We must declare the war of fast and prayer against the enemy’s threats of imagery perception of terror and whatever insecurity dramatic chaos of evil act on his platform to be shown.
The protections over us are directly from heaven (then spoke the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with you, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. Acts 18:9-10) and the securities we’re enjoying were of old, a glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary (Jeremiah 17:12) and the Rock that cannot be taken over is our dwelling place in all generations before the mountains were brought forth, or before the foundation of the earth and the world exists is our eternal hiding place (Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Psalms 90:1-2) and impenetrable defense and strength (God is known in her palaces for a refuge. Psalms 48:3) is our God mighty to save that indwells and covers us all day long by his spirit from within to raise up his standard against the enemy’s sudden and ungodly flood (according to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:18-19) with his strong and irresistible name as a strong tower for the safety of the righteous (Proverbs 18:10) to hold our souls in life and keep our feet from slipping (Psalms 66:9) for he would not withdraws his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them forever, and they are exalted. Job 36:7.
We have free and uninterrupted access to the services of the protective and warring angels of God, engaging and attending continually in a uninterrupted service for our safety day or night as heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14) to guide us daily by the pillar of cloud in the day time, and guard us by the pillar of fire in the night (Nehemiah 9:12) to give light in the way wherein we should go: and if it is found that an adversary waylay to derail, oppose or to destroy us, God will rebuke and prevent such enemy from doing any harm to his children (when they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people; he suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; saying, touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. Psalms105:13-15) but if the enemy refuses and desist not from their evil intention against his people, God almighty will engage them in battle for his people’s sake: for thus has the Lord spoken unto me, like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof so that as birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it. Isaiah 31:5.
The promise made to Jacob at Bethel (and, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou go, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. Genesis 28:15) is credited to the New Testament believer in Christ Jesus with the manifestation of God’s paralytic glory and power, and of his terrifying presence to neutralize any evil disposition and tendency (and God said unto Jacob, arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fled from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: and let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave to Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. Genesis 35:1-5) to cause any harm in the pathway of obedience for kingdom purposes to fulfill the will of God.
Before the world was created, God has organized and put tremendous (extraordinary large in size, extent, amount, power or degree) and enormous security in place for our glory in Christ Jesus, the same way he prepared and provided the blood of Christ which was deposited and shed before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1: 19-20) before man was made and placed on earth for the sins not yet committed that we might know the permanence and durability, boundless, borderless and lastingness of our security: for any to compare (know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand? Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my father’s utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand? 2 Chronicles 32:13-14) or to mélange or substitute divine security for whatever reason is futile, treasonous and damnable to the soul (woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord! Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horse’s flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helps shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall down, and they all shall fail together. Isaiah 31:1-3) but that all should affirm the distinctiveness that there is none like it in heaven or anywhere on earth, neither under the earth in resemblance and effectiveness (and the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. Isaiah 4: 5-6) for in this confidence and personal conviction in the word of God, the security and victory of the saints are founded. Note: whatever exists before the foundation of the world is eternal in every sense of it: and whatsoever is said to be made or created in the foundation or after the foundation of the world is inferior and subjected to that which has been of old in every sense of it.: while the security of the world can fail, but of the inhabitants of Zion, their security is unlimited and guarantees for eternity because it is eternal in the heavens.
Those who are called and saved by God shall he preserve and saved to the uttermost if they shall cleave unto him with all the heart in truth. Simply put it, insecurity exposed the frustration and obscurity in the heart to despise the presence of God that lives in you with the promise of his abiding presence never to leave you nor forsake you. Whatever your insecurities are (marital, financial, destiny fulfillment, health and whatever) is not worthy of the past thoughts and concerned than to cast your cares and worries unto God to sustain you, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. The Lord knows where he has taken you from and where he is leading you: and he’s in absolute and perfect control of the present occurrences and the future events of your life.
Right from the crossing of the red sea, the Israelis became tantrum when they looked behind to see the pursuing armies of Pharaoh behind them and they accused God and Moses of foul play (and when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. And they said unto Moses, because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. Exodus 14:10-12) which was the beginning of their sin of insecurity of their personal safety, but God does not always chide. Psalms 103:9.
Secondly, they were guilty of social and welfare insecurity caused by anxieties of those things needful for the body, but to murmur about the least of things against God is to show how they were ingrates for so great a salvation with power, signs and wonders out of the land of Egypt as if the God who feed the birds of the air and controls the cattle upon a thousand hills (and they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: and the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Exodus 16:1-3) is not capable to feed and sustain them: but he fed them with manna for forty years, and man did eat angels’ food. Psalms 78: 24-25.
Thirdly, because God didn’t take quick action of immediate recompense of retribution, though he took their first act of insecurity into account expecting changes from them or continual repetition of transgression until iniquities are filled to the brim (Numbers 14:22) for this, they were bold to repeat and show the same type of personal and family’s danger and insecurity’s protestation against God, and to accuse him of inadequate and insufficient security preparation for them at the news that giants are the inhabitants of the land of promise (and all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Was it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. Numbers 14: 1-4) thus they waited not for the counsel of the Lord on how to go about it, and waited not for the salvation of Jehovah the man of war who’s been fighting all this while for them that he might bring them into the land of their inheritance, but they despised the pleasant land, unto whom he sworn and cursed that they shall not into his rest; that he will no longer bring them into the land he once promised to give them. Psalms 105:25.
Job was an upright man which eschews evil to live in the fear God: Satan is a tempter and a detective investigating for whatever unrighteousness he can lay his hand upon as evidence to persecute and indict us before God. Any negative action or confession is self-betrayal and it makes us vulnerable before the enemy whose expertise is to study and read emotions and actions and to use any unlearned words and foolish conversation to attack us. It is a senseless and unwarranted thing to fear God and to fear other things: for Job said: for the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. Job 3: 25-26.
Satan has long sent his secret agent to stalk after Job to study and discovered his vulnerability, insecurity and fear, and is quite aware of that which Job’s seems to be ignorant of, namely, the impenetrable hedge of God around him and his household. Here, his own mouth testified against his insecurity and restlessness (and his sons went and feasted in their houses, everyone his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus, did Job continually. Job 1: 4-5) to admit and confess to what is already known to the enemy through spiritual methodology of human studies, despite all the blessings and the steady good hand of God upon him: to think evil of his innocent children and to speak it out (if thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. Proverbs 30:32) when love does not think evil, but hopes for all things, and believes all things were not good for the testimony of the righteous man: but the enemy took advantage of Job’s exposure of insecurity as the snare and justification to attack him, and the basis for his argument for indictment before God. Note: whatsoever we commit to the trust and keep of God should never be fretful anymore and fretted over, but to be rest assured that he is able to keep that which is committed to his trust against that day.
Satan’s strong and unequivocal argument to indict Job before God was the security around him and defense or protection over all that he possessed (then Satan answered the Lord, and said, doth Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. Job 1:8-11) and suggested that the protections should be removed because the man in question was guilty not to acknowledge and give a big yes to the presence of divine edge through his emotional display and failed to confess the words of faith from his mouth (I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. Job 3: 25-26) but the response and permission to Satan’s request and the restriction and limitation to what extent he should deal with Job in contest trial of the accused (Job’s) loyalty to God is established on the fact and truth that we are engraved in the palms of his hand and nothing in our life is outside the knowledge and permission of God (will the unicorn be willing to serve thee; or abide by thy crib? Canst, thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust God because His strength is great? Or wilt thou leave thy labour, fear, worry and anxiety to him? Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn? Job 39:9-12) if we shall commit the keeping of our soul unto him in continual doing the right thing as unto a faithful creator. Isaiah 49:16. 1 Peter 4:19.
Can you imagine a priest who has been praying and atoning for sins not yet committed by the people? All this while, the sacrifices made by Job before God for the atonement of the uncommitted sins of his children were vague and unreasonable, not actually intended for, neither worthy of the purpose he assumed than to appease his fretful heart and to lessen his fear and insecurity over his children where they been offered. We should not be over ambitious, over worried and over protective of our children if we are living in the fear of God and are teaching them in the way they should go; neither should we be insecure or fretful of their present life or future existence which is already ordered and programmed by God the owner of all souls.
The insecurity of the financial future and prosperity of her youngest son caused the agitation and influenced the decision of our mother Rebecca to lie together with Jacob before Isaac to steal and procure the blessings of the firstborn on him instead of Esau. This unnecessary action caused enmity with strong abhorrence between the two families of Jacob and Esau’s malice for the stolen blessing destroyed his compassion for the house of Israel unto this day (thus says the Lord; for three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever: Amos 1:11) but above all the stolen blessings, Esau was equally blessed and had enough at the end of the day. Genesis 33:9.
God has plans and purposes for all our saved and unsaved children: and if he instructs us to send our Ishmael away that his plans for the Isaac in our life might stand, we should not worry, and neither should we feel bad and insecure for our Ishmael (and Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation, Genesis17: 18-20) because he has created all things for his pleasure with different plans and agenda for our Isaac and Ishmael; as well as for our Jacob and the Esau in the family.
Let the earth be removed, and the mountains carried into the midst of the sea, and the waters thereof roar and are troubled, and the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, God will never and ever compromise with your security; but any word and attitude of uncertainty and insecurity can breach, not only your security but the purposes and promises of God over your life. God is a very present help in trouble, but you must learn to live and walk in the spirit of ‘come what may’ my righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go before him for access to the experience of the power of his deliverance and of the glory of the abiding presence of him who has gone ahead of you, and at the same time have your back – behind you (depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your reward. Isaiah 52:11-12) to preserve and deliver you from whatever danger and trouble you are in and to keep your life safe and to stretch forth his hand against the wrath of your enemies, and his right hand shall save you – this I know, for God is for me. Psalms 56:9: 138:7.
This is the conviction and confidence for the vindication and victory found in Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to resist and bluntly refused the king’s ungodly demand to bow before the golden calf, unabashed that their God is able to deliver them from the king’s furnace of fire meant to destroy them, but if he chooses not to intervene and fireproof them (Isaiah 43:2) according to his promise, so that the trial of their faith, being much more precious than gold and silver that perishes, though it is tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ are willing to lay down their lives to the end. 1Peter 1:7.
Ezra faced a difficult challenge but different security situational issue, but he confessed to the unfailing power of God’s impenetrable defense over them that trust in him (I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, the gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him. So, we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. Ezra 8:22-23) and would not doubt the preserver of man and beasts (Psalms 33:6) to keep to his word to keep them from any physical harm and aggression of thieves and robbers on their way of duty to Jerusalem for the reconstruction of the temple work.
Believer’s attitudes should correspond with his confession of faith for any positive and supernatural outcome of his expectations from God: but if his attitudes are not in any way aligned but are in disagreement, not in any way in conformity and correspondence to his confessions of faith and trust in the word of God, he is unarguably betrayed by such faithless behavior, and the sin of his insecurity is exposed before Satan and God because there shall be no perfect peace for those whose mind is not stayed in God, because they have not trusted in him. We are commanded to speak and do as the people that shall be judged by the law of liberty: if we speak but failed to do as expected of us, it shows the lack of genuine trust and faith in God who is a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall to bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: but such erratic comportment is not only annoying to God who is difficult to please without faith, it can also paralyze the manifestation of the power of his abiding presence to cause the breach of any of his promises over your life. Isaiah 25:1-5.
Forasmuch as one sinner can destroy much good, much more is a righteous man can extend the goodness of God for the safety of many unsaved souls around him against accidental untimely death. God is willing to go any extreme length, measure and extend for the safety of his people (for I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou were precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Isaiah 43:3-4) and for the safety of any one of his peculiar people, he can also spread his protective wings of safety around the unbelievers in the area of vicinity contain as a part (but after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Acts 27:21-25) to benefits from his covering and to make sure that his word comes to pass that his beloved dwells securely by him.
Is a believer not the beloved vineyard of his God – the garden of red wine to gladden his heart? Is there any doubt that God will not defend his purposes to preserve his vessel of pleasure that makes his heart and of others happy on the earth if they are devoted to his fear and are yielding profitable and fruitful crops? Believer’s sole pursuit should be the constant examination of himself to abide in the vine (Christ) so that he should keep increasing in fruitfulness and productivity, but as for the cares of the evil birds of the air and the demonic bug out there to devour its fruits and branch, or the cankerworms spread everywhere to spoil the harvests, they should be left to the care and worries of the husbandman (in that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. In that day sing ye unto her, a vineyard of red wine. I the Lord does keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them; I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me. He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. Isaiah 27: 1-6) whose primary work is to prune the fruitful branches and to make sure it is safe and healthy to bear much more fruit. John 15: 1-6
Safe in the arms of Jesus
Safe in the arms of Jesus, Safe on His gentle breast; there by His love over shaded, sweetly my soul shall rest. Hark! It’s the voice of angels borne in a song to me, over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea.
Refrain:
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast; there by His love over shaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Refrain
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe from corroding care, safe from the world’s temptations; sin cannot harm me there. Free from the blight of sorrow, free from my doubts and fears; only a few more trials, only a few more tears!
Refrain
Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge, Jesus has died for me; firm on the Rock of Ages ever my trust shall be. Here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is over; wait till I see the morning break on the golden shore.