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My Brother's Keeper

Volume 11, Number 3, July-September, 2006

 

 

 

 

 

Growing on the WORD

 

A scripture study

 

 

 

The Word of God is the source of light, truth, and power, for those who seek it’s meaning and apply it to their life. Jesus Christ is the word made flesh, and we seek to follow him.

John 8:12 (NIV) - "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Each issue of “My Broth­er’s Keeper” features a WORD study.  This issue’s Word Study is from Roy W. Roberts, a prison inmate in Orofino, Idaho.

 

 

Why Stand Ye Afar Off?

By Roy W. Roberts

 

 

Exodus 19:9-19 (KJV) - And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and be­lieve thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the peo­ple upon mount Sinai.  And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof as­cended as the smoke of a fur­nace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

And when the voice of the trum­pet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

Here we have a nation who had been slaves to Egypt for 430 years. We see that God has al­ready provided them with many things. He has shown them His mighty power and love. He brought them through the Red Sea on dry ground; they saw the wrath of God upon Pharaoh and his troops; they saw God heal [make sweet] the waters of Marah; they saw how God provided flesh [manna] for them when they had none. 

Even though they had seen every­thing God had done for them, up to that point, they still did not trust Him! He did all this to show how He loved them and would take care of them, but they still feared Him. Not with a Godly rev­erent fear, as Him being awesome, but they feared for their lives.

Exodus 20:18-19 (KJV) - And all the people saw the thunder­ings [the great­ness of God's power], and the lightnings [the Holiness and pure­ness of God], and the noise of the trumpet [the sound of God's voice], and the mountain smoking [the Glory of God] and when the people saw it, they removed and stood afar off.  And they said unto Moses, “Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

Now I am sure there were some who might have been curious enough to want to hear God, but like today, the peer pressure got to them.  They could not overcome it.  After all God had done for them, after all the love He had shown them, after all the miracles he performed, still they figured God was out to kill them. Why?

Because like many in the church today, they see God but they don’t know Him. They want someone else to talk to Him for them, and say, “We will follow all He says to do.”

“Well Pastor, its your job to tell us what God says. You tell us, and we will do it.”  Sad, but even the Israelites could not do that. Why?  Fear; fear breeds unbelief, and it all boils down to pride and rebellion.

“Oh no, Moses!  You talk to Him, and we’ll talk to you. But what­ever He tells you for us to do, that is what we’ll do.” Yea, right!

If that line sounds familiar to you, it’s because it is.  Let us turn to Jeremiah 42:5-6. Here we find that Babylon had already over­thrown Judah, and Nebuchadnez­zar had appointed Gedaliah as governor over the people. I'm sure you are familiar with the story, so I'll just go over it briefly.

A man named Ishmael slays Gedaliah and takes the people away. Johanan goes after Ishmael and the people, Ishmael flees and Johanan takes the people away from Ishmael. Johanan wants to go to Egypt, but figures he better get the man of God up there to see what God's will is.  Thus he calls on Jeremiah who is among the people. Now listen to what Johanan tells him:

Jeremiah 42:5-6 (KJV) –
5) “The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us.
6) Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”

Promises, promises. They could not do it in Moses time, and they will not do it in Jeremiah's time.

Look at the second verse in chap­ter 43. Jeremiah spent ten days before the Lord seeking an answer to what they should do. So, after the Lord answered Jeremiah, he brought the answer before the people.  Listen to their response... 

(verse 2) “Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, go not into Egypt to sojourn there.” [emphasis mine]

(verse 4) -  So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the Lord, to dwell in the land of Judah.

So, we see that the children of Israel never followed the Word of the Lord in the days of Moses or Jeremiah. In fact, you can go through the Bible and see where God’s people, even the church of today, tell their leaders or Pastor, or whatever they have, “You talk to God, and we will talk to you and do what He says.”  But when they come back with the answer we say, “No way! God didn't say for us to do that!”

During the many years of the law, God talked to and through the prophets to His people, because of their rebellion and unbelief.  But, since the cross of Jesus, His death and His resurrection, we can come boldly before the throne of God!

Do we still need Pastors, and teachers, and preachers? 

Of course! They are here for our edi­fication and guidance. The Pastors are our shepherds. They follow, or should follow, in Jesus’ footsteps. They are, or should be, more spiritually in tune with how God wants His church to live and grow.  So they feed God’s sheep with the manna of God’s Word that He sends to us. So we also can follow in Jesus’ footsteps, not only with our lives, but in His Word.

The Pastor gives us deeper insight into what God desires of His peo­ple. We will know how to come before Him.  We will gain God's wisdom to help others, through his teachings; the preaching brings us to a point of repentance, that brings us to Salvation.  Most assuredly we need Pastors and teachers.

Nevertheless, we also have a blood bought right to speak to God face to face; openly, freely, as often as we want (the more the better). This is the thing that Israel denied themselves when they told Moses, “You talk to God, and we will talk to you.”

You see, sometimes things come out differently when repeated. Now I am not saying anyone does it on purpose, but try it. Take 20 people in a circle, tell the person on your right something and tell them to pass it on, and see how much it has changed when it gets back to you.

It’s like the Bible.  There are many different translations and versions, where the interpretation of certain verses may not be the same.  I, myself, prefer the King James Ver­sion. I’ve asked God to give me understanding of it, and He has.  What I'm saying is this, if you need an answer to something, YOU go to God! We can talk to Him face to face! His voice is not something to fear.  We should crave and seek after His voice!

Many things can come between our Heavenly Father and us; fear, doubt, unbelief, and a biggy, pride. We cannot let these things defeat us! Its time we talk to God for ourselves. Its time we get crazy over our God and Savior. We go crazy over ball games and such the like. We can run, jump, shout, dance, and act like a child over these things; but doesn't Jesus say we must come to the Kingdom of God as a child? Should we then not be a little crazy about our Heavenly Father?

Lets become excited about serving the God of our Salvation! Lets show the world we have some­thing to celebrate! Lets get excited about worshipping God.  Lets talk to Him face to face for ourselves and hear what thus sayeth the Lord to us. Lets fall in love with God in a very personal way. Lets not stand afar off, but lets get a yearning to hear His voice in our hearts and in our ears. Lets not stand afar off and let someone else get our blessings; lets talk to God and get our own! God Bless!

 

 

 

 

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Sharing the Good News

 

“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God...”

 

II Corinthians 5:20-21

 

 

 

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From: Frank Bird,

United States Penitentiary,

Beaumont, Texas

Dear Sharon and Alan, It was good to hear from you.  I read your letter and study [Spiritual Growth Lesson] #33 several times, concerning unity in the Body Of Christ.  I enjoyed it as a good lesson.  It is always good to re­view scriptures, “A little here and a little there, line upon line, precept upon precept.”  (Isaiah 28:10)

Instead of unity of the Body [of Christ] it seems we have a great falling away.  Seems we are so close to the world’s ways...so we need to warn all we can. 

 

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From: John Hutchinson,

Auburn Correctional Facility,

Auburn, New York

Dear Sharon and Alan Griffee,

May almighty Jesus Christ bless you continuously.  And, I’m going to pray for it, continuously!  I could not have gone through six whole years [of incarceration] if it wasn’t for the two beautiful hearts from Jesus Christ who send me Spiritual Growth lessons continu­ously.  I thank you sincerely.

 

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From: Miguel Zamora

Arkansas Valley Correctional

Crowley, Colorado

Dear Sharon, Just a few lines to an­swer your most welcome letter and [receipt] of My Brother’s Keeper.  I would like to thank you for your time to write, because I know you and Mr. Griffee are busy people.  Keep up the good work, for I know there is someone out there who cares.

It has been good sharing with you. Take care and God Bless you and keep you and the family safe.  With much respect and God’s love, Miguel.

 

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From: Hosea Davis,

Adirondack Correctional,

Raybrook, New York

 

Dear Al and Sharon, Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the head of our lives.  The Word of God says there is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved.  The Bible also says in the Gospel of Luke 8:21, who your brother and sister is! 

Luke 8:20-21 (KJV) - And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

I’ve been working closely with our chaplain concerning our upcoming festival.  Family and friends, plus outside guests are invited.  Plenty of natural food, but what is important is the “spiritual” food, which will sustain us in these evil days.  After the Word is preached, each one can decide whom they will serve. 

Please pray for the festival that God will be glorified.  God Bless you, from your brother in chains, but the Word is not in chains!   Brother Hosea Davis.

 

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From: Robert Crawford,

Mule Creek State Prison,

Ione, California

Dear Sharon and Alan, Good after­noon.  First I want to thank you for your Spiritual Growth Lessons.  They have helped me a lot.  They help me deal with the every day pressure of living in this place.  I have been trans­ferred to another facility.  Please see my new address.  Once again thank you and God Bless. 

 

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From: Louis McCray,

Mid-State Correctional

Marcy, New York

Dear Sharon, Greetings!  It is a real blessing to hear from you.  I take nothing from anyone and ap­preciate the love our Father in Heaven allows me to receive in His name from others.  So, I thank you for your kind, warm, and encour­aging words.

Your letter has found me in good health and good spirits.  I am so thankful to just get up, smell the fresh air, and be able to give God (Jesus Christ) my thanks.  I am abundantly blessed! 

I have such high respects and feel the harmony (spiritual love) that you, your wonderful husband, and all those laboring with Christian Ambassadors have.  It makes me happy that Jesus has brought the whole idea of us all being thought of as His Christian Ambassadors, together in you.

I feel a kindred spirit.  And so thankful just being a small part of the wonderful spiritual open door that has continued to touch hearts.  I do appreciate the ministry so much.  Your Spiritual Growth Les­son on Unity [in the Body of Christ] was great.  It made me think of friendship.  Verses like this came to mind.

Proverbs 18:24 (NIV) - A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

We know and can trust that those God brings into our lives, are there for a reason, even if it is for a sea­son.  In some way, they will be a blessing - even when we cannot understand the unity God creates.  His plan, His will be done!  Because all things and I mean all things is possible in Him, Jesus Christ.

So even though these prison walls make me suffer in many ways, God the Father is trustworthy and His truth has made my mind free.  I know His love and law is perfect.  I serve Him with gladness and an open heart, which I never had years ago. I also have Christian Ambas­sadors to thank for that.  You help keep me stay encouraged.  All God asks of me is to love Him, trust Him, and do my best to live a life that honors Him.  Thanks for God’s love in you.  In Christian love, Louis.

 

 

 

 

 

When I Say...
 by Larry A. Thompson
 

...That I love You,

I’m not simply saying that You’re my Friend;

I’m affirming beyond all doubt that You’re

necessary in my life, and, that You complete

me in ways that I never dreamed were possible.

 

...That I Need You,

I’m confessing with all of my heart that in

every way possible, I long to have You in my life;

that I find comfort and compassion in Your counsel, and,

that I never want to live without Your Love.

 

...That You’re the “One”,

I’m admitting that without You, I am nothing;

and, that because of You, and the sacrifice

 that you’ve made, I am redeemed, and restored.

 

 ...That You’re my “Savior”,

I’m accepting without reservation Your Love;

Your compassion, Your kindness, and, Your

 forgiveness. I’m accepting Your invitation to

lay my burdens down at the foot of Your Throne;

for You have said: “Come unto me, all ye that

 labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek

and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto

your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

(Matthew 11:28-30, KJV)

 

...That I Am Blessed,

I’m saying that in spite of my imperfections, my

Faith is steadfast in the knowledge that,

“...when that which is perfect is come, then

that which is in part shall be done away.”

(I Corinthians 13:10, KJV);

I’m saying that I’m humbled that You’ve

remembered me in Your prayers.

 

 ...That I Am Your’s,

I’m saying that I love You; that I need You;

 that You are my Savior; and, I’m saying,

Thank You for allowing me to love You,

because I know that You first loved me.

 

...When I say, “Jesus”,

I’m saying all that needs to be said.

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

A Matter of Trust

 

By Merissa Lee Kelley

Note: In October 2005, we received the following e-mail from Merissa.  My Son Ryan is in the Army National Guard and left today for Fort Dix, New Jersey for training.  He will be deployed to Iraq in February for possibly a year.  I have been battling intense fear for his safety, and the Lord reminded me of this poem [“A Matter of Trust”] I wrote several years ago. 

Trust cannot be just lip service...for there will be seasons that come where complete trust in God is crucial for your spiritual, mental, emotional and physical survival.  Ryan is God’s business.  It is not my place to “mind God’s business” for Him.  So I will place him in God’s capable hands and trust.  Please keep Ryan and all of our troops in prayer.

                            Have you ever stopped to give it some thought?

                            To the unseen battles that are constantly fought

                            On your behalf to keep you from harm

                            The attacks that are thwarted by God’s mighty arm

                            Sometimes He delivers, but since He’s all-knowing

                            He may take you through for the purpose of growing

                            He knows what you need; to Him you’re no stranger

                            Rest assured, He’s aware of any oncoming danger

                            When He says “That’s enough!” in a voice loud as thunder

                            “You’ve had them down, but they’re not going under!

                            There are limits, you scoundrel, to the power you wield,

                            You are wasting your time by attacking my shield.”

                            You won’t catch Him off guard; He’s always prepared

                            You probably couldn’t count all the times you’ve been spared

                            Surrender your will and place your life in His hands

                            There’s peace beyond measure, when you follow His plans

                            It’s a matter of trust as you go through the fire

                            You can choose to live through it...or give up and expire

                            You may not understand the rhyme or the reason

                            But God will sustain you as you wait out the season

                            The God of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps

                            Every promise He’s made in His word, He will keep

                            His timing is perfect, which could mean you must wait

                            So rest in the knowledge that He’s never early or late

                            If God is for you, then there’s no need to fear

                            Although you can’t see Him, He’s lingering near

                            Total reliance on God is a must

                            It simply comes down to a matter of trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Asked

Many of you have questions about your spiritual growth and your relationship with Jesus Christ. I make it a practice to seek the Holy Spirit, before personally answering your spiritual growth questions. However, you are not alone in your concerns.  Often, others have the same concerns you do.  So, when space is available, I will use your questions and my answers to those questions in this column.  Thank you for asking.

Your sister in Christ,

                    Sharon K. Griffee

 

This question comes from an in­mate in Hawaii; “How will I spot false teachings?”

Answer:  I’ll start by referring you to the words of Jesus found in the seventh chapter of John.  In this scripture Jesus is acknowledging a principle deeply embedded in the Old Testament; God is the Teacher of His people.

John 7:16-17 (KJV) - Jesus an­swered them, and said, My doc­trine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doc­trine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

Jesus wanted to make it clear to the Jews who were questioning him that he did not come peddling his own doctrine.  He was not trying to blow his own horn, or to draw attention to himself.  He was not seeking his own glory.  He al­ways gave the glory to His Father in Heaven.

John 7:16 (KJV) - “My doc­trine is not mine, but his that sent me.”

Anyone who puts into practice the teachings that Jesus learned from His Father, would know with cer­tainty where they came from.  If you go down to verse 18, Jesus makes His point even clearer.

John 7:18 (NIV) - He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.  [emphasis mine]

While others worked for their own selfish interests (revealing their falseness), Jesus Christ as God’s Son came solely to glorify the Father and accomplish His will.  If anyone is peddling their own doc­trine, you can be sure they will be pushing a set of abstract teachings that don’t work and which are not backed by scripture.  The proof is really in the pudding.  Jesus taught not only a way of life, but, the way of life that really works!!! 

The sound doctrine Jesus taught came from His Father.  It works, because it is built on a solid foundation.

1.  Whosoever comes to me...

2.  Hears my sayings...

3.  And does them...

A person can have head knowl­edge of the Word of God (know everything recorded in the Bible),

but still not act on it as personal truth for their own life.  Jesus is not truly Lord (ruler) of our life until we respond to His teachings.

Take some time to study the par­able of the wise and foolish build­ers.  The Bible has two records of this parable.  They are found in Luke 6:47-49 and Matthew 7:24-27.  Though this is a familiar par­able, what I want you to focus on is how the people responded after Jesus taught this parable.

Matthew 7:28-29 (KJV) - And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:  For he taught them as one hav­ing authority, and not as the scribes.

Jesus taught them as one having authority!  They were astonished that His words did not come across as the scribes; as just another philosophical argument to uphold the law.  What Jesus said was an expression of who He was.  It cut into their conscience.  He not only had authority, He was authority.

But what does the Bible say about those who do not honor and uphold the teachings that Jesus passed on to us from His Father?

I Timothy 6:3-5 (NIV) - “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing.  He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspi­cions and constant friction be­tween men of corrupt mind...”

If we know, agree with, and fol­low Jesus’ sound instruction, we can readily spot false teachings.  A distinct example comes to mind.  An inmate told me a while back that a preacher said at one of the church services he at­tended, that the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught in the Bible (see: Matthew, chapter 5), is no longer relevant today.  As you can imagine, that really stirred up the Christian inmates in that service!!!

A preacher, who says that some­thing Jesus taught is not for today, is some­one whose sense of honor has been misplaced.  Rather then honoring our Lord Jesus, who is unchangeable; his words actually dishonor the sound instruction of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

When false teachings are being pushed, strife and confusion will rise.  God is not the author of such confusion.  The devil is the real culprit behind strife and divi­sion over doctrine.  Satan uses those who are weak in the Word, those who are easily persuaded, to listen to and believe his lies. (See: Ephesians 6:11-12)

By contrast, harmony and peace are at the center of godly teaching based on the truth of God’s Word.  It is interesting to note that the Sermon on the Mount begins by describing the blessedness of those who willingly put themselves un­der the authoritative rule of God.  This requires humility.  In fact, the Beatitudes describe the spiritual character of those living in God’s Kingdom.  It makes sense that those being used by Satan would attack Jesus’ teachings about kingdom living.

You will be able to spot false teachings when the underlying emphasis is on personal pride of achievement, rather than on hum­ble obedience to God’s Word.

John 7:18 (KJV)  -  “He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”  

As Christians, the Bible is the gauge or standard we should fol­low.  It contains instruction in the basic doctrines of Jesus.  It also provides reproof and correction for failing to follow these teach­ings.  This is our safeguard.  It is our shield of protection to ensure we are upholding truth.

II Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV) - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor­rection, for instruction in right­eousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly fur­nished unto all good works.

The apostle Paul, speaking to the Galatians, warned about falling for false teachings.

Galatians 1:6-8 (KJV) - I mar­vel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gos­pel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Check out the tone of what Paul was saying.  He definitely was not pushing his own doctrine, but he was teaching what was revealed to him by Jesus Christ. He continues;

Galatians 1:11-12 (KJV) -But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I nei­ther received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the reve­lation of Jesus Christ.

This is excellent advise for us to­day.  We can know with certainty that any teaching is false if it doesn’t uphold the teachings revealed by Jesus Christ.  There is soundness in Paul’s revelation.   We don’t have to rely on head knowledge alone to know the difference between truth and falsehood.  We can know truth in our Spirit.

Jesus sums it up for us!

John 16:13-14 (KJV) - Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. [emphasis mine]

This is an awesome scripture.  The Holy Spirit doesn’t even speak of Himself! This is our assurance.  The truth the Holy Spirit reveals to and through His servants, will always point to Jesus Christ - never away from Him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

Our Fears

Face His Favor

By Samuel A. Sutton

 

 

Genesis 33:15 - “Let me find favor in the sight of my Lord.” 

The obstacle course at Lackland Air Force Base provided me with an early and humbling experience in military life.  One of the reasons the Air Force became my choice for service was my fear of drown­ing. I can’t swim!  Joining the Navy was never a consideration, which amuses me today, because I can’t fly either!

The obstacle course at Lackland AFB had a water hazard. It was a mud-hole, of sloppy water and mud, a little over three feet deep, with ropes extending from the dry ground area on both sides.  From one side, you would jump up and hang unto the rope by your hands and feet, upside down.  While in this posi­tion you would pull your­self hand and foot across and over the muddy hole of water, until you reached the dry ground on the other side.  Somewhere between the dry ground areas, a trainee might fall into the muddy water; and therein laid my fear.

When my turn came, I closed my eyes in panic and went hand over hand as fast as I could, but upside-down I couldn’t hold on.  I felt myself slipping.  I was so afraid of the water and falling and yet I just couldn’t hold...I had to...let go...!  When I hit the ground, instead of a splash I saw dust fly into the air and I can remember the Drill In­structor yelling at me to get going!  Imagine my relief to know I was on the other side!

Have you ever feared something or feared an upcoming encounter with someone, and instead of what you feared would happen, there came about a totally different out­come?

In the Book of Genesis, Jacob feared his brother Esau.  The birthright of his father’s inheri­tance and his blessing had been stolen from him by his brother Jacob.  After twenty years of liv­ing in another nation and fearing that his brother would kill him, Jacob prepared to return to his nation, Canaan.  He prayed to God for protection from the wrath of his brother Esau.  

God was faithful to the promise He had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, when He said that He would keep them wherever they went.

Genesis 28:13-15 (NIV) - There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.  Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wher­ever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

When Jacob and his brother Esau met, Esau welcomed him with joy! 

Genesis 33:4 (NIV) - But Esau ran to meet Jacob and em­braced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.

When God promises to keep us safe from harm, He does so; not because of who we are, but be­cause of Who He Is.

 

 

 

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