Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it. It shall be, if it gives you answer of peace and opens to you, then it shall be that all the people who are found therein shall become forced laborers to you, and shall serve you. If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it. . . When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of them. You shall not cut them down, for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you? Only the trees that you know are not trees for food, you shall destroy and cut them down. You shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.”
(Deuteronomy 20:10-12, 19-20)

““Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
    for blessed are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction, and be wise.
    Don’t refuse it.
Blessed is the man who hears me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting at my door posts.
For whoever finds me finds life,
    and will obtain favor from Yahweh.
But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul.
    All those who hate me love death.””
(Proverbs 8:32-36)

“Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh,
    who walks in his ways.
For you will eat the labor of your hands.
    You will be happy, and it will be well with you.
Your wife will be as a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house,
    your children like olive shoots around your table.
Behold, this is how the man who fears Yahweh is blessed.
    May Yahweh bless you out of Zion,
    and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
Yes, may you see your children’s children.
    Peace be upon Israel.“
(Psalm 128)

Knowledge is a good thing. But WISDOM is understanding how to apply that knowledge. God is ALL ABOUT getting us to ACCEPT His wisdom. It is how we properly revere Him. It is how we properly act, think, and speak a godly character. It is how we choose to obey Him in all things. It is how we align ourselves to Him repeatedly and consistently. It was how Adam and Eve lived, until they chose to abandon it. Wisdom was part and parcel of the Mercy of God. The cities that the Israelites approached could have submitted. Could have turned from their ways and leaned into God’s ways. They didn’t HAVE to fight. They didn’t HAVE to rebel against God’s will. Likewise, the Israelites – when besieging a city – didn’t HAVE to be chaotic in their actions. They didn’t HAVE to rape the Land and leave it destitute. God showed them how WISE it was to give a way for the people in the cities to survive. He showed them how WISE it was to be discriminating. Yahweh is NOT a willy-nilly God. He is WISE and He seeks to SPREAD His wisdom to us.

Think of the blessing that wisdom would have been. Cities not sacked. Groves of fruit trees able to give plentiful fruit and provide for the people – those who had been living there AND the new residents. Think of how BLESSED we can be when we learn the wisdom of God and accept it into our behaviour models. When we invite it into our decision making processes. When we choose to live according to the paths it lays down, instead of insisting of forging our own paths through the brush. It is the sustainable path. It is the path where we find better living, better thinking, and better relationships. It is how we prosper and flourish. Only those who love destruction would willingly choose to ignore wisdom.

Summary

People are so scared of the word ‘prosperity’ thinking it means greed and money and possessions that you flash around and say ‘look at how great I am’. But that isn’t prosperity. Prosperity is receiving, engaging, and embracing the BLESSING of the Lord. In how we think. In the chores we do. In the way we live our lives. In the values we have. In the way we bless all those around us in whatever ways we are able to. We all want to live good lives. Have our needs met. Experience some joy and happiness. Be fulfilled in our lives, our work, and our relationships. Wisdom is the way we can walk in those accomplishments. When we choose to LISTEN, CONSIDER, and OBEY the precepts of the Word, we are exposed to His wisdom. That’s the ONLY way to truly be prosperous and successful (3 John 2).