Well, friends and family this is my first attempt at blogging. I want to thank my two precious mentors in this endeavor: Dawn & Debbie, my daughters. I am beginning this journey at the request and urging of them both. Debbie is getting me going technically and both of them have led the way in this new art. :) As I read the scriptures of "Face to Face" (my daily prayer guide) I was halted at Heb. 10:35&36; and the word, emphasised to my spirit, was "confidence". I thought of it as though it were, my confidence in You, Lord, but in researching the word it appears that it is speaking of one losing, casting away or throwing away, their confidence which is defined as, outspokenness, frankness, bluntness and assurance of what one is believing and speaking.
I do not know when this "reticence" began but I have been one who has "drawn or shrunken back" in fear (Heb. 10:38 & 39) of speaking out boldly, frankly and bluntly with assurance. I wondered and ask the Lord, "What have I been timid or reticent to speak out on?"
Then my eyes fell to the next line "My soul has no delight or pleasure in him (her)" (vs. 38). That was an awful thought; that I would be guilty of some "lack" of some "action" that in turn would deny my Lord delight and pleasure in me.
In my Amplified Bible there is a link noted to Habakkuk 2:3 & 4; so I followed it there to investigate. What was the connection here? In this book God's people are being "disciplined or judged" by the Babylonians and Habby :) is asking Him, why He would let this take place by a heathen nation. "How can a righteous and Holy God use a wicked nation like Babylonia to bring "judgement" against God's own people, rebellious and sinful though they may be" [The Daily Bible: Commentary].
In essence God's answer is that "evil whenever it is found, always bears within it the seeds of its own destruction. Judah's sins have condemned it to inevitable destruction." [TDB: Commentary]. Therefore, when Babylonia's time comes those same seeds within it would bring its demise.
Now, just quickly, :) to draw all of this together: In Heb. again we go on in chapter 11 to highlight many "faith-filled" servants of God; one of whom is Abraham and we will look at him after we take a look at his nephew, Lot who is an important contrast to his uncle, Abraham.
Even though God rescued Lot and his daughters his wife was too deeply entrenched in the ways of life in Sodom; her heart had become a willing captive. Lot had lost his ability through constant exposure, to this Godless culture, to retain a vision for the "future" he was to have with and through God. As a result his daughters step in and plan, in the only way they have been trained, a future that is brought about by reliance on the flesh and ultimately brings heartache and hardship to the people of God for centuries to come, through the incestuous conception of Moab with one daughter and Ben-ammi (father of the Ammonites), with the other daughter.
Follow me now! :) Allowing ourselves to be exposed as Lot did, even if "daily his righteous soul was tormented and greatly worn out and distressed by the wanton ways of the ungodly and lawless from what he saw and heard of their unlawful deeds" (Amp. Bible II Peter 2:7 & 8); he nevertheless, stayed living there among them.
By the time this "righteous & just" soul was rescued out it was way too late for his family. Even his daughters had no "true" conception of their rightful role as the "people of God". Lot was way too connected to and entangled in the web of the world in Sodom; He had been lulled into passivity and unable to speak out, lead or initiate with authority the right direction for his whole realm of influence--his family and community, in order to save them.
Abraham, though, was able to "ACT" (see Dawn's Blog) in petitioning boldly, frankly, bluntly and assuredly with "confidence" (Heb. 10: 35 & 36). He interacted with courage before God and was instrumental in gaining the opportunity for Lot and his family to escape. True, Abraham had made his share of mistakes, but he did not fall permanently into passivity and inactivity in righteous matters. He did not lose, throw-away, under pressure or cast off, for fear of rejection, his boldness, frankness, bluntness and assurance before God; but lived and made intercession by faith. He didn't "shrink back but with steadfast patience, endurance performed and fully accomplished the will of God, and thus received and carried away and enjoyed to the full what he was promised," [Amp. Bible: Heb. 10:36 & 38] which wholly includes, ultimately, US, you and me, the entire family of faith.
As a grand result, we have an example in Abraham to not "draw back" to eternal misery utterly destroying ourselves and negating our calling; but instead by faith (full of belief) literally preserve our souls and the souls of our legacy!
Abraham could "see" imagine a future by faith--Lot could no longer "see" the future in a positive light and was unable to contribute positively to the legacy he was to have.
Moral of the story:
Don't shrink back from speaking the truth with boldness, frankness, bluntness and assurance for fear of repudiation--Speak with faith, assured that the Holy Spirit will co-join your words of "holy fervor born of faith" (Heb. 10:38 Amp.). Let's be filled with the Holy Spirit boldly proclaiming the truth in love to all those in our realm of influence; family, co-workers, and neighbors. We must not allow anything to intimidate us...we must be intrepid for Christ and the Kingdom's sake.
Key question: "So, Lord, what have I been timid or reticent to speak out boldly on?
Answer: You just read it. :)
Patti :)
