Author: ChristianHolinessDaily

Fear Not 365 – God Still Offers You His Hand

January 17, 2017 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

God led the Israelites to the edge of the Promised Land, and told them to cross the Jordan River and make it there own. Very specifically, He reminded them of their previous victories, and very specifically He told them what lands to take and what lands to pass by. He practically paved the way, or set stones up the hillside to make their way easier. God offered to hold their hands, win their battles, crash the gates and crumble the walls of their enemies.

It is difficult to see things from a godly perspective. Whereas God saw their enemies as evil and heartless, the Israelites saw them as mighty giants. God saw their enemies as His enemies, but the Israelites saw them as bigger than God. God saw their enemies as irredeemable. The Israelites saw them as unconquerable.

Because they were unable to see beyond their own eyes, because they could not see things like God sees them… because of their lack of faith, the Israelites were to spend 40 more years in the wilderness. They were to live as nomads in the hills before the Promised Land, but not to cross into it, and to remain their until that generation – the generation of rebellious, fearful doubters – died off.

In the end, it was the next generation who took the Promised Land. From the first generation, only Joshua and Caleb were left, and neither of them ever doubted.

What a picture for us to follow. As a teenager, I was confused, doubted, and frightened. I turned away from God and did things my own way. I wish with all my heart that I had not rebelled, but I did. God let me wander in the wilderness for forty years until all my doubts had died, and until I had no rebellion left in me. Now that my doubts are gone, I once again accept His hand. I have no fear as, together, He and I look ahead toward the Promised Land.

If you have ever doubted… if you have ever been so fearful that you rebelled against God, then Fear Not. He still offers you His hand, and will lead you into the Promised Land.

… And He takes me by the hand

and leads me to the Promised Land,

what a day, glorious day that will be.

– What a Day That Will Be, by Jim Hill.

Fear Not 365 – For God is in Control

January 16, 2017 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

Joseph spent nearly all if his adult life alienated from his family. How sad it must have been for him, sold into slavery by his brothers, cut off from his parents, a stranger in a strange land, falsely accused of a crime, stuck in a prison? I cannot begin to fathom it.

God, however, was merely preparing him for His service. He would move Joseph into a position of influence, and use him to store up food in preparation of famine. Through Joseph, God saved the people of Egypt and preserved what would become the nation of Israel.

When his brothers came groveling to Joseph, who had become one of the most powerful men in Egypt, it might have been easy for him to exact vengeance on them. Instead, he showed them mercy.

“Fear not,” he told them, “for, although you meant evil again me, God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

Joseph was so assured by God’s loving presence that he was able to demonstrate God’s mercy.

We have the same assurance. If we surrender ourselves to God’s control, we can be assured that all things will “work together for good” (Romans 8:28).

Fear Not for God is in control.

Fear Not 365 – For God is Building Your Faith.

January 15, 2017 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

I have heard many old time preachers warn against praying for patience, because doing so leads to trials. Let me clarify. By “old time preachers” I mean the genuine fire-breathing, Bible-thumping, holy-rolling hillbillies that populated the pulpits of many churches in the Ozark Mountains when I was a boy in the 1960s. These men loved the Lord and worked hard for God.

The problem is, while I was inspired by many of these preachers, they got this passage completely wrong. The epistle of James tells us to be joyful when we are faced with trials, knowing trials build patience. The reason the preachers of my childhood advised us not to pray for patience was because they feared their parishoners would fall away if faced with trials.

The truth is quite the contrary. Take a look at Exodus 20:20 and you will succinctly learn what James is talking about. God tests us because He is preparing us. He is building our faith, ridding us of our sin, preparing us for eternity. He loves us, and cannot bear to see us bound by sin.

Do not be afraid of God’s tests and trials. Don’t try to avoid them. Rather, when they come, realize that God is perfecting your faith. Be thankful, for your Father is teaching you. Trials move us away from sin and darkness and into His light. They move us from obedience based on fear to obedience based on love and commitment.

Fear Not, for God is building your faith.