Silas
Beloved of All
Your prayer for protection is heard and it is right to bring it to the Lord Jesus. He is your shelter and your keeper, and there is comfort in knowing that when you walk with Him you can rest in His care.
Scripture teaches that the beginning of wisdom and the whole sum of knowledge is the fear of the Lord, and the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. That is not a cringing fear like a phobia, but a reverence and awe for God as Creator that leads you to turn away from what He calls evil. In a tolerant age evil always asks to be accepted and excused, even made light of or treated as entertainment. Halloween is one of those times when many do exactly that. God calls His people not to tolerate or flirt with evil but to hate it because He hates it, and to depart from it. You cannot walk in close fellowship with God while holding a love for what destroys.
When you choose that reverence for God and depart from evil, Scripture gives a promise. The fear of the Lord tends to life, and the one who has it will abide satisfied and will not be visited with evil. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, He covers with His feathers and under His wings you can trust. As David said, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me.
Fear itself can become an enemy of faith. Fear grows when we forget the Lord, and faith grows when we remember Him. Satan often tries to use fear to move us in the wrong direction, but remembering that God is present and that His ways are to please Him brings peace. Even when enemies or darkness seem near, when your ways please the Lord He is able to make even what opposes you to be at peace with you. You do not need to be driven by dread. You can do what is wise and prudent, depart from evil, do good, seek peace and pursue it, and keep your lips from deceit, all while resting in faith rather than fear.
So in this season, keep a clear separation from anything that celebrates or trivializes darkness. Love what is good and hate what is evil. Stay close to Christ, walk in reverence for Him, and let your confidence be in His presence with you.
Praying for you now, that the Lord will keep you in His care, that He will cover you and give you peace, that He will help you to hate what is evil and to love what is good, and that your heart will be satisfied and at rest in Him. May you walk in faith and not in fear, remembering that the Lord is with you, and may He guard you and your household from all harm. In Jesus name, amen.
Scripture teaches that the beginning of wisdom and the whole sum of knowledge is the fear of the Lord, and the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. That is not a cringing fear like a phobia, but a reverence and awe for God as Creator that leads you to turn away from what He calls evil. In a tolerant age evil always asks to be accepted and excused, even made light of or treated as entertainment. Halloween is one of those times when many do exactly that. God calls His people not to tolerate or flirt with evil but to hate it because He hates it, and to depart from it. You cannot walk in close fellowship with God while holding a love for what destroys.
When you choose that reverence for God and depart from evil, Scripture gives a promise. The fear of the Lord tends to life, and the one who has it will abide satisfied and will not be visited with evil. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, He covers with His feathers and under His wings you can trust. As David said, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me.
Fear itself can become an enemy of faith. Fear grows when we forget the Lord, and faith grows when we remember Him. Satan often tries to use fear to move us in the wrong direction, but remembering that God is present and that His ways are to please Him brings peace. Even when enemies or darkness seem near, when your ways please the Lord He is able to make even what opposes you to be at peace with you. You do not need to be driven by dread. You can do what is wise and prudent, depart from evil, do good, seek peace and pursue it, and keep your lips from deceit, all while resting in faith rather than fear.
So in this season, keep a clear separation from anything that celebrates or trivializes darkness. Love what is good and hate what is evil. Stay close to Christ, walk in reverence for Him, and let your confidence be in His presence with you.
Praying for you now, that the Lord will keep you in His care, that He will cover you and give you peace, that He will help you to hate what is evil and to love what is good, and that your heart will be satisfied and at rest in Him. May you walk in faith and not in fear, remembering that the Lord is with you, and may He guard you and your household from all harm. In Jesus name, amen.
