Tag: Fear Not

Strong in the Lord

“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.”

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Psalms 31:24  Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!

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

Isaiah 35:3-4  Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.  Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Hebrews 12:12-13   Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

James 5:10-11  As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Psalms 138:3   On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.

Psalms 146:5  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,

James 5:7-9   Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.  Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

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 41:13 For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

On this side of eternity we seem to face times of uncertainty, confusion, anxiousness, worry, and fear.  This seems to be the way life is but, God continually reminds us to fear not for He is the one who will strengthen, help, hold us up, lift us up, and save us.  It is in Him we face these times.  It is in Him alone we patiently wait with hope and confidence.  We do not need to face these in our own power and strength.  Call on Him and wait for His steadfast love, mercy, and grace revealed in and through you.

 

All Things Are Possible

” But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”

Psalms 27:1   The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

Job 29:3   when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

Micah 7:7-8  But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Malachi 4:2   But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall

.John 8:12   Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Isaiah 12:2   “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 51:6-8   Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.  “Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings.  For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.”

Psalms 62:6    He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

Psalms 28:7-8  The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.  The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

Philippians 4:13    I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

2 Corinthians 12:9   But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Sometimes I wonder if we think we will never see trials or troubles or have dark times or sickness.  Scripture is very clear that we will.  We are made whole in these times of weakness and when the issues we are facing are beyond our ability to have any influence.  Paul rested in weakness.  He feared not what God was asking him to do and say.  He saw the power of Christ through his weakness.  David proclaimed God as His strength, light, power, and salvation.  “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”.  There surely is a darkness in the world.  This darkness looks not to God but rather to man.  Free choice allows us to choose the light or stay in darkness.  Free choice in the light of God gives us power, strength, hope, salvation, and the ability to do all things through Him.  Free choice to stay in darkness gives us false hopes, power, strength, and no hope of salvation.  We freely choose to open the door of our heart and mind to the light and power of God.  We freely choose to believe, listen, follow and obey.  I hear so much fear and hatred these days which does not reflect the light of God.  I wonder if God has given people a spirit of delusion in one last attempt to draw them out of the darkness.  Are you facing any darkness in your life?  Open the door to God and you will find rest, peace, power, and hope for your heart and soul and mind.

The Great Shepherd

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

“For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.  Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Psalms 23:1  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Micah 5:4   And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.

John 10:11   I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

1 Peter 2:25  For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Revelation 7:17  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Psalms 23 is such a heart confident warming for our soul. He makes me l lie down – He knows the rest our souls need.  He restores me – He knows that we have a tendency to deplete our souls over the cares and worries of the day.  He comfort us – He knows we need His rod and staff to both protect and direct us. He prepares – He has a plan and purpose for our life.  He anoints – He blesses us.  He leads us and is the overseer of our soul – He knows we need guidance to keep on the path that brings honor and glory to God.   Other scripture tells us He is the good shepherd and that He knows us – We know Him. We follow Him.  He hears us. He holds us in His hand and no one can remove us from them. He wipes away our tears. He helps us. He guides us. He never leaves us. He restores us. In Him is eternal life for all who trust in, cling to, and rely on Him alone.  Whatever we are facing, God is our strength and comforter in times of trouble.  Run to Him. He is the great Shepherd.

 

By His Glorious Power

“For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.”

“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.”

 

Psalms 17:7
Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.  Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,

Psalms 5:11-12
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Psalms 10:14
But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.

2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.

Psalms 20:6
Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.

Psalms 44:3
for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.

Exodus 15:6
Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.

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.

Sometimes I wonder if we think our lives this side of eternity is to be trouble/problem free.  Words like “fear not”, “I will strengthen you”, “take refuge in You”, “nor did their own are save them”, “strong support”, “hide me in the shadow of your wings”, all indicate and confirm  times of problems and trials happen to all of us this side of eternity.  Yet God is all seeing and knowing and there is nothing His eyes do not see.  In these times we are not alone.  We have GOD who is with us and will protect us.  It is in these times we feel alone but we are not.  He is there. In these times call out to God and trust in His might power to help.  Trust and hope and rejoice, for He will never leave us or forsake us.  We don’t have to go it alone.

I am not afraid

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Psalms 3:1
O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.”  But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.  I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill.  I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.  I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.  Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.  Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people!

Psalms 17:7
Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.

Psalms 42:10
As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

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.”

Psalms 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Jeremiah 29:12
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Have you ever been in a situation where you thought the world was against you?  Have you ever had hope, faith, and trust in God that you could say  “even if there is a thousand who are against me, I am not afraid” because of your understanding of who God is?  Have you ever known what is like to seek God with your whole heart?  David saw the trouble around him and knew the intent to harm him.  He called out to God with the trouble and then claimed Him as his hope and shield.  He was not going to fear what man could do but rather who God is and what He had promised.  David claimed God’s steadfast love, His strength, and no good thing is withheld from those who walk uprightly.  We have so much to continue to know and understand about God this side of eternity.  Everyday there is something new to be thankful for.  A person once told me recently that he drove 20 miles to work on a farm.  He used to thank God for things he saw on the drive.  Fields, eyesight, hearing, transportation, trees, corn fields, rain, sunshine, clouds, sky, rivers, water, wind, thunder, lightening, snow, rocks, dirt, colors, etc…. the list is endless if we just give the minimal thought to it. Add to this the bible and His promises and now we can really have something to thank Him for.  Today see how many things you can thank God for – Keep Him on your mind no matter where you are or what you are doing.

I will

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

Joe 2:18  Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people. The LORD answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. “I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea, and his rear guard into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things! Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. “The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.  You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Psalms 46:5
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

Isaiah 12:6
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Leviticus 26:11-12
I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

Deuteronomy 23:14
Because the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.

Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

“I will be among you,” “I will help you”, “I am jealous for you,” “I will deliver you,” I will walk among you,” and “I will restore you.” These are all promises of God.  Do you ever think God doesn’t care or seems distant? He is ever present and is very near.  There are many things that can separates us from understanding His presence, love, mercy and grace. Scripture states “if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us,” “if we knock He will open the door,” and “if we seek we will find Him”.  When things around us are going well do we seek Him, or draw near to Him?  More than likely it is when the things around us are falling apart, or facing a trial, or something has happened we don’t understand, or when we have tried to handle it on our own and failed.  This is when we start seeking, knocking and trying to find God in the chaos.  What would it feel like to be friends with someone who never has anything to do with you until the day they are in trouble?  Time and time again never wanting anything to do with you until you are their last resort.  The point I am trying to make is that this type of behavior is one sided and is not a relationship. God wants to be the Lord of our life – all of it – all of the time.  He has done great things and had them recorded so that we might know of His power, might, strength, love, mercy, and grace.  He is worthy of our praise, honor, glory, and humble service.  Do you want to know Him more – read His word with desire.  Do you want to see His hand at work in all of your life – Seek Him.  Do you want to have peace, joy, love, rest, and hope – choose to serve Him sincerely every moment of every day.

Move Forward

Tell the people of Israel to go forward

Joshua 23:1
A long time afterward, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you.

Exodus 14:14
When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt:‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward

Deuteronomy 20:3
‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies:let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory

 

It is good to again be reminded to remember what God has done and more importantly who has given you the victory.  Also to be reminded that it is God who “Goes With You” and though we see victory it is because of what He has done.  We see these victories when we are trusting Him and are obedient.  I love the verse in Exodus “Tell the people to move forward”.  Think about it – they had the Red Sea in front of them and the very mad Egyptian army approaching from the rear.  Many times we find ourselves with no apparent way out of a situation, trial, or battle.  Sometimes we are told to be still and watch God work.  Other times we are told to move forward against something impossible.  In both cases we need to remain firm in our faith to trust God and to be listening to what He is telling our heart.  In both instances there is victory because the battle is not ours but God’s.  He is all powerful and able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.  What are you facing alone today that would be much better off in the Hands of God?

Take Heart

How many times do we need to be reminded that we are not on this path of life alone?  Pursuing a life that honors and glorifies God will undoubtedly take us our of our comfort zone to places we feel so unequipped that we allow fear in.  Sudden fear is a natural reflex but sustained fear of the unknown will rob us of seeing God’s hand at work and, as well, our ability to hear the quiet voice of His leading.  Replace fear with “Clinging to, Trusting in, and Relying on Him alone

Matthew 14:27
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Isaiah 41:12
For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I am the one who helps you

Deuteronomy 31:36
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 10:25
And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous

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, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished