Defeating Fear

I have recently been reading the Old Testament chronologically.  I noticed that Israel had times of fear (which became complaints) and they cried out in fear (which became anger) because they thought they are going to die.  When things didn’t go their way, they rose up and challenged God and their leaders. They repeatedly stated that they should have died in Egypt, instead of God killing them in the wilderness.  It would have been easier to die in Egypt than to have God bring them all this way to die. But, God was not done with them yet. They just didn’t see it.

Each time they believed that they would die; they showed their doubt in the LORD-- it showed their lack of faith.  God ends up showing them over and over that He is FAITHFUL and MIGHTY.  He shows His JUSTICE, POWER, and LOVE.  Yet, that was not enough for the Israelites.

The Israelites were afraid of death.  However, as the Pentateuch unfolds, it seems like the Israelites wanted to die; they were giving into their fear.  They were okay with having their fear become their reality.  Not only did their fear hinder them from obeying the Lord, but it enslaved them.  They turned their fear (once a viable fear) into a complaint and yelled out when they wanted a “change of menu.” Num 21:5 says “they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

When we focus on our fears, we tend to perceive them as coming to fruition; even if they don’t actually come true.  God was providing through miracles for his remnant, and yet, they were afraid of death.  Then, after years of seeing the Lord provide, they turned their fear into complaining.  God took care of their fears and still they weren’t grateful.

We all have our doubts and fears in life.  Each of us, even when following God, can have a recurring fear; many of us may struggle with a specific fear until we die.  

Some fears are more “rational” than others; nonetheless they can hinder us from truly following and trusting the LORD.  If dealt with properly, these fears can turn into a showing of God’s POWER and LOVE in our lives.  

Because we are human, we all have fears. I hope we can trust Him enough to surrender those fears on a DAILY basis; letting God use them for His glory.  We must continue to preach the Gospel to each other as a reminder of what God has done for us and what we live for.  If we leave our fears at the cross of Jesus every day, instead of dwelling on them, we could experience the JOY of our Christian calling more vividly. 

Heaven is Home

Home. What a complicated concept. I’ve lived in several countries and have had nearly 30 homes during the whole thing. In just a few months, Ashley and I will celebrate 4 years of marriage. During those 4 years we’ve had 3 different homes.  Bouncing from place to place might be resolved if we could just narrow it down and understand this concept of home. 

Some say that home is where the heart is. Because of all our travels and all of our friends and loved ones, our hearts have been stretched all over the world. Nevertheless, the Bible (or a hymn) tells us that the world is not our home. We are just passing through.

So, yes, Heaven is home. And if I feel like being spiritually technical about the whole thing Heaven is home. But although not exactly elusive, neither is it precisely tangible. So let’s address this issue of a more down-to-earth home. 

While we were in the States we got to spend time with family. We enjoyed cookouts with Ashley’s Dad, with her brother we competed over who’d eat the spiciest Buffalo wings, and then with her Mom we’d go for a walk to get some ice cream or just watch some TV together before going to bed. Their hospitality is not taken lightly. 

But there are other forms of family too. Our home church always makes us feel right at home. Whenever we return we honestly feel as if we’d never left. Their care and generosity mean more to us then we could possibly express in this blog or in any other form of words. (Words have such a way of expressing while limiting what we mean to express!). 

We even had the opportunity to meet up with 5 of our GAP students and at least 4 others who are, in their own special way, a part of our GAP family. It was a sweet reunion. There were plenty of laughs and fond memories to celebrate between us all. 

The Christian family as a whole is just a perfect way to be welcomed home. Another inexpressible reality is the very real family quality sensed with other believers. A pastor friend of ours joined our support team admitting that it was just the right thing to do because we were family! 

And so all of that makes us feel very much at home. Nevertheless, we were – to be brutally honest – relieved to return to the DR. This too is home for us. It’s home in a very different way, but it’s still home. We have the camaraderie of family among our colleagues. All of the SCORE staff, whether the directors of a department or the driver of a bus, are like family to us here. 

Part of the Dominican charm is certainly in the fact that it is our home. We have our pictures on our walls. Our cats greet us at the door. We can help ourselves to what we have in our fridge (right now mostly some of the candy we brought from the States). And, most importantly, I have my books readily available on my shelves. 

Work makes this home for us too. Already this week I’ve been asked to translate a meeting between some of our staff. The other night I translated a devotional, and tonight I have to give a devotional (probably on Jonah). And Ashley has been hard at work every day at the Lily House with new products, designs, etc. And this is only the beginning. There is still so much more to come (that is said with both dread and excitement!). 

But if I really seek solace to this nomadic experience, this experiential restlessness as to where home is, I have to put my eyes back on Heaven.  I just can’t escape it. I keep going back there time after time. No, it’s not me trying to be trite or cliché. It’s just the very real and very pleasant truth (as comforting as every other expression of home I’ve made so far except more so). Heaven is home. 

The day we arrived home in the DR, from having been home in the US, the founder of SCORE International, Ron Bishop, went home to Heaven. He’d been hospitalized suddenly because of a blood clot and things escalated. One feels like adding that things escalated tragically, but that is only true if seen from our limited vantage point. I’m sure from his perspective there is no greater peace or relief. 

We do miss him and remember him fondly. He was more than a founder, he was a leader to be admired and a friend to be loved. He had the presence of a grandfather, both serious and sweet. But soon we will all be Home together. 

Oh, what a glorious day!