Lord regarding an area of study for 2019 (explanation here).
Humorously, the Lord has actually led me to a word-of-study for the next several months, as I research and write a new retreat series, based on the theme #bebrave.
So, in spite of my rebelliousness, not wanting to be like everyone else who chooses a new word-of-the-year, well....I now have one!
Here is the verse the retreat committee has chosen:
Obviously, the word "brave" does not appear in this familiar passage of Scripture.
Truth is, I can't study bravery without reflecting on fear, anxiety, worry, and discouragement.
These four siblings come from the same family.
Their parents are Unbelief and Control.
As in every family, each child is different, and some have more intense personalities than others.
However, meet them, and you'll see the family resemblance. They come from a long line of "What Ifs!
So, over the next few weeks, as I'm pouring over Scripture, reading books (Anxious for Nothing, Max Lucado; Running Scared, Ed Welch have already been downloaded into Kindle), and listening to sermon messages, you're bound to see some of what I'm learning creeping up in this blog space.
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Research shows that fear and anxiety plague us more than any other soul-problem.
On top of that, out of all nationalities in the world, Americans, who live in one of the most safety-conscious-societies, lead the statistics as being the most fearful.
So, let's face it, followers-of-Jesus, we need some stones to put in our pockets to slay the giant of fear; and, it's best if we start wandering the dried up Elah Brook to look for the perfect ones.
(The Valley of Elah)
Proactively picking up these stones will be our way to brave.
(stone from the Brook Elah)
The first rock we all need is the stone of PRAISE (see the blog written on April 4th & last week).
The minute we begin to reflect, remember, and rejoice in WHO GOD IS and WHAT HE HAS DONE, then CELEBRATE the Lord, we are on our way to #bebrave.
This week, I picked up another stone.
Turning to Psalm 34, I read David's words; by the time, he had written them, Goliath was a mere memory.
Now, David faced two other giants.
One was King Saul.
Saul, jealous of David (after all, the people were chanting this mantra everywhere Saul traveled: "Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands...") wanted David dead!
Nothing less would make him happy.
Fleeing Saul, David landed in Philistine territory.
The home of Goliath.
Enter, David's other new giant: Goliath's King - Abimelech.
Abimelech hated David, too.
He, also, wanted David wiped from the face of the earth...
These men weren't the physically menacing threat of Goliath, but they sure were psychologically threatening (by the way, all fear fits one of those two categories and often the psychological is worse...).
How did David handle these fearful threats?
1) He ran from Saul (flight)...and,
2) He pretended insanity in front of Abimelech (his fight of choice)...
While some may freeze, our initial response to fear is almost always one of these two methods: fight or flight.
Both worked temporarily for David; and, they will for us, as well.
However, David needed something more lasting, as do we...
In Psalm 34, we see David be more InTeNtIoNaL about his fear.
Look at the first four verses of this passage:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears (ESV).
Right here, two of the five stones David collected:
Stone one, in red, we already know: PRAISE!
Stone two, highlighted in purple, PRAYER!
(Um...I'm pretty sure I hear a chorus of "duh" coming from the blogosphere.)
But David isn't just referring to any old kind of prayer.
This word, a very specific word, chosen out of all other Hebrew words that could be translated prayer, carries a different meaning...
It's a word, that more often than not is used when someone seeks out a sorcerer, witch, or magician regarding the future.
WHAT???
Wait a minute...we know how that episode in Saul's life-story turned out (if not, start reading here).
David isn't telling us to go have our tarot cards read, or seek out someone with a crystal ball.
What he's saying is much more simple.
Necromancers are desperate folk (that's a fancy name for those who resort to such tactics as divination).
They go with a do-or-die determination for an answer.
The NEED for a response is as strong as the DRUG OF CHOICE for an addict!
David is simply saying this is the posture with which he approaches the Lord.
He's desperate.
His longing to have God move is bigger than his fear.
He recognizes the gravity of his situation, and urgently asks of the Lord for knowledge and deliverance.
He's tried everything, has given up, and is turning to the only one who is really in control and capable of help...
Here's the good news of Psalm 34:4.
When we pray like this...God delivers (but how often do we pray like this?)!!!!
We often come to the Lord with half-hearted prayers, not even sure we believe God can or wants to work on our behalf (maybe I should speak for just myself)...
Now, read verse 5:
No need to be embarrassed by fear...
Seek the Lord...
Desperately entreat His deliverance...
And, in His timing, He will act on our behalf.
After all, to be afraid is to be human...
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
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