Fear Not - Relocation
Scripture Reading - Genesis 46:2-4 KJV
(2) And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. (3) And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: (4) I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.
Greetings fellow believer in the Awesome Name of Jesus may God’s Grace smile upon you this day while he fills you with all Peace. Today we will continue in our “Fear Not” series. In a previous lesson we highlighted the fact that worry comes from fear. If we can remove the fear from the situation, event, circumstance, sickness, government, leadership, person, etc. . . we will also remove the worry associated with that fear. Thank God through Jesus Christ we can remove the fear. According 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love but perfect (mature, sincere, pure, untainted) love casts out fear.” In another previous lesson we mentioned that we don’t need to fear protection primarily for two reasons: one - God is always with us and two - The Lord’s ministering spirits known as angels of God are encamped round about us continuously. The key is knowing divine help is always available and acknowledging God in all our ways so He can direct our paths. In a following lesson we looked at not fearing a lack of provision because you are a child of God. Yes your Heavenly Father greatly delights in you because He loves you so much. His desire is to not only feed you naturally but His Will is that you are well fed both spiritually and physically having more than what you need for that specific meal. In a previous lesson we discussed not fearing the curse(s) of the Law because The Blessing(s) of God are promised to the children of God. Yes, in Christ Jesus we are redeemed from the curses of the Law. The Blessing is twofold: 1) - We inherited all The Blessings of the Law as children of God while at the same time 2) - We were (and are) promised complete deliverance from all the curses of the Law, so there is no need to fear. In today’s lesson we will mention not fearing “relocation”. It is said, “Although many people move each year that many of those people suffer from the fear of moving.” They are anxious (overly concerned, worried) what could go wrong and/or what did they possibly forget. The whole transition from one home to another can be stressful. Not only is there a lot of work involved but sometimes certain family members don’t want to move. Of course, when we mention moving from one local neighborhood to another that is one level of work but “relocation” in the sense of crossing state boundaries is on a totally different level. We (ihlcc) have done both and without question “relocating” to another state brought additional complexities. In our case moving from a northern state to a more southern state brought about a whole new culture. It is always a good thing to learn the culture that you are going to live in to keep from offending the local people. The key for us making it through the whole transition victoriously is the same key that will help you navigate any “relocation” that is planned for you in your future. Yes, even if you were not planning on moving but you need to because of a recent change in your present circumstances. The Key we are speaking about is found in today’s reference scripture, specifically verse 4a (“a” being the first part of the verse while “b” and “c” would follow after. Notice in Genesis 46:4a the words, “I will go with thee into Egypt” are recorded. First let us look at this from two different perspectives, the first being Israel’s thoughts just like you will have many thoughts to come to your mind when pondering (considering, thinking about) “relocating”. Israel is the head of his household so his decision effects all family members. Egypt is a whole different nation that speaks a different language, so a learning curve is necessary. What about all my cattle this will not be easy. What if my children are drawn into the people of Egypt to serve their false God(s)? Will going down to Egypt cause me to lose my inheritance in this land? Will this be a dangerous journey? What does my family think about leaving their current home did they pray too? Do I have to move? Is there another way? Can I just keep getting food from Egypt without actually moving there? Why, did Joseph ask us to move? We (ihlcc) are sure that some of these questions plus plenty more came into Israel’s mind but looking at this from another perspective will prove to be more effective. The second perspective is “God with us”. The Lord informing Israel that “He will go with him” and that Word from God had to comfort Israel’s mind. God going with us equates to us following God’s Will for that specific time (assignment, task, journey) in our lives. Yes, knowing that God is with us means divine protection when we go, while we are going and yes, even while we are there. God being with us also means God’s presence of Peace and Comfort while during the whole journey to give us joy and strength. God’s Love will help us (and show us) how to love one another during difficult challenges. God’s knowledge will show us the Way because as The Good Shepherd He goes before us. The wisdom of God will answer any questions that are introduced along the way and the favor of God will open any door(s) we must travel through. Yes, our faith friend, The Key is Jesus! Jesus told us in Hebrews 13:5b-6 KJV . . . I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will “not fear” what man shall do unto me. This means whatever questions or concerns or problems we encounter during this “relocation” God sees it and He will help us to overcome it. Our Lord Jesus sent us His Word to answer all general questions and The Lord sent us the Comforter to answers questions not found clearly (specifically) written in the Holy Bible. The Lord gave us the witness of the Holy Spirit and His Peace to comfort our heart and mind (this comforts any concern). The Lord is the Way Maker to overcome the problems we face in this life so we are all covered for success as long as the Lord is with us. So be sure you ask God about moving to get His heart before you firmly decide to “relocate”. It will make your life a lot easier if you start with God at the beginning of your journey for His guidance and will rather than calling on God’s help later after you find yourself in a bad situation. Please, dearly beloved Child of God, if the Lord places a don’t go check in your heart than in the Name of Jesus don’t go. Be content to stay where you are because least in that place you are hearing from God. Please don’t jeopardize your fellowship with God because you need him every day, all day, right. Therefore, know with all confidence God is always with us and The Lord Jesus will never forsake us, so be strong in The Lord and in the power of His Might because He Is our strength for the battle which in this case is the “relocation”. “Amen!”