Get Together- A Holy Double Play
Ps 34:4,5 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
Many years ago, I would have been watching the baseball playoffs this time of the year. I don’t watch them anymore because several years ago I basically lost interest in all professional sports. I always enjoyed playing baseball as a child and slow pitch softball as an adult.
With all of that said I can still remember how important it was to turn a double play in a baseball, or softball game. That is how you got out of an inning and stopped a scoring threat. In this Psalm we see two threats that the enemy would like to use to inhibit us as children of God from living a blessed life and experiencing the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. One is fear and the other is shame.
The Hebrew term for fear in this passage is meg-oo-raw’. It means to be frightened or fearful. Many of us at different times have had different fears. For some of us it could be a fear of flying. For others it could be standing up in front of a group of people. It may mean being afraid to stay at home alone when there really is no good reason to be fearful in that way.
Fear can keep us from fulfilling what God has called us to do in our journey with Jesus Christ. At one time I had a fear of flying. The Lord delivered me from that several years ago. I still pray over the planes that I fly on. I even anoint them with oil, but I am no longer afraid to fly. There are places that God has called me to go to and the only way that I can get there is to fly. How about you? Is there something that God has called you to do, but you are letting fear keep you from experiencing what God has called you to do? Do what the Psalmist did. He sought the Lord! He carefully sought and inquired of the Lord. It worked for him. It will work for us. He was delivered from all his fears. God will do the same for us.
That other runner that we want to get out is shame. Shame can make us feel like we aren’t qualified to be in the ballgame. Shame is an attempt to make us believe that we not forgiven, called, and set apart people of God to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. When we fix our eyes on Jesus Christ we know that He has taken away and forgiven us from our sinful pasts. Jesus took our sins to the cross. When He did He took our shame to the cross: Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Through the Blood of Jesus Christ actually both of these runners were out before they stepped into the batter’s box against us.
Let me ask you something today. Where are you looking to overcome those fears that rob you of living the abundant life? Some of us have looked to drugs, drunkenness, and other sinful behaviors to overcome our fear and to deal with the shame. The good news is that Jesus has dealt with all of this at the cross.
Today if fear and shame are robbing you from experiencing life and life more abundant seek the Lord with all your heart. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. When we do this the enemy can’t even get into scoring position.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus we thank You so much for shedding your precious blood so that we could be delivered from all of our fears and that we could be saved, healed, and delivered from any shame that is associated with our sinful pasts. Today Lord empower us with the Holy Spirit in such a way that we can walk in the victory that You have provided.
In Jesus Name
Amen!
With those two out you are ready to go to bat in the Kingdom. God will use you in the Kingdom to hit home runs for His glory!
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
