This devotional was borrowed from a friend, Ken Helser. You can visit his website at the links above. Click on word of the week (the graphic is a man playing the trumpet.) It is especially timely with the financial problems the nation is encountering.
Grace to you,
Fred

October 8, 2008
When Sarah and Jonathan were very young, their favorite time of the day was when they would see me slipping on my jogging shoes…”Hey daddy, we want to come with you. Take us with you. Pleassssse!” How could I turn them down. So, I’d go and get our beloved garden cart and they’d jump in it and off we would go.

My heart is that when you continue reading, that you would conclude: “Papa God, I want to get into your chariot and go riding with you. I want to be with you, beside you, for I want to come to you for everything. Carry me, O God! Turn my fear with the present world crisis into the greatest time of faith and trust in You that I have ever experienced, for I want to COME TO YOU FOR EVERYTHING!”

The world and the world systems are failing. We are able to see fully what is behind pride and greed. We are able for once to disregard men who make false promises for our good, while all the while striving for money and power for themselves. Ahhh, what a wonderful mess the world is in right now. It is like what is written in Revelation when Babylon– the symbol of the world with all its glory and power–– is fallen: “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her… and the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more.” Revelation 18:9 and 11

But then God’s admonition to us who do not love the world or anything in the world:

“IN ONE HOUR SHE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO RUIN. Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she has treated you.” Revelation 18:19 and 20

Now, let’s get to the heart of the matter: “Do I really rejoice that the world is under judgment right now? Do I rejoice that all things as we have once known them can come to ruin? Do I rejoice over the fact that this present world wide economic situation could be the worst ever? Do I get excited that I have no security at all in the world?”

GET REAL. OF COURSE NOT! I am very concerned, and concerned for my family. In fact, just this week, when my youngest daughter, Sarah, was going through a financial situation that could possibly cause her and her family to lose their house, was I excited about it. NEVER! In fact, all I could do was think “Lord, what can Linda and I do to bail them out?” I was frantically working from a mind level as to how we could refinance our home and prevent them from losing everything. That is before I stopped my silly worrying and went to God.

Suddenly, I remembered what the Lord has been dealing severely about for this whole past year: “COME TO ME FOR EVERYTHING. AB0UT EVERYTHING. COME. DO NOT TRUST OR LEAN TO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. COME TO ME FOR MY PERSPECTIVE ON EVERYTHING AND TO NOT TRUST ANYTHING OR ANYONE BUT ME. SIMPLY COME…”

So, when I did “come” to the Lord, and prayed, this is what He said:

“Do not worry about Sarah, for I will give her favor. Tell her to trust me completely and watch my hand at work. What I am after is freeing her from worry and fear. She still carries guilt from her past. Do I carry that against her? Never. When she comes to me I see her as a pure, spotless bride, and will never do anything in way of punishment for her past. Remember what the word says:

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” I John 4:18

Amazing how fear has to do with the idea that the reason we are going through this crisis, or pain, or worry, is because God is punishing us for some past sin, or is upset with us about the way we are presently living. I love the last line that says: “The one who fears is NOT MADE PERFECT IN LOVE.” Why do I love it? Because that’s what we should all be doing right now, “Coming to God and praying, ‘Lord, make me perfect in love! SHOW ME how you love me. Show me how you delight over me in love. Show me how excited you are over me that you sing over me and dance over me because you call me ‘YOUR BELOVED!’”

In your Spirit’s vision, see God as a loving Papa, who has just put on his jogging shoes, and run to Him and say, “Daddy, please let me go running with you. Take me with you, Daddy, for you are the neatest Dad in the whole world!”

Much, much love from my “Daddy’s heart”, Ken Helser

http://web.mac.com/kenhelser/Word_of_the_Week_Site/Word_of_the_Week/Entries/2008/10/8_No_fear_in_Love.html

http://www.aplacefortheheart.org/pages/home.html