Hey folks, thanks for the encouragement regarding the "Peace" article. It's actually an addendum to the "David Knowing" blurb. I want to re-emphasize the point any way I can because I'm so sure - so impressed with the urgency/importance of being "Confident in Love" - i.e., God's. It's not just a good idea. Please go after it hard while you are NOT being shaken. There's a position of rest that can only be found in the confident "knowing" of God's Character. Now is the time to cultivate that. It is the oil of intimacy for the five wise virgins.
Can I take another shot at driving this point home from a different angle?
When Patti's sister was in trouble this last winter, the word we received in prayer was "Do not rely upon what you think or see, but upon what you know about Me." I've heard that echoed over and over again since then. I know that this position is challenging to lean into. I'm not minimizing it at all. I just know it must be contended for.
When I was little, I was held captive by Fears with a big, big F. They included: bees and wasps, spiders, dark rooms, life, death, the supernatural, poverty, loneliness, abandonment, rejection, school, tomatoes . . .
Do you know - It has been a lifetime of mostly failures in the arena of fear and then, eventually, a small, but victorious moment in Christ that has tutored me the most about the authority of peace (based upon reliance on the character of God) that I actually own as part of my inheritance. (I'm still walking this "knowing" out, so don't let the following illustration give you some sort of false notion that I'm holding up my conquests as the happy ending.)
When I was around 8 years old, I remember walking home for dinner one evening and as I approached our house there was a swarm of Carpenter Bees flying around the front door. They were carving out a home for themselves right over the entrance to the house. I was petrified.
I stood at the end of the driveway staring at the swarm for what seemed like forever. I actually was aware of the sun setting slowly and it grew darker while I stood paralyzed. I just could not figure out how to get past them. I was so afraid, I couldn't actually yell for help.
What was worse was the thought that no one apparently was aware of my plight and because no one in the house came looking for me – I assumed that no one cared about my circumstances. As I stared at the front door, I could see “safety” but had no way of accessing it. I prayed for a miracle – for someone to come to my rescue - but it seemed that there was no answer.
Eventually, and I mean what seemed like forever, someone (I think it was my Mom or Grandmother) noticed that I was still missing and opened the door. When the door opened, most of the bees flew away and I made a mad dash for safety. I was chided for my fear and because of the imprint of the experience, I made some dangerous assessments. 1.) No one understood me or how paralyzing my fear was and 2.) I ultimately couldn't rely on anyone, including God, to rescue me.
It was a lie I bought into because it had the weight of a twist on the experience to uphold it.
The truth of the matter though was that God answered my prayer for help and my Mom couldn't have been more than a few minutes behind the prayer, but my fears were exploited and as a result, exaggerated for years afterward.
It wasn't until my 30s, when I lived alone as an adult that I really had to work through victory in this arena. There were spiders appearing over and over again on my ceiling and wasps were finding their way in to my apartment. It was either "face my fear" and kill them or be bitten/stung. Not the end of the world, but still - it was an unpleasant thought.
So, I took a chance on God again and looked to Him in what I was sure was a really ridiculous circumstance – or so I thought.
He came through in a way that was different than I had hoped for though. Somehow, I hoped that He would just make them disappear or that in His Name I could just command them to leave and they would obey.
Instead, the Lord began to talk to me . . . about who He was; how good and strong He was on my behalf and who I am because He is so, so, FOR me. He stirred up reliance in my heart regarding how much He loves me (something I still struggle with) and asserted that circumstances don't negate that. He wanted to show me that the truth of who He is juxtaposed against my circumstances would be the vanguard to my safety. Then, He brought to mind a memory that I cherish. . . .
It was of me as a little girl - sitting on my grandfather's lap while he reclined in his chair in the Living Room. He had a sweet, cushy belly that made a great pillow and I had nestled up against him and laid my head on his chest while he wrapped his arm around me.
I remembered that I could hear his heart beat and the rhythm of his breathing above all other sounds. It was intoxicating.
I had closed my eyes and pretended that I was asleep because I wanted to stay there for as long as I could. I was sure it was the safest place in the Universe.
Looking back, I think my grandfather knew I wasn't asleep but liked the love and intimacy as well. The memory makes me weepy to this day.
I was so confident and at peace at that particular moment because I knew that no matter what else came our way - I was loved by him. For a few moments, while I sat on his lap and rested - I had no fear.
As the memory came to an end, I knew that my Dad in Heaven was the archetype for that moment and He wanted that peace for me. In the confidence of the fullest expression of His Love - Jesus - He had provided a way for me to have victory over my fears.
However, I still had to walk it out. I had to exercise what I knew was the truth about Him and my ultimate safety in Him - regardless of what might happen to my body. I had to pit the "knowing" that God lives in me, cares for me, empowers me and loves me over and against my fear of pain.
As I took the first steps toward a shoe, I exercised faith and held onto hope that He might be telling me the truth – that I was huge compared to the wasps and spiders and that He was infinitely bigger than all of us and that He, not the insects, had ordained my days.
So, I exercised dominion. I began the methodical conquest of every foul creature that entered my living quarters. With each splat, I gained confidence in the word of the Lord and my “ginormity” (my favorite new word) because of Him. (His gentleness has made me great. Ps. 18)
My confidence in Him; in the truth that HE is my confidence and safety grew and began to chase away fears.
(Now, to you that may have been a small issue - for me, it was a bear. I still had to face lions and giants though.)
I've been bitten by spiders and stung by wasps since then (and have discovered that I'm actually allergic so that adds an additional element of risk) but I no longer am paralyzed by that particular fear. Now, whenever I am faced with insects in my living quarters, I have an unusual peace, although I’m still challenged to embrace fear.
I still must lean on the truth and my past victories before I can warn them that they must leave or die. Sometimes they obey and leave, but most of the time they end up flushed down the toilet.
Compared to other circumstances, I know that this is a cheesy illustration, but it is the same approach I've had to walk through with the Lord time and time again over much more serious challenges. I still - constantly - have to turn away from fear and lean on what I know about Him. You too I bet.
But . . . I get better at it each time I move from the acquiescence of thought to leaning upon what I know of Him and then actually exercising my will in the arena of my fears and circumstances.
I know that it’s hardest to maintain my confidence when “I get stung” even after exercising faith. But it is THEN that I have a choice to “lean not on my own understanding.” (Proverbs 3) It is THEN that I can lean on what I know of God and His posture toward me and my circumstances. It is THEN that Psalm 18 must come to life. It is THEN, that I have an offering of worship built upon faith. And it is only THEN, that I can kiss Him with my “knowing” regardless of the circumstances around me . . . even if it costs me big.
However, it is THEN that I find my safety and my holiness in the place He has always intended for me . . . upon my “Daddy’s knees” – leaning in rest upon His heart and nestling up in the safest place in the Universe.
It is only then that I realize that He has in fact “enlarged my steps”; that He is in fact My Refuge, and that “His gentleness has made me great.” Psalm 18. (Please, please, please – meditate on this Psalm. It’s an oldie but goody! And, it’s the truth.)
One last note – The other day I woke up to the phrase “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” I realized that He was emphasizing the word “Behold”. It seemed to me that the Lord was saying “Look at Me. Meditate on Me – upon My character, My heart, the Truth. If I take away the sin of the world, what does that say about Me? What else do I take away? . . . and remember, if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.”
He was once again saying – “It is time for standing in the David knowing.”
“Be still and KNOW that I AM GOD.”
Just a side note that I forgot to add - two days ago, I was sitting on
the porch talking to God and realized that there were carpenter bees
and wasps hanging around. I hardly even noticed them . . .
.
No comments:
Post a Comment