Protection and Peace
(Prov 12:21 TNIV) No harm overtakes the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
This morning we continue our series In this verse Solomon contrasts the protection the righteous enjoy with the vulnerable position of the ungodly. From time to time I look back over my years of walking with the Father. I gave my life to Christ on August 27th, 1999. Since then I can say that I have truly been blessed. Now, can I say that it has been challenge-free? Can I say that after giving my life to Christ everything has been easy? Of course not! Bad things do happen to good people, but the message is that if we are walking with the Father we know that we can face every challenge with His grace.
If He is on our side, then we have the confidence that we will come out on top. No matter what it looks like, no matter how hard it gets, no matter the opposition, if God is FOR us, then He is more than the whole world AGAINST us (Romans 8:31).I like the word Solomon used to describe our protection. He said that no harm "overtakes" the righteous. This same word is used many times in scripture with a military connotation; when one army overtakes another. The winning army comes in to overcome, overpower and overthrow their enemies.
The Father, through Solomon, reassures us that this will simply NOT happen to us. Its not that evil will not come, but it will not be able to overcome, overpower or overthrow us. When we walk with God we will be able to STAND! The Message Bible translation of this verse says: "No evil can overwhelm a good person, but the wicked have their hands full of it." That's makes is abundantly clear.
We will NOT be overwhelmed. The weapon may be formed, but it shall not prosper against us (Isaiah 54:17). On the other hand, the opposite is true. As we walk with God and obey His commands, we shall be overtaken, but with The Blessing, not the curse.
In Deuteronomy 28 Moses said: "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will overtake you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God..." (verses 28:1,2).
Did you get that? As the righteous, we shall be overtaken, but with good and not evil!I feel led to give you more scripture on this, to build up your faith for protection this morning. The Psalmist said: "If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the LORD, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" (91:9-11). Isaiah said: "You will pass through deep waters. But I will be with you. You will pass through the rivers. But their waters will not sweep over you. You will walk through fire. But you will not be burned. The flames will not harm you" (Isaiah 43:2).
And finally Paul, in his last letter, said: "The first time I was put on trial, no one came to help me. Everyone deserted me. I hope they will be forgiven for it. The Lord stood at my side... I was saved from the lion's mouth. The Lord will save me from every evil attack. He will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Give him glory for ever and ever, Amen" (2nd Timothy 4:16-18).So what does this mean to you? It simply means that the Father looks out for His children. Now, that does not mean that everything is going to be easy, but it does mean that if you walk with God you will come out of every situation victorious! When trouble comes you will have the faith and confidence to literally trouble your trouble with your God!
(Prov 12:21 TNIV) No harm overtakes the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
This morning we continue our series In this verse Solomon contrasts the protection the righteous enjoy with the vulnerable position of the ungodly. From time to time I look back over my years of walking with the Father. I gave my life to Christ on August 27th, 1999. Since then I can say that I have truly been blessed. Now, can I say that it has been challenge-free? Can I say that after giving my life to Christ everything has been easy? Of course not! Bad things do happen to good people, but the message is that if we are walking with the Father we know that we can face every challenge with His grace.
If He is on our side, then we have the confidence that we will come out on top. No matter what it looks like, no matter how hard it gets, no matter the opposition, if God is FOR us, then He is more than the whole world AGAINST us (Romans 8:31).I like the word Solomon used to describe our protection. He said that no harm "overtakes" the righteous. This same word is used many times in scripture with a military connotation; when one army overtakes another. The winning army comes in to overcome, overpower and overthrow their enemies.
The Father, through Solomon, reassures us that this will simply NOT happen to us. Its not that evil will not come, but it will not be able to overcome, overpower or overthrow us. When we walk with God we will be able to STAND! The Message Bible translation of this verse says: "No evil can overwhelm a good person, but the wicked have their hands full of it." That's makes is abundantly clear.
We will NOT be overwhelmed. The weapon may be formed, but it shall not prosper against us (Isaiah 54:17). On the other hand, the opposite is true. As we walk with God and obey His commands, we shall be overtaken, but with The Blessing, not the curse.
In Deuteronomy 28 Moses said: "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will overtake you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God..." (verses 28:1,2).
Did you get that? As the righteous, we shall be overtaken, but with good and not evil!I feel led to give you more scripture on this, to build up your faith for protection this morning. The Psalmist said: "If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the LORD, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" (91:9-11). Isaiah said: "You will pass through deep waters. But I will be with you. You will pass through the rivers. But their waters will not sweep over you. You will walk through fire. But you will not be burned. The flames will not harm you" (Isaiah 43:2).
And finally Paul, in his last letter, said: "The first time I was put on trial, no one came to help me. Everyone deserted me. I hope they will be forgiven for it. The Lord stood at my side... I was saved from the lion's mouth. The Lord will save me from every evil attack. He will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Give him glory for ever and ever, Amen" (2nd Timothy 4:16-18).So what does this mean to you? It simply means that the Father looks out for His children. Now, that does not mean that everything is going to be easy, but it does mean that if you walk with God you will come out of every situation victorious! When trouble comes you will have the faith and confidence to literally trouble your trouble with your God!
Father, I thank You for Your Word this morning. Your Word builds up my confidence in You and in Your protection. I know that I will face challenges, but I will come out on top. You give me the victory and I receive it by faith. I walk by faith and not by sight. I am an overcomer! I am a conqueror! I am a child of the Most High God! I can walk through the fire and not be burned. I can come out and not even smell like smoke. If trouble comes my way, I operate in faith and I trouble my trouble. I enter this day with fearless confidence in Your protection and power and that confidence gives me unshakable peace! In Jesus' name. Amen!
When God sent representatives of the 12 Tribes of Israel to spy out the land of Canaan, Caleb said, "Let's go up and take the land—now. We can do it."
ReplyDeleteBut the other 10 tribes (besides Joshua) said, "We can't attack those people; they're way stronger than we are." They spread scary rumors among the People of Israel. They said, "We scouted out the land from one end to the other—it's a land that swallows people whole. Everybody we saw was huge. Why, we even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim). Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers."
But Joshua said, "The land we walked through and scouted out is a very good land—very good indeed. If God is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land that flows, as they say, with milk and honey. And he'll give it to us. Just don't rebel against God! And don't be afraid of those people. Why, we'll have them for lunch! They have no protection and God is on our side. Don't be afraid of them!"
Then God said of Caleb, "He has a different spirit; he follows me passionately. I'll bring him into the land that he scouted and his children will inherit it."
Moral of the Story:
Giants do die,
the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
Giants, they die,
just walk around the Jericho wall.
Now we come in Your name
and we stand on Your word,
what is loosed in the heavens,
will be loosed on earth.
Now we come in Your name
and we stand on Your word,
what is loosed in the heavens,
will be loosed on earth;
let God arise, giant, die.