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Monday, October 7, 2013

The Devotional - 149 - Do not Fear


The Devotional – 149 – Do not Fear

 

Proverbs 7:13 – Young or elderly people be careful, that innocent face of enticement is not so. The Hebrew word for “impudent” here in Proverbs thirteen is Azaz, it is the only time this word is used and it literally means to be STOUT or intoxicating to the point of destruction. The face of an immoral woman or man is deadly.


Comments and Challenges

One night many, many years ago when it was bed time, and before my brothers were born so I must have been around six years old, I crawled into bed. It was dark and as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I was something white floating around at the end of my bed. It tried to be brave and ignore the white object, but the more I ignored it the larger and more daring it got.

 

I became so scared that I could not move and I began to cry, soon my sobs were so detailed that my dad heard my heavy sobs; you know those sounds that your mouth makes when you are trying to stifle fear! He said in that loud voice of his, “Boy, what’s going on in there?” I said “sniff, choke… there is a ghost; choke, sniff, in my room”! His reply “there ain’t no ghost in your room, shut up and go to sleep”! “choke, sniff… okay!”

 

A few minutes later; the same conversation with my dad began again, only this time he decided to come into the room too. He turned on the light and there hanging on the bedpost (I was in one of those four poster beds that are seldom seen anymore) was a white shirt. For me that shirt moved all around the room, but for sure it had not moved at all, even after my dad showed it to me. He left it there and told me to go to sleep. Later my mom came in and remove to shirt (thanks mom).

 

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Psalm 91:5-7

Mark 6:45-52

Gennesaret, or Ginosar, ("a garden of riches") was a town allotted to the tribe of Naphtali, called "Kinnereth" (Joshua 19:35), sometimes in the plural form "Kinneroth" (Joshua 11:2). In later times the name was gradually changed to Genezareth, Genezar and Gennesaret (Luke 5:1). No trace of the Gennesaret city remains. Flavius Josephus refers to the area as having very rich soil. (This paragraph is taken from Wikipedia).

The land flowing with milk and honey; the greatest commandment of God to Israel also carries the greatest promise to Israel. Deuteronomy 6:1-9. Naphtali, an example of the spiritual condition of the nation nearly two thousand years later; the land remained beautiful, the rich soil still produced the flow of milk and honey, but the people? Awe! The people!

Mark 6:53-56 – When they had crossed over they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might just touch the border of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

We the people of this nation (The USA) are in the same condition of those in Gennesaret (Naphtali). We are physically sick with sin and permanently scarred with fraud, waste and abuse. Individually and as a nation we need to change our mind about God and reach out to Him while He can still be touched.

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