Fear and Faith

Hello everybody! Hope you guys are starting the week out strong. I know Monday is one of the worst days of the week, but you gotta just power through it and keep on trucking. Just think, for those of you in high school, you only got two more school days until Fusion! I wish I could still go to Fusion, but I digress. Here is a devotion from www.teenmailbiblestudy.org. Hope it helps you fight Grumpy Monday Syndrome  which is an official disease according to a new study done by some people somewhere. But not really. Now read the devotion. I'll be back tomorrow.

POWER is quite awesome in some of the ways in which it is displayed. It is very useful when properly channeled, but extremely dangerous when the connection is not right. High voltage ought to be highly respected. Still, it is amazing how voltage can either take a life or be used to shock the heart back into pumping to revive life. That’s the thing about POWER; the circumstances and perception associated with it can widely vary.

Though God’s great POWER was displayed through each of the plagues in Egypt, it did not take long for the Israelites to state their distrust after beginning the departure from Egypt. ( Exodus 14:10-12) With the sea in front of them and the Egyptian army closing in behind, they thought they were doomed. However, Moses assured the people that God was going to fight for them and they would see the salvation of the Lord that very day. ( Exodus 14:13-14) Then we read of the Israelites walking through the sea on dry land, but when Pharaoh’s army followed, it was the Egyptians who met their doom.

Upon seeing the salvation God brought about we read…
“ISRAEL SAW THE GREAT POWER THAT THE LORD USED against the Egyptians, so the people FEARED THE LORD, and they BELIEVED IN THE LORD and in his servant Moses.” ( Exodus 14:31 ESV)

The POWER of God was an awesome sight! What could possibly even come close to matching it? God’s POWER was to be highly respected! However, to also believe in the Lord meant to trust in His POWER to work for them rather than against. Israel needed to learn and retain that trust as do we.

God has POWER and how truly awesome is that POWER! It is a POWER to do even beyond our imagination! ( Ephesians 3:20) Even so, it is a POWER to be respected!

The Hebrew writer pointed out…
“(30) For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ (31) It is A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD.” ( Hebrews 10:30-31 ESV)

God has POWER to judge and condemn. Peter also noted the POWER of God as being able to deal with judgment, but noted that same POWER as being able “to rescue the godly from trials” as well. ( 2 Peter 2:4-10) Though God will judge and do so righteously, that is not His ultimate desire. He desires to bless and save as His Authority and POWER are respected. Through maintaining a right connection to His POWER it becomes a blessing. As we have a healthy reverential fear for God, do we also trust in His loving POWER to work for us? Have we come to know God and His love in that way ( 1 John 4:16) so that we can place our confidence in Him for the day of judgment? ( 1 John 4:17)

John encouraged…
“(18) There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” ( 1 John 4:18 ESV)

Fear and faith in the POWER of God! May we seek to retain a healthy perception of His POWER? By maintaining the right connection with God we will find ourselves on the receiving end of the full benefit of being plugged into the most awesome POWER SOURCE there is! Remember -- of His POWER there will never be an energy crisis!

Have a great day CONNECTED FOR GENERATING STEADFAST FAITH!
Carl