Day 13 – Lebo-hamath

“These are the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.” Judges 3:3 NLT

Lebo-Hamath was most probably a collective term for small settlements in the outer reaches of the land that was controlled by the people of Hamath. In the ancient world, there was not a clear way of border markings and the realm of a king stretched only as far as his army could. Lebo-Hamat means: “Coming onto fortification” or “Under the realm of Hamath”. It sounds like a place of safety, doesn’t it? The enemy lures you into this fortification of Hamath, making you think you are in a spiritually safe place. But this strategy traps you into a spiritual comfort zone – a place of pacifism and stagnation.

Some examples of how this applies to our modern lives today:

• You are a regular churchgoer, but do not get involved in the ministerial activities reaching out to the community. You are comfortable sitting in the pew hearing the Word of God, but not willing to walk the extra mile.
• You read your Bible because that is the good Christian thing to do, but are too afraid to lovingly correct someone when they are on the wrong path.
• You know God has placed a calling in your life but you are uncertain to follow it because ‘what if’ you didn’t hear correctly. Or, God wants you to expand your ministry but you are comfortable with the ways things are and do not see the need to follow it through.

I can list many more examples of spiritual stagnation, but I think you see the blueprint. This is a dangerous and seductive form of pacifism that ignores the growth prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Stagnation means you are stationary; contradicting what Jesus tells us to do: “And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19. To follow means to move in the direction Jesus leads. Our constant moving in the spirit through our prayers, actions, and walking in faith allows us to follow closer to Jesus and move away from Lebo Hamath.

Prayer: Father, I caught myself at Lebo Hamath; comfortable in a place I thought was safe. Thank You for teaching me the importance of constantly moving and following Your direction Jesus. Your command to follow You is clear and I have not looked back on a single step. Show me the areas in my life where I am still stagnant and please guide me in the direction which You want me to follow. Amen.

Let us pray with you at prayer@womenoftheword.co.za