So I intended for my next blog to be about kindness since that is the next characteristic in I Corinthian 13, but as we all know our plans are not always God’s plan. In fact, in my life I have noticed that my plans hardly ever coincide but I try to listen to His plans so here goes. I know that dad has already talked about love and fear and a lot has been said about I John 4:18 so I am going to continue on that topic.
I was reading in my Bible today in I John and when I got to that verse I noticed that there was an extra letter in my Bible written by Lisa Bevere. So I am just going to type this letter for you guys to read. My Bible is a Women on Destiny Bible so the letter is written to women, but it is really for everyone.
Dear Woman of Destiny,
I warn you of an insidious force that stands between you and your destiny in Christ -- an adversary so strong it is capable of causing reason and wisdom to flee as it drives to the brink of unbelief. Our deadly opponent is fear. Fear is not a mental state of mind or a bad attitude. It is a spirit, it is not from God(see 2 Tim. 1:7).
It is sent by the enemy to torment your soul and defile your human spirit. It is after your power, love, and soundness of mind. It is empowered to the degree that you yield to its deception. Imaginary fears can become real if you believe in them. Even the most unfounded ones can alter the course of our lives and, in turn, change our destiny.
But, dear sister, you are not defenseless in this matter. God has provided a strong tower, a shelter of protection and defense from you enemy. There is a haven that fear cannot inhabit. There is no greater protection afforded you than to live in God’s love while the love of God resides in you. It is here that you are hidden and inaccessible to the enemy. First John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
The love of God drives or casts out fear. This description confirms that fear is a spiritual force that must be dealt with spiritually. We are to cast out spirits and deny our flesh. Fear is conquered when we resist the base human tendency to preserve ourselves.
The spirit of fear wants to prevent this from happening, so it tries to trick us into believing that we must protect our selves. But the very of nature of love opposes the nature of fear. Love lays down its life while fear tries to preserve it. I have learned that I am incapable of protecting myself. I have tried and failed. But love never fails.
Fear and love both operate from belief in the unseen. Love challenges us to doubt what we see and believe what we cannot. Fear urges us to believe what is seen while doubting the unseen. Fear displaces love, and love casts out fear. Fear is the spiritual force that is in direct opposition to God’s love and protection in our lives.
Jesus conquered the greatest fear any of us will face -- the fear of death. As our High Priest, He was moved with compassion by our weaknesses and understood not only the fear of death, but all out fears. By victoriously facing the greatest fear (death), He conquered all lesser fears and their bondages. This victory over fear, death, and the grave was won when He laid down His life as the supreme example of perfect love.
Woman of Destiny, escape the clutch of fear. Lovingly lay down your life and embrace His.
-- Lisa Bevere
I know this is long but I know it was worth it for me and if I am the only one it reaches then it was worth it to me to type it, but maybe you will take something from it so I figured I would share it with you. I love you all very much. I am going long so I will stop for now. I do have much more I want to say though so I will not be gone long.
I have one more quick thought when I started talking about love in the first blog I went straight to I Corinthians 13:4, but I skipped three very important verses by doing this. I will not type all of them right now but I think that that is the point of why the spirit of fear attacks us. These verses basically say that all of the power and gifts are not worth anything without love. If the spirit of fear can move us away from love we have nothing.
Be filled with Love to the brim so there is no room for fear to move in.
May God’s Love fill us always,
Rachel
that is awsome.I really like what she said about love lays down its life while fear tries to preserve it, and how fears tries to trick us into believing we must protect ourselfs.You somed it up right on. Without love we have nothing and we are easy prey for the enemy.You are digging in to the very heart of God with what you are writing about thank- you and preach on daughter.
ReplyDeleteI love you
Daddy
Rachel this is sooo good. I thought I understood what love is, I thought I had to do and be all the things the Bible says love is but I don't and in all reality no matter how hard I try, I can't be all that the Word says love is. Love isn't just a feeling, it's not something I do, it is much more than that, it is the life of God that lives in me. I cannot and am tired of trying, make me be all that I read in the Word of God. I tend to try and make the Word of God come true and when it doesn't happen, I become very discouraged. I can't make the Word come true..IT JUST IS TRUE. This is setting me free in a way I can't even explain. I have felt that something in me was dying and it has been very painful. God is showing me through this blog what it is...it's my ablility to love and my ablility to make the Word of God come true. The key word here is my...
ReplyDeleteLove is the completeness of God and He has placed it in us. It isn't something we do..it's something we are because HE IS.
The scripture,"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen" Heb 11:1 and the scripture, "And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor. 13:13
It's almost like I can actually touch these words or have these words just touched me.
Praise God..thank you Jesus for ALL
I love you
Connie
I know exactly what you mean. It is very freeing to know that it is not me. It is God. I was talking with Ben this morning and it finally hit me that after all this time of hearing and knowing that God is love it never hit me like this. If God is love then all I have to do is let the Holy Spirit live in me and die to myself everyday and His love will always shine through me. It is really funny to be realizing all of this now because it is so obvious and I think we often try to read to much into things because we figure that it has to be more than that because it is the Bible. I mean I have heards those words more times than I can count... GOd is Love. I guess i always figured that it just meant that that He was the perfect example of love which he is but its not only that... He is love and when he lives in me His love flows through me. I can never make that kind of unconditional love come from me because I am not perfect but He is. This is so awesome.
ReplyDeleteI love you all,
Rachel
Wonderfully said by all. Praise God for His unchanging love for us.
ReplyDeleteI love you all,
Stan