Fear No Fear

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

“But all the princes said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them. We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.” The princes said to them, “Let them live.” So they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes had spoken to them”
(Joshua 9:19-21)

“Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise.
    Apply your heart to my teaching.
For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you,
    if all of them are ready on your lips.
I teach you today, even you,
    so that your trust may be in Yahweh.
Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things
    of counsel and knowledge,
To teach you truth, reliable words,
    to give sound answers to the ones who sent you?”
(Proverbs 22:17-21)

“Our soul has waited for Yahweh.
    He is our help and our shield.
For our heart rejoices in him,
    because we have trusted in his holy name.
Let your loving kindness be on us, Yahweh,
    since we have hoped in you.“
(Psalm 33:20-22)

God told them NOT to make covenants with the people of the Land. He was driving them out and they knew it (Joshua 2:11; 9:24). When the Gibeonites played an admittedly pretty good trick on the Israelites, the Israelites did NOT consult the Lord. Then when they found out they had been lied to, they STILL didn’t consult the Lord. It was wrong of them to make a covenant, but covenants based on falsehood are void. If they had consulted with God, they may have gotten a VERY different answer than the one they came up with. It is also true that God may have had them honour the covenant they made. The point is that they did not consult Him. They hadn’t when they first went against Ai, and that went VERY bad for them. Here, they are again imperfect in their obedience. They didn’t learn ANYTHING from that incident regarding seeking God FIRST. It isn’t about what they ended up doing, it would ALWAYS be about what they did FIRST.

Wisdom tells us to seek God FIRST. That seeking Him for His point of view is what keeps us in pleasant circumstances – as far as guidance and security go (God NEVER promises us easy street). We need to TRUST that God will steer us correctly. That He will do what is according to His will and that what is according to his will is the BEST THING TO DO. It might temporarily be uncomfortable for us. It might stretch us. It might be more than a stone’s throw outside our comfort zone. But it will be the BEST THING TO DO. The best for us, the best for others, and the best from His point of view. It’s hard when we don’t trust. It’s hard when love is not our motivating factor – both in our relationship with God and in our relations with everyone we come into contact with.

God is our help. God is our strength. God is our refuge. But we won’t experience them without trusting Him. We rejoice WHEN we trust. We engage what God had offered to us WHEN we trust. Trusting God is the foundation of our love for Him and our acceptance of His love for us. Without trust, nothing happens (Hebrews 11:6). Without trust, we have no relationship. We might know ABOUT each other, but we won’t KNOW each other (Matthew 7:23). When we trust, we can eagerly expect from God. We can rest in Him. We can tabernacle.

Summary

The purpose of life is to know God and give Him glory. We praise Him for His GOODNESS. We praise Him for His POWER over creation. He praise Him for His SOVEREIGNTY. And we praise Him for his CARE and PROTECTION of His obedient children. Part of that praise is choosing to do His will. To help bring about what He wills to bring about by cooperating with Him in what we think, what we say, and what we do. None of that is truly possible without TRUST in Him (Hebrews 11:6). It’s how it has ALWAYS been and it is how it ALWAYS will be. Trusting Him over feelings, over what we see, and over ANY data that comes our way. He is true, He is faithful, and He has proven Himself to be trustworthy. We need to see that, recognize that, and RESPOND to that by choosing to trust in Him. Every day. In every thing. No exceptions. If our lives are not based on our trust in Him (every word, thought, and deed), we are putting ourselves at risk (Romans 14:22-23). Trust is the foundation of obedience, of relationship, and of love.