Update #129 - King Characteristics

“There is no fear where love exists. Rather, perfect love banishes fear, for fear involves punishment, and the person who lives in fear has not been perfected in love. " 1 John 4:18

Cape Town, South Africa

While I was in Switzerland I visited a castle. A Lord reigned there once. I saw his “throne room” (receiving room); I saw his bed chambers, his dining hall, his meeting rooms…and his dungeon.

It was January when I toured – and the place wasn’t heated. There was snow and ice surrounding the fortress, and the inner courtyards were encompassed by freshly created snow banks. The fireplaces were six feet in height; 12 feet in width and about 6 feet deep…I can only imagine how much wood the entire castle went through in the winter…the place was frigid!

The pictorial boards told how each room was used during all of the dynasties. Some rooms were bedrooms, but later meeting rooms, dressing rooms, food prep rooms – it mattered what that Lord needed at the time. Several times the castle was the safe haven during war and rooms once used for sleeping or storage were now strategy centers, torture chambers, the weapon cache, or dungeon.

The dungeon in this castle was at water level and the windows were high slits in the walls. January had ice forming around the openings and the walls were chilly to lean up against. The info board stated that the water would reach the windows in spring and sometimes spill over into the room…what a wretched life for someone chained in stocks or to one of the massive stone pillars at the center.

The castle served as a refuge for the Lord, his family and entourage (200+ people). As long as those in the Lord’s company proved faithful, loyal and of use/purpose they were guaranteed protection. But, go against the Lord and off to the dank, cold, uncomfortable dungeon you would go…for years.

Ruminating on the castle tour I thanked God that I didn’t live in medieval times. Besides the silt from the fireplaces, the soot from the candles, the dirt from the indoor livestock, the horrible bathroom conditions, non-existent bathing routines and the extreme cold in winter I realized everything was held in balance by fear.

Do what your lord says or be demoted to the kitchen, stables, or the dungeon. Get caught mishandling information and torture ensues. For women it was worse – anyone could do what they like when they liked, unless you were protected by a man of power. The most feared has control.

I guess that isn’t too far off from today. As I sit on my lanai looking out over Silicon Valley, some company presidents are where they are because they intimidate, manipulate and control their underlings. People are viewed as assets / resources to be used and thrown away when “finished.”

I am so glad that I gave allegiance and serve a King who isn’t like that. He asks for loyalty faithfulness and for us to complete our purpose, but if we screw up, he doesn’t banish us to the dungeon of hell. He isn’t about power and fear, but of grace and humility. He isn’t afraid of the up-and-coming – he actually gives them strategy and favor to implement what he has asked them to do.

What kind of lord are you serving with your life? Is your spirit anxious and filled with fear over doing wrong, making a miscalculation, being disapproved of? Or is your life marked with freedom, grace, humility, and joy?

God already made the ultimate sacrifice for you…he died. He gave his life so you can live in freedom, and not in anxiety. If you are overcome with fear and anxiety, you aren’t serving the God I know and love – you are serving something else.

Updates:

Living – God has been answering prayer - on the behalf of my buyer! Yep, the appraisal came in 10K lower than the asking price and due to the type of loan he has the price had to be dropped to keep the sale; add to that the Senate deciding to extend the first time buyer incentive until September he gets another 8K off the sale. Not bad – almost 20K saved! As of yesterday the construction won’t be finished by the end of the month (they will start painting the outside on the 28th); therefore close has been extended AGAIN. I am praying for an 11th hour miracle so I don’t have to pay another mortgage, home owners and special assessment fee…would you join me?!

Travel – there is a slight chance I may journey to Post Falls, ID in July…all my Spokaloo friends want to celebrate my birthday with me? Could be fun!

Work – Recruiting! Our next training cycle starts in about a month. My co-worker Jodene is up to her eyeballs in agendas and schedules…and I am prepping for all the applications. Whoo hoo!

Cool Stuff – thanks to the Mark831 Group and the “Richs’” I have a website! Check it out: www.denagrace.com.

Requests:

Living – for the condo to close sooner rather than later…June 30th would be an incredible relief to me.

Work – That I can get Brett’s new books up on Kindle, Nook and eBook – as well as in hard copy – by summers end.

Fundraising – if this blog or any of the past entries have touched your heart please donate toward my venture fundraising account. To contribute, please click here.