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| Mt. Mitchell State Park can be accessed from Hwy. 80 South via The Blue Ridge Parkway. Mt. Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi, with an elevation of 6,684 feet. It is a popular attraction in summer months for visitors to the area . The observation deck pictured here replaced the old observation tower. |
January 8
As I read Genesis 15:1, I am
reminded of the many times God, Jesus, or an Angel told someone in the Bible
not to be afraid. Fearfulness is listed as one of 8 sins in Revelation 21:8
that warrant the lake of fire (that really makes me fearful!). In the same
verse, fearfulness is listed along with unbelief.
In Genesis 15:1 the Lord
explains to Abram the reason he doesn’t need to be fearful—“I am your shield,
your exceedingly great reward”. Abram expressed concern because God had not
given him an heir. God brought Abram outside and asked him to count the stars—if
he could, and told him his descendants would be that numerous.
God always exceeds our
expectations (in accordance with His will). Abram’s plan and desire included
one heir while God’s plan for Abram involved an innumerable multitude. We just
cannot comprehend what God is accomplishing! We cannot fathom His
greatness and what He has in store for us. We cannot grasp the “exceedingly great
reward” that God says is reason for us not to be afraid.
A shield serves as a source
of protection—it comes between the bearer and the enemy. We usually think of it
in the Bible in terms of battle. However today, we are familiar with personal
protective equipment such as eye shields, face shields, leg shields, etc. God says He is our “shield”. Shield can also
mean to cover. In Psalms 91, God says He will cover us with His feathers and
under His wings we shall trust. Today’s scripture in Proverbs 2:7 says, “He is
a shield to those who walk uprightly”. The level of our despair would be
greatly diminished if we could just grasp the truth that God is with us and
provides for us--this includes His provision for our protection!
Although Abram believed God,
he succumbed to his wife’s plan and fathered a son by Sarai’s handmaiden. Sarai
despised Hagar to the point that Hagar left home. The Angel of the Lord found
her and called her by name, then gave her God’s perspective on her situation.
Hagar “called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees;
for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me’?”
If we are faithful in
studying God’s Word, we are on our way to seeing “Him who sees me"! The more
our knowledge of God increases, the more we realize God is aware of our
situation, and—the more we see God’s perspective on our situation the more our fearfulness diminishes!
Our study wraps up in Matthew
with Jesus telling us not to worry about what we need. Worry tends to cross
over to fear. He tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things
will be added to us. In this passage He addresses His hearers as, “O you of
little faith”. Yet, this faith deficit can be fixed and God even tells us how.
He says in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing the Word of God! Daily Bible study evidently covers many bases!
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