And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. Genesis 35:5
God makes His child many, many promises. As long as my heart is sensitive toward sin and I’m quick to repent after falling on my face, the blessing of God is on my life. But living without sin is not a pre-requisite. Who can do that? Instead, God asks me to live a cross centered life characterized by daily repentance and daily grace.
Jacob and his sons sinned greatly at Shechem. Their murderous rage took the lives of many innocent men. God appeared, gave new orders, and Jacob quickly made a course correction for his family. The fallout of his sin did complicate the picture though. They had been known as a peace loving people; a tribe of shepherds. Heathen nations had not seen them as dangerous. That all changed with their latest rampage. They were now considered a viable threat.
God still kept His promise of protection to the sons of Abraham. He sent a wave of panic to all the inhabitants of foreign cities. The fear was so severe that no one even entertained the thought of attacking Jacob’s tribe. God stepped up to define the psyche of alien peoples.
Sometimes I can panic when I feel my future is being decided by unbelievers. I can wrongly assume that my life is held in their reckless hands. Not true. God has pre-ordained a path for me. Nothing and no one can keep me from my calling. When needed, He intervenes on my behalf to change their mind about me. A God that powerful is my advocate!
To be under this kind of protection, what do I need to do? Make sure I am not reckless with sin. I can easily become a prey to my enemies; physical and spiritual.
Ah, but when I follow Jesus with good faith intentions, how creatively He looks after me. The steps of a righteous man are made securely.
I have seen you change people’s hearts a full 180 degrees over matters great and small. How great you are. How small I am. Amen
christinewyrtzen.com 
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this post. You are an encouragement to this spiritual orphan.
Thanks for your consistency in illuminating and expounding hidden truths in God’s Word. Christine, you help me to understand and learn and see revelations that I have not seen before. You are a great asset to the kingdom of God. I pray that your benevolence will abound to your account, also.
Monetta White
Thanks Christine. Your words are a source of real encouragement to me. How great is God to have this timely truth delivered to my inbox this morning, thousands of miles away, on the beautiful, tropical island of St. Maarten ☼