Monday, April 22, 2013

Despite Fear

Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. (Ezra 3:3 NIV)

Picture this...
A generation that only knew the feeling of being in exile.
A tribe of young passionate people who the only thing that had defined their childhood had been the feeling of being looked down upon. The fear, you see, did not start in Jerusalem that day with hundreds of neighbouring peoples looking on in disgust and rage as these outcasts came to reclaim the land of their ancestors. A land God had prophesied would be theres even as far back as Abraham.
No... The fear they felt was evident even from before they could remember.
But God has not given us a spirit of fear...
As they reached out to claim their inheritance, they completely left their lives as exiles in the rear view mirror.
The first thing they did, before even the walls were built around the city to protect them, was build an altar.

They craved WORSHIP!

And so... Despite their fear... They built their foundation on worship to the God who proved himself faithful for generations.
This is the same God then, as He is today... Only more accessible thru Jesus and not a crazy ritual involving sheep blood. The blood of Jesus, once and for all, is all we need to be able to worship despite our fear.

So what's stopping us?

His love for us is so passionate... His love is tangible, faithful, incomprehensible.

Let go of the past... Of the land that called you an exile. An outcast. The land that broke you down.

Worship Jesus - despite the fear of who is around you.

Build your foundation on the Love that never quits or gives up on you.


“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hosea 6:1-3 NIV)

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