I've Got Your Back

[HKHaugan]

If ever there was a personal message from the Lord God about stepping out in faith and knowing you’re not alone it comes in His Words to Jeremiah, “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD (JER.1:17-19).”

God had Jeremiah’s back for a full forty years from the time he was called until he died. But what is important about that, it’s just as true for us. But note the conditions. First, we have to get ourselves ready. Second, we have to stand up. Third, we have to say whatever the Lord commands. Fourth, don’t let anyone terrify you or God will terrify you before them. Let’s look at these four conditions.

First, getting ready.

We need preparation. We just can’t wing it. We have to build trust in the Lords’ presence. This is where Scripture comes in. Every word opens us to receive Him, how He thinks and the attitude He provides to be like Him. Scripture is His personality inventory where our insecurity is replaced with His confidence, our fear with His faith and our pride with His love.

We need practice. Practice begins with other believers. It begins when we apply what we learn from the Word with brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. And there is plenty of opportunity because we are all in need of growth. Prayer groups, study groups and classes provide the kind of interchange where we share who and what we are. It’s when we work together in ministry in the Body we grow ‘in wisdom and stature with God and men’ in order to apply ourselves as witnesses outside the Body.

We need prayer. This means personal and interpersonal prayer. We not only spend time in prayer for ourselves but in prayer with other brothers and sisters. Prayer keeps us humble, dependent and conscious of the Lord’s presence, His mind and heart and His will for us. Prayer is the perfect storm that collapses our self-centeredness.

So, getting ready takes preparation, practice and prayer.

Second, we stand up.

Standing up is more than our vertical posture. It is a state of mind, heart and spirit. It is what we do with our mind when we are confronted with the tempting logic of the secular world. It’s what we do with our heart when we are alone in the midst of temptation and everyone else is yielding. It’s what we do with our spirit when we discern the lure of evil’s invitation.

For the mind we stand on our belief in the truth provided in God’s Word. For our heart we trust in the presence of the Lord and our spiritual rebirth in Him. For our spirit we have faith in the leading of the Holy Spirit through His Word.

But there’s more. Every day we are in a world with a hostile spiritual atmosphere. That atmosphere is loaded with every kind of distracting spirit. Lust, pride, fear, greed, anger await the unprepared. If we start each day with a quick rehearsal of the beliefs about the Lord Jesus, ---He is my personal Savior and Lord, He died on the Cross but was raised from the dead for me and all who believe in Him, He is present in my heart, His Spirit is my guide and I have eternal life in Him, I am His witness every next moment, I have His Word in Scripture to grow and support me---if we start with those we will be able to stand up and be counted as a unique image of God wherever we are. And not only stand but face any spiritual barrage with assurance and confidence.

Third, we say what the Lord commands.

There come those moments when the need to stand up and speak out call for truth. You know in your heart that the time has come and it’s not about what you think but about what the Lord is leading you to do, to stand and trust Him to speak through you. That call to stand and speak will always be consistent with God’s Word. The hot button issues of the day demand a response when they come up in a discussion. We don’t search them out so we can have our say. We never look for a battle. If one arises be assured you will be able to handle it. What we do is become informed so that when we happen to be in a place that calls for God’s principles we will be ready to be the lone voice standing for His truth. Sometimes we may be called on to speak. Prepare for that with the assurance that when you are on the spot the Holy Spirit will give you the necessary biblical truth to support you.

Fourth, don’t let anyone terrify you.

As a believer you are never alone. Don’t forget that. You are a younger brother or sister of the Lord. That is what He made you when you accepted Him. He has grafted you into His family, an eternal family. You are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” from the past and the present. This is why as part of our preparation we share with faithful brothers and sisters in worship and study. Those believers we see are visual reminders of the risen witnesses of the past who have been through the world and proven victorious over it. Your heritage is not just written history but risen living history.

Yes, there may be more brilliant minds than yours, more stout hearts than yours and more productive spirits than yours. But that’s not the point. To God you are the unique individual He has made you. Your focus is not to compare yourself with others. Your focus is Jesus, His personal love for you and His calling to you. No one else is like you, nor has been, nor will be. You are you, a loved image of God. No one can stand like you or stand where you are or where you are called. Here is the point, you have a direct relationship with your Creator and every next moment is your gift from Him. Savor it, enjoy it, stand in it, witness in it and just be who He has called you to be in it.

The Lord God has your back.
Ps.19:7-11
“The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”