The Scariest Place in the World

Free advice to anyone who will listen: the SECOND your dentist suggests taking out your wisdom teeth, do it. DO NOT DELAY. Also… do not eat pizza the next day. Eat only ice cream. Or, if you're spoiled with an awesome sister who will bring you 6 cartons of gelato, EAT ONLY GELATO. That's all I have to say about that.

Now, on to more spiritual things… We've been talking much about fear to many people. "Uganda sounds awfully scary" is a normal response from LOTS of people we have talked to. Faithful as He is, the Lord has been revealing much about what we consider to be a fearful place.

Many people in the Bible, and many people in modern day life, live in such a way that proves the faithfulness of an All-Powerful God. They face fearful situations with full confidence that God's will is perfect. If God allows them to live, they will praise Him. If God allows them to die, they will praise Him face to face in heaven. These are the people that have loads of rewards in heaven. These are the people God wants us to be.

Where is the scariest place to be in all the world? I can tell you for certain. It is anywhere that is out of God's will. Are you resisting handing your life over to Jesus, and still living for yourself? Are you born-again, but harboring bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness toward someone? Have you been compromising in ways that you know don't please God, but you're hoping no one else will notice? Do you bring shame to the Lord by calling yourself a Christian… a Christ-follower… by living contrary to the gospel? This - BY FAR - is the scariest place to be.

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 

Matthew 10:28 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. 

Psalm 111:10 

Remember David in 2 Samuel 11. God's will was for him to be in the battle. David chose to stay home. By staying where it seemed "safe," David made the biggest mistake of his life. His disobedience and idleness led to adultery and murder, resulting in the death of his child.

On the other hand, remember Esther in chapter 4. She risked her life in order to save her whole nation. She counted her own life worthless in order to save her people. God proved Himself faithful on Esther's behalf.

Remember Daniel in chapter 6 of his account. He refused to compromise and deny his God because of the culture and laws of the land. He was thrown into a pit of lions. God proved Himself faithful on Daniel's behalf.

Remember Meshach, Shadrach, and Abed-nego in Daniel 3. They were not willing to bow down to what everyone else was worshipping. They knew the true and living God. They were not even confident that He would save them from the torture they knew they would face, but they knew His name was worth fighting - and dying - for. God proved Himself faithful on their behalf.

Remember Gideon in the book of Judges. God widdled his army down from 32,000 men to 300. He did this so the people of Israel would know it was GOD who was fighting for them. God proved Himself faithful on Gideon's behalf.

Remember Stephen in Acts 7. He was martyred - killed with stones - because of his faith in Christ. Because of Stephen's faith and his unwillingness to back down from Truth, the leader of the persecutors, Saul, became a great evangelist and led TONS of people to faith in Jesus Christ. God proved Himself faithful on Stephen's behalf.

So is it so bad to look a sticky situation in the face and choose to trust God in it? Maybe your sticky situation doesn't include moving to Northern Uganda with five beauty babies. Maybe God is asking you to follow Him in a way that goes against the grain. DO IT. Through obedience and surrender, He will prove Himself faithful on your behalf.