be strong – Page 2 – Praying Pint

193. Even a child makes himself known by his acts.

2 Kings 22:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Proverbs 20:11     Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

1 Kings 11:38     And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

Joshua 1:7     Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

Ezekiel 18:14-17     “Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise:  he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife,  does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,  withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live.

Being 8 years old and becoming a king that did what was right in the eyes of the Lord would mean you have some very dedicated and godly people around to guide and give you counsel. Seeing how Manasseh reigned 55 years and did evil and his son Amon reigned 2 years and followed in his father’s same footsteps it is a wonder that young Josiah was able to come out against the adopted culture of his people. Such is the way it is with people who choose to be open to God, choose to be used by God, choose to listen for God to speak directly into their life, choose to follow His word, and choose to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

We can easily live how we choose to live here in the US. We have a choice to live in such a way the glorifies and honors God, a way that follows and obeys Him, a way that listens and expects to be lead by God, a way that reflects the light of Jesus Christ to a dark world, and a way that demonstrates trust, faith, hope, and reliance in Jesus Christ.

163. First or second choice?

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

1 Corinthians 10:12-14 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall

John 8:31-36 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Is our first choice to trust God, to seek God, to rely on God????? Do we do it on our own pushing forward without waiting for God’s perfect plan? When do I put myself first and God second? Do I even know how to put God first? The real question I should be asking is “do I trust Him”, Do I rely on Him, Do I seek Him and his perfect plan and purpose for my life? To be honest I would have to say yes and no. I struggle with waiting. I struggle in the limbo stages of life. I struggle with not knowing? All of these struggles happen when I truly am in a place in my life where I need to trust in, rely on, and cling to God. Therein is where the problem is. I place more significance in needing and wanting God present and working in my life when things are a bit of center than when all systems are good. If my choice for God is on reserved for times of need then what kind of wretched man am I. Should not my choice be for wanting to honor, glorify, serve, worship, follow, obey, and rely on Him ALL OF THE TIME?

If I don’t establish God first in all things at all time then I will find myself not being fueled up for all times of life. Fuel for life comes from His word but the use of that fuel is a choice, a disciplined choice, an intentional choice, and a commitment that is heart, mind, and soul deep. There cannot be times where I am content enough today without it being all about God, or where I allow myself to think that I can coast today, or that I am good enough today on my own.

Never is it right to think we serve, honor, follow, and obey God on our terms as an alternative way to live for those moments of trying times. If we think this way He will always not be an intentional first choice in our life and more than likely not even a close second.

Here is a hymn that speaks of realizing the heart, mind, and soul-deep need for Jesus each day:

I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord; no tender voice like thine can peace afford. I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee! O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee. I need thee every hour, stay thou nearby; temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain; come quickly, and abide, or life is vain I need thee every hour; teach me thy will, and thy rich promises in me fulfill. I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee! O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

145. How can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world

1 Kings 12:16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So Israel went to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only.

When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: “Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the Lord and went home again, according to the word of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 25:8     But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.”

Hosea 8:4    They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.

Matthew 25:12    But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

Luke 13:25     When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’

Luke 13:27     But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’

John 10:14     I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

Galatians 4:9     But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

Do we think that we are any different than those of history where the Lord says; “They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not”? We see that Rehoboam listened when he heard “for this thing is from Me”. How many then and now do not even come close to listening, they do not seek God in their decision, nor do they seek to honor Him with what they are doing. When God’s word is present in our lives it is used by the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us. Herein lies the problem. We think we can neglect God’s word in our life and make a decision based on experience, circumstance, and what is acceptable by the norm, culture, society.

Luke what Jesus said to those who played the part of being wholly for God but whose heart and mind was not close to Him or have a desire to honor, serve, follow and obey Him; ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’, “‘I do not know where you come from.’, “I do not know where you come from. Depart from me”, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,”. There is a way that seems right to man but ends in death and separation from God. It is a path that is easy to follow because many are on it and if we just look and compare ourselves to them we assume we are good enough for heaven.

Let’s get this straight – NO ONE IS GOOD ENOUGH – EVER!!!! All fall short, all need to be redeemed, all need a savior, all need their sins forgiven. When our eyes are comparing ourselves with others we will always find a way to be good enough in the eyes of Jesus. Our eyes deceive us and we easily believe that lie. Soon we are no longer being led by the word of God but the ways of the world, culture, and society.

Commit to being in His word every day for the purposes of honoring, serving, following, glorifying, obeying, and trusting Him. Allow it to reach the depths of your heart, mind, and soul and guide you.

134. Walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul,

1 Kings 2:2 Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

Deuteronomy 29:9   Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

Joshua 1:7    Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

1 Chronicles 29:19    Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes

Deuteronomy 4:1     “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live,

Deuteronomy 5:1    And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.

Psalms 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

Psalms 119:2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

Proverbs 3:1-4 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

We have the liberty to walk in the way that we choose. We are given this liberty/choice to test our heart and mind. Walking in God’s way is taking a narrow path and is full of promises, truth, grace, mercy, strength, hope, joy, love, courage…… but the path that leads to destruction is wide and comes with promises but they are for the pleasures of the flesh. They are for this world and this side of eternity with no eyes on eternity, no eyes on coming judgment, no eyes on God, and living for the liberty of doing what pleases fleshly desires.

I wonder if we take liberty with our walk with God. We walk with Him on Sunday, at least for part of the day, but for the rest of the week, there is nothing different in our walk and those who are not walking with God at all.

Walking with God is an intentional lifestyle choice for every moment of every day. It is a humble walk of desiring and seeking to serve, glorify, honor, follow, and obey Jesus Christ. There is no way this is possible if His word is not active in your life every day. There is no way this is possible if there is not an intentional commitment each day. There is no way possible if there is not a desire to know and be known by Him. There is no way possible if there is no desire and want to listen to His word speak into your life. Liberty and freedom of choice do not mean we are guiltless of the choices we make in this liberty and freedom. “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart”

119. Do not be afraid. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome,

2 Samuel 10:6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob, 12,000 men. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men. And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.” So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

Numbers 13:20    Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

Deuteronomy 31:6    Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Joshua 1:6-7    Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.  Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

2 Chronicles 32:7    “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.

Nehemiah 4:14    And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

Hebrews 13:6    So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

1 Chronicles 19:13     Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him.”

1 Corinthians 16:13    Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

We chase after many things to comfort our fears. In this chase and seeking hopefully we come to an end and we see the folly of it. Who is able by their chasing after what the world has to offer has any more lasting comfort than before? It is God who has all things in control. It is God who has plans and purposes greater than our thoughts could ever imagine. It is God who heals, strengthens, encourages, and gives power or not. He gives and He takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Who is able to start or stop things God has put into motion? The answer is no one.

Some will deny God exists and will latch onto false hopes. Others will deny God is in control and will latch on to false hopes. And then there are those who don’t deny God’s in control but who can’t seem to trust that He is. Blessed is the man who with his whole heart, mind, and soul humbly severs, honors, follows, relies on, trusts in, and obeys God. He will stand firm. He will have courage and strength of God. He will not fear the unknown but rather will give the outcome into the very hands of Jesus and find refuge, hope, peace and rest.

98. Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.

Deuteronomy 8:5 Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land,

Deuteronomy 8:17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Psalms 127:1-2   Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.  It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Psalms 33:16-18    The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.  The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.  Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

Proverbs 21:30-31    No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.

1 Corinthians 3:7     So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

1 Chronicles 28:20    Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

1 Corinthians 3:9-15    For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.  According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.  For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—  each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

It is by God’s very hand that we live. It is by His very blessings we have life. In Him, we are made whole. Apart from Him, we are chasing wind of every desire that is influenced upon our heart and mind. If we don’t find hope, peace, and refuge in Him our daily foundation is built on something that will not stand. In fact, it will fail us time and time again. Finances, employment, and relationships, outside of God’s leading and provision are worthless, though they seem satisfying.

If our view of this world and what it has to offer comes from the world our heart and mind will be darkened and our ears will become deaf to His calling and our eyes will be blind to His leading. If all we have to hope is what we can glean from this world we will go through life with a sad existence. His word is the breath of life, water for our soul, food for our mind, and in His word we find purpose and meaning for today, tomorrow, and eternity.

Do you want satisfaction for your heart, mind, and soul? Do you want to have meaning and purpose every day? Do you want to honor and glorify Jesus Christ for His sacrifice on the cross? Do you want to live in forgiveness or needing to be forgiven?

All of these questions can be answered faithfully in a life that is intentional in humbly serving, honoring, glorifying, worshipping, following, and obeying what is revealed in and through His word. There is no better time to be intentional to stay in His seeking and desiring to be led by God.

77. They do not know me, declares the LORD.

Joshua 23:6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

Proverbs 4:26-27     Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.  Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Deuteronomy 5:32    You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

1 Corinthians 16:13     Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

Ephesians 6:10-19     Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Jeremiah 9:3     They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the LORD.

Be strong, stand firm, ponder your path, do not swerve left or right, put on the whole armor of God, do not turn aside, hold fast, and be watchful – these are all words of warning and encouragement. We would not have words encouraging us to be strong, stand firm, hold fast, and our on the whole armor of God if there was not going to be something to fight against. We are to stand firm against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. They are very real and you do not have to look very hard to find their cunning and deceptive work in the lives of people.

We are not to allow ourselves to be drawn in, influenced, and enticed by our culture and the dark forces that lead it. We are to be watchful and stand firm in faith to God. Just because our culture tolerates (in the name of being progressive) pornography is called adult entertainment, abortion is called women’s right to choose, LBGTQ is alternative lifestyles, does not make it right or progressive or in line with serving God. Be watchful. If God’s word is not ever present in our daily lives how are we to see these dark forces at work in our world. If God’s word is not daily present in our lives how are we to know right from wrong when our culture has adopted and called right that which is wrong. If God’s word is not daily present how are we to know false from the truth? I saw this quote yesterday and thought it appropriate for today. “And gradually though, no one remembers exactly how it happened, the unthinkable becomes tolerable, and then acceptable, and then legal, and then applaudable.”

We will not be able to stand before God and plead we did not know. The very fact that we choose to neglect and become complacent with His word condemns us because we chose to ignore. Do not spend another day blindly following a world heading straight to hell. Pick up His word and intentionally choose to spend time in it with all your heart, mind, and soul with the purpose of humbly serving, honoring, trusting, following, and obeying God.

76. “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.”

Joshua 10:24 And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

Deuteronomy 31:6    Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8     It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

1 Samuel 17:37     And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the bear

Psalms 77:11     I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

2 Timothy 4:17-18    The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 6:10     Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Romans 8:37     No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Be strong. Be courageous. Do not fear. Do not be in dread. Do not fear. Do not be dismayed. WHY????? Because the Lord goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you. He will not forsake you. He will deliver you. He loves you.

We may not have kingdoms to fight or people seeking to destroy and kill us but we do have battles each of us our fighting that requires strength above self. Hope beyond self. A power greater than self. We face things that only God can intervene and overcome. He is able and willing but are you seeking His intervention or trying to do it on your own or have you completely given up and not even turned to God for help. Certainly, you have experienced some of God’s mighty works in your life if you would just give it a thought. When you look back and remember that time when the hand of God protected you, relieved your spirit, overcame certain impossible roadblocks, healed your heart, etc….. God has not changed.

What changes is in us. We become neglectful and complacent with His word and living for Him. God doesn’t change but we do. We can be continually growing in trust, reliance, hope, faith, and love and in our service and obedience to Him. Likewise, if we are neglectful and complacent we lose trust, reliance, hope, faith, love and service and obedience to Him. We lose connection and site of Him in our lives. We find ourselves on paths that give us no purpose and meaning but they seem to occupy all of our heart, soul, and mind.

Do you want to see the awesome power, might, strength, and love of God? Walk with Him each day. Be intentional in your time in His word and humbly serve honor, trust, rely upon, follow and obey Him. You will see His power, might, strength, and love more and more each day. Come forward and place your feet on the necks of the trials that battle against you. Do not fear them but go in the strength and might of Jesus.

31. We wait for it with patience.

Numbers 21:4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Psalms 106:43-45   Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.  Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.  For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

1 Corinthians 10:9     We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,

John 3:14-15     And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

John 12:32     And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Isaiah 45:22    “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

John 6:40     For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Zechariah 12:10    “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

“And we loathe this worthless food”, How many times have we read about the grumbling, impatient, rebellious ways of God’s chosen? God did miracles, wonders, and signs before their very eyes. His presence was before them in fire by night and smoke by day. He provided for them. He protected them. He supplied their needs. He told them of His plan and purpose for them. He gave them promises. He gave them commands to live by. He chose them. He loved them. They wanted a remedy to their problem, in their time, in their way, and did not want to believe in or wait for God’s perfect plan. They closed their heart and mind to believe. They opened their heart and mind to impatience, rebellion, unthankfulness, and grumbling.

Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Isaiah 30:18 – “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”

Psalm 27:14 – “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Romans 12:12 – “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Romans 8:25 – “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

Jesus is not honored by impatience, unbelief, neglect, complacency, unthankfulness, pride, greed, lust, hate, or unforgiveness. He is honored by obedience, hope, patience, love, reliance, trust, and faith that does not shift with circumstance but remains firm and steadfast. Nothing tests the steadfastness of our faith and belief more than trials. In these troubles, our faith and hope are demonstrated as either being refined and becoming more and more dependent upon God or to impatience, grumbling, unthankfulness, and rebellion.

Wait upon Him, trust Him, rely on Him, and cling to Him.

Isaiah 40:31 -“but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Fear not, do not be afraid

Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

Genesis 26:24 Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring ”

Genesis 46:3 “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation.”

Exodus 14:13 “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

1 Chronicles 28:20 “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you”

Isaiah 35:4 “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Isaiah 41:10 “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:14 “I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel”.

Isaiah 43:1 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

Isaiah 51:12 “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass,”

Daniel 10:12 “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”

Matthew 8:26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”

Revelation 1:17 But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,

Matthew 10:28-31 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Fear has a way of robbing us joy, peace, comfort, and rest. It creeps in through the father of lies and festers inside of us seeping poisonous thoughts into heart and mind. Fear is cruel and unforgiving. It attacks us at our core and cares not for the damage it causes in our lives.

I am not talking about the natural sudden fear we are born with that results in fight or flight reactions. The fear I am talking about comes from limited faith in what God can do. It finds the cracks in our faith and seeps through undetected. It eats away at the mortar of faith little by little until we are left with rubble where once a solid wall stood.

Throughout scripture we are given example upon example of God’s unfailing love, unwavering purpose, awesome power and mighty deeds. He wants us to know of them and trust in Him, cling to Him, and rely on Him.

Fear can be recognized and shut down.

When you recognize fear of doubt and uncertainty – give it into God’s hands

When you recognize fear of purpose – trust God’s perfect purpose

When you recognize fear of plans disrupted – trust God’s perfect plan timing

When you recognize fear of finances – rely on God who all things belong

When you recognize fear of health – trust in God the healer

When you recognize fear of disappointment – rest in God the restorer

When you recognize fear of those in leadership – know that God is in control

When you recognize fear of loneliness – cling to God who will never leave or forsake you – He knows the number of hairs on your head

When you recognize fear of the darkness of the society – trust in God the light of the world

When you recognize fear of being lost – call on God who is a place of refuge

When you recognize fear of waiting – know that God is working His perfect plan and purpose for you

When you recognize fear of spiritual warfare – Call on God and trust in His power

When you recognize fear of death – know the eternal God is holding your hand and will protect and carry you through

When you recognize fear of a new challenge – trust God will equip you

Fear should not have a place but it seems to be in our lives. Recognize it and allow it always lead you closer to God in a much stronger faith. God can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.