Pam Padgett - teacher
Psalm 119:63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.
companion:
- a person with whom one travels
- a person who shares the experiences of another
- one who eats of the same bread
Psalm 119:74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.
As we live on this earth, we see "tares" all around us, those not of
God and who offend, doing wickedly and opposing those who are going in the way of God.
Matthew 13 ...The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Most, if not all, of the people we see around us where we live are not our companions, for they do not fear God.
But when we see those who fear God, obeying Him and seeking to do His will led by
the Holy Spirit, we recognize a companion ... someone going in the same
way we are going and sharing similar experiences. We "eat the same
bread" for we eat the Word of God ... hearing and believing the Word
given to us by the Holy Spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us so
we may follow that Word in our lives.
We are glad, strengthened, and encouraged when we see others upholding the word of God and going in the ways
of God in the midst of the wickedness of this world, and to
see what God has done in the situation.
One of the things Joan shared recently is what she was led by the Holy Spirit
to write to the lawn company who flaunted what they considered to be
"good works" ... Matt. 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms
before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your
Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do
not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto
you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy
left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in
secret:and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee
openly.
In the Bible we have the account of God telling Moses to send spies to search the land God had given to the children of Israel. Although most of the spies brought back an evil report, Caleb and Joshua believed God was able to give them the land as He had said ...
Num. 14:7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.
We have the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
who would not bow down to the golden image setup by Nebuchadnezzar.
They were willing to be thrown into the fiery furnace rather than
serve a god other than the one true God who created all things.
Daniel 3 ... 1Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 5That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: 6And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
9They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: 11And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither.
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
28Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. 30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
When Paul was a prisoner on a ship in a storm and it seemed all would be destroyed, an angel told him what would happen. Paul believed God and acted according to this word ...
Acts 27:21 But after long abstinence Paul stood
forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened
unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm
and loss. 22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall
be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 23 For there
stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar:and, lo,
God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be
of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
These are just a few accounts we have of those who are our companions because we fear God ... those who have gone, or are going, in the same way of seeking to serve God rather than ourselves, eating of the same bread of the Word of God, and overcoming through God.
Our companions are those who fear God. not those of the world.