Command With a Promise

Before Jon left I made us both a "countdown jar." I filled the jars with m&m's and a verse for each day. The verses act like a fortune cookie promise for each day we are apart. The verse that he pulled out on the day we said goodbye was Psalm 55:22 - "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you, He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." I knew then that this season would be difficult, but God would not let it defeat us.

The verse I pulled out of my jar the first day we were apart was Deuteronomy 31:8 - "It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed" (ESV) As I contemplated this verse I realized an important truth: when God gives us a command, He always links it to a promise of Himself. Here, as well as in Joshua 1, when He tells us not to fear it is because He is with us, He will not leave us, He goes before us and He will fight our battles. He tells us why we can have courage, He does not merely give us a command to "stop worrying dummy!"

This exists all through Scripture when He tells us not to be anxious. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" Matt. 6:34 (NIV). This verse is summarizing a section about worry in which God tells us that we are more valuable to Him than the birds of the air (v. 26) and the lilies in the field (v. 28-30). We can seek first His Kingdom and righteousness and turn from anxiety and fear because the very hairs of our head are numbered by Him. 

We cannot change the difficult and uncomfortable circumstances, but we can control our own attitude and choose to trust and not be afraid.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, you are more valuable than many sparrows." Luke 12:6-7

1 Image taken from http://thoughtsonbookss.blogspot.com