Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 1 (day six)
“Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you; beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you”–Civilla Martin. It is an old hymn. Words unnoticed by many. Misunderstood. Until Jeremiah 1:17 reminds us of God’s command to His young prophet, “Do not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you before them.” The Hebrew word means “to be shattered”. An inner condition we often treat as a weakness or misfortune but rarely as sin. God knows. Often our fear before the enemy is self-allowed. We are shattered and overwhelmed by our opposition because we refuse the steps of grace that will make us strong! “Let not your heart be troubled” said the Lord to His trembling disciples. Face Goliath! Fight the fear! The enemy knows if He can make us surrender to fear we will never have energy to fight anything else. New thought, I suppose. Fear is disobedience.
Thanks for these words, Don, I needed to hear them. Thanks, too for explaining the term dismayed as shattered. It makes sense and helps me understand what our tough God was saying.