I had a gross visual this morning as I researched the definition of “cast”. I’d just read the verse, “Perfect love cast out fear” & wondered what the root words were for “love, cast & fear” when I suddenly remembered a story someone told me earlier in the week.
They shared how they were renovating a space that had been left in the worst of conditions by its former occupants. When the demo team turned on the light to begin their work, there was sudden movement everywhere...pests scattering to any hidden places they could find.
Then, when they pulled up the urine-soaked carpeting, it was like the unfolding of armageddon as 100s, (maybe 1000s?) of cockroaches skittered up the walls to find a new place to hide 🤮
I know that’s an awful visual to start the day, but it’s exactly what I needed to understand what happens when God’s love floods us.
When we allow:
👉🏽all of Him to PRESIDE over us,
👉🏽all of Jesus to stand BESIDE us
👉🏽& all of the Holy Spirit to fully RESIDE in us,
fear scatters like those nasty cockroaches looking for a new place to hide!
The word “cast” means to toss out, with or without force, but ALWAYS with purpose.
Gods very nature IS love! The root for love means to prefer. He prefers us always. He prefers for us to choose Him over the fears that we face or the pleasures that we chase, but He won’t make us. He loves us far too much to make us robots that are forced to love.
The word “fear” simply means to withdraw in panic.I don’t know about you, but when things feel uncertain, I can tend to withdraw from many aspects of life, but most importantly, from The One Who casts out the very thing that’s got me down👉🏽terror-tempting fear!
Oh Father, fear is simply evidence that we have yet to fully experience Your all-encompassing love. There is no fear in Your love. Perfect us in the resplendency of Your love & let the Light of Your Presence cause fear to scatter away looking for a new place to hide. Why should we fear when the evidence of Your goodness is always near?
💡DANIEL 11:36-12:13
💡1 JOHN 4:1-21
💡PSALM 123:1-4
💡PROVERBS 29:2-4
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