BBD 03.12.03 When Things Go "Bump" In The Night
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
(Over 8,000 subscribers in 74 countries)
03.12.03
When Things Go "Bump" In The Night
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of
a sound mind." - II Timothy 1:7.
Some folks living around Langley, Virginia become a little nervous when they
hear strange or unexpected noises. Maybe it is because they have an unusual
neighbor. Their neighbor? The Central Intelligence Agency. The neighbors
were a little concerned when a helicopter hovered over the top of a building
on the CIA grounds for an unusually long time. They were installing a new
air conditioning unit. Or, the strange noise that emanated from the
facility during a recent snowstorm. It was just some rented heat blowers to
melt the snow.
A spokesperson for the CIA Bill Harlow said, "There are lots of houses that
are adjacent to our fence line or close to it. Sometimes they see and hear
things that gets them nervous." So, the agency has hand-delivered postcards
to the homes surrounding their facility. The cards asked residents to
report "anything unusual or suspicious." The card was signed by "Marie."
The CIA says that "If they see something or hear something which disturbs
them, they need to know who to contact." That way the neighbors can be
assured that it's just a new heating unit or they were just melting some
snow. I wonder what they will say during the summer? And who is "Marie?"
We live in an increasingly violent and uncertain time with threats of war
and terrorism on many horizons. How do we face life during such a time?
How do we continue to move forward living life and serving God during such
times? It is one thing to profess our faith but a much greater challenge to
actually live out that faith. How can we live in a way that will bring
light to the darkness that constantly presses upon us?
The enemy uses fear to keep us in our place. He uses fear to keep us from
spreading faith, hope, and love to others around us. Often our enemy uses
verbal threats from others like Nehemiah faced (Nehemiah 6). Other times it
is a fear based in reality like Moses faced when responding to God's call.
Moses knew how powerful the Egyptians were and how cruel they could be. In
both situations what happened? Nehemiah and the people completed the
rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem in spite of the threats. Moses led
his people to freedom in spite of the power and cruelty of the Egyptians of
that era. In both situations God provided the strength and resources
needed. Nehemiah prayed, "Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands
(Nehemiah 6:9b)." Moses was assured as God addressed each of his excuses.
Moses was to remember that it was God who sent him and to share that with
the Egyptians and his people (Exodus 3:13-14). Moses became great in prayer
speaking with God as a person would speak to another.
Moses and Nehemiah were both commissioned by God. Timothy and Paul were
commissioned by God. You and I if we know the Lord as our Savior have been
commissioned by God. So, when the world says get back into your foxhole;
when they say stop living and talking like a Christian what do you do?
Remember that you have been commissioned, sent by God to live out your faith
in this world. Your commander is not your neighbor. Your commander is the
Creator of the Universe. If you need strength and courage ask Him for it
just as Nehemiah did and He will provide it. Because, "God has not given us
a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Copyright © 2003. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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