Where does my security lie? Before I rush in to answer, “In the Lord, of course”, let me allow the Holy Spirit to shine His light in the deep and hidden recesses of my being. He knows things about me that I am unaware of (see Psalm 139)…..until He enlightens me. This is not navel gazing. When God highlights something in my life, He brings conviction, never to condemn, but to clean out, make new, make more room for Him, redeeming lost and unprofitable ground.
Scripture declares 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and a sound mind”. I may dress my fears up with fluffy words such as concern, anxious or worry in order to cover up my fear, but God sees the truth behind these words. They are all masked fear.
We often talk about the three faces of man. There is the man I think I am, the man I want you to think I am, and the true man of the heart that God sees I am with all my innermost thoughts and motives. God comes to spotlight my insecurities. Maybe I don’t like to consider I may be insecure. Maybe this man that I think I am, has no room for such a thought. Do I like to think I am in faith and acceptable to the Lord in my walk? But when God asks the question, “Where are you insecure?”, it behoves me to allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten me.
Where man seeks to be in control, instead of God, insecurity is displayed. It is birthed in fear of losing control of situations or people. It is so easy to see in others, but often takes the Holy Spirit to bring to light the fault in me. The truth is that insecurity, birthed from fear in any way, shape or form, proves I am not of a “sound mind”, (2 Timothy 1:7). If God says I am not of a sound mind, then I am in fear and not faith. With God there is nowhere to hide. The all-seeing eye of God searches every corner of my heart because of His all-consuming love for me. A devoted father desires the best for His children. Insecurity is baggage from the past which has no part in the new creation God has given me in His Son.
When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they were naked and unashamed, before the Fall. After they had eaten from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered with shame. In shame they attempted to hide from the Lord God, but the all-seeing eye of God found them out. We like to hide our short-comings. The big cover up!
When I try to hide from others the man I really am, scripture finds me out: “The fear of man is a snare”, Proverbs 29:25. If I am fearful (concerned) what others think of me, then scripture declares I am not “of a sound mind” in God. If I am fearful of God not meeting me financially, again I am not in faith, but fear. God cuts to the quick with His Word and declares: “….for whatever is not of faith is sin”, Romans 14:23.
So, again I find myself in a process. “Thou God seest me”, (Genesis 16:13) Am I willing to allow God to search my heart and reveal my insecurities? Will I embrace what He reveals, refuse to be hurt by my lack and allow Him to take me to a bigger place in Him, allowing Him to be magnified in this life He has given me.
Isaiah 54: 1-4 encourages us: “Sing, O barren….break forth into singing…..Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch forth the curtains of your habitation, spare not, lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes……fear not, you shall not be ashamed nor confounded….you shall forget the shame of your youth…….”
“Stretch forth the curtains of your habitation”……In God, grace is a LARGE habitation. There are untapped reservoirs of grace in heaven available for you and I. God declares: “My grace is sufficient for you”, 2 Corinthians 12:9. If I am running short of that which God declares there is a sufficiency of, then I need to embrace more truth. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. They are married to each other these heavenly twins. The Holy Spirit will show me the truth I need to embrace about myself. As I humble before Him in my nakedness, hiding nothing, as I repent, then He releases the tap of His grace in my life again. This is how we grow in grace. 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ”.
May the Lord grant us the gift of seeing us as He sees us, the man we really are, naked and unashamed before Him.
The following word proceeded from the mouth of the Lord this morning to encourage:
“For your nakedness is fully apparent to Me. It is you that clothes to hide. But My purpose is to unmask, tear down, not to leave you down, but to lift you up to live in the reality of My sight.
I am not offended by your nakedness. Why seek to hide it? See this: In the day you stand before me as you really are, as I see you, in that day you will be comfortable and equipped to go forward. Don’t delay, don’t withhold. Step forward in my confidence and truth as I see you”.
