Skip to main content

Have No Fear

Photo by James Healy
Fear is likely the most debilitating emotion one can experience. The distressing panic can creep into every part of our lives rendering us powerless, dominated, and controlled by fear. Fear of hurt, fear of loss, fear of rejection, fear of exposure, fear of lack, fear of regret, fear of failure. Our perceived inadequacies partner up with this demonic tool to keep us idle, sedentary, and silent.

My prayers of late have sounded more like a timid child than a mighty warrior. Lord, I am afraid. Then, I ran across this scripture the other day and it has taken root deep in my soul.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
I reread that first sentence a couple of times. These words would typically be comforting, warm, and fuzzy; however, I felt a charge in my spirit. A reprimand if you will. There have been times a stern word was required to "encourage" my children to step out and do something that intimated them. I have even said those very same words, "I am right here. I will be with you the whole time."

We are commanded to be strong and courageous. Our scriptural orders are to fear nothing, fear no one, fear no circumstance. I began thinking about why the Lord would speak so strongly to us regarding this topic. His Word tells us the only fear we should embrace is the reverential awe of the Living God! To be found pleasing in His sight should be our strongest desire. If we have a crippling fear or dread of anyone or anything else, we are placing that person or thing above our Creator giving them power and control over us. That act is in essence idolatry which is certainly not pleasing to a jealous God. "Have no fear" takes on a whole new meaning for me; do not own, do not possess fear.

In order to have a bright future, we sometimes have to walk through a very dark present, but take heart for we do not have to make that journey alone. My prayer today is Lord, I trust You with my future. I trust You with my children and I trust You with every circumstance I a
m facing today. I am Your child, and You are my God! No weapon formed against me will prosper!

"When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident."
Psalm 27:2-4
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wake Up Call

How long will you slumber?  The whispered words from Heaven sent a jolt through my spirit as a blaring alarm clock in the early hours of the morning. I sat bolt upright in my bed feeling a divine transformation taking place in the very depths of my being.  It's time to get up! There is work to do. I cannot tell you how many times in the past few months I have absolutely whined about  everything . In part because I have been suspended in the mire of complacency, living an unimpressive life wandering about in an uninspiring, unproductive, lackadaisical spiritual walk.  Feeling  trapped in circumstances out of my control while being rocked by the waves of indecision and doubt and self-degradation, I had been lulled to sleep. I was not trapped. I was stalled. Body, mind, and spirit. Paused. I cannot tell you how many times in the past few months I have absolutely whined about  everything . In part because I have been suspended in the mire of complacency...
2 comments
Read more

Trees Are Trees

Source Unknown "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then, God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light." Genesis 1:1-3 Creation was a six-day process that began and ended with the spoken word of God. He created the heavens and the earth, dry land and the seas, vegetation, seed-bearing plants, and trees on fruit-bearing land. He created seasons, living creatures, and man. Our Creator then rested on the seventh day, the day of fulfillment, the completion of His perfect plan. In one of my favorite passages in Genesis, the scripture depicts the scene of the "Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day." Can you picture it? The Creator walking through His very own creation in the early evening enjoying the brilliant, colorful flowers with their fragrance lingering in the air. The reg...
3 comments
Read more

Christmas Without Santa?

As a Christian, yes, yes, yes, a thousand times, yes! Don't get me wrong. It's not a "bah humbug" kind of thing. I love, love, love Christmas! It truly does seem to be the most wonderful time of the year!  What is not wonderful, however, is the slow fade over the years from a celebration of the life of Christ to the greedy commercialism, secular "holiday" traditions that completely omit even the name of Jesus. We have found ourselves in a time where nativity scenes are prohibited and replaced with the jolly, fat guy and his little minions. Where have we gone wrong? We Christians claim to live lives completely dedicated to Christ, 100% sold out to His will and His plan, yet at the time of the celebration of His birth, we are so preoccupied with everything else that we often don't even take the time to read and pray--we are just too busy. Rather than being a light, an example of the life we are supposedly celebrating, we are too busy to help others, hoa...
4 comments
Read more