Life changes, but the gospel stays the same as the day Christ Jesus died and rose again!
Prov 3:21-26
My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; 22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. 23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; 24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,26 for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.
For the LORD is your conference and he will keep you from being snared.
We’re looking at Fear here.
NLT says, ‘For the LORD is your security and he will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.’
We have got an issue with INSECURITY – if we believe that we’ll get trapped or snared. We are not trained to meet with this one.
Definition of Insecurity = Inordinate self confidence (either positive or negative).
That self-centredness will steal the life of God from us. That gets bigger and bigger. Our culture preys on it. It calls forth our insecurities, we’ve never risked being defriended by people we didn’t know were our friends before. We’re in the rea of instant scrutiny. Before we’re even finished with a message – the words are out there immediately. That can be great – unless you said something stupid, or wanted to tell a secret.
Everyone now has a voice and an opinion. We’re getting published all the time, without an editor. People are tweeting the point before they get it
You have to EAT it before you TWEET it. Don’t just pass it on and be done with it. Let the message sink in. Absorb it. We have to have a word from God in real time. We need direction. The future will NOT turn out like you picture it. But Jesus says, ‘It doesn’t matter what it looks like, what matters is ‘Follow me!’
And it’s not just the BAD press that makes us insecure. One of the greatest battles great leaders will have is the sense of feeling threatened. Can we deny ourselves & take up our cross?