Tag Archives: John 14:27

Facing Fear

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Fear not, for I am with you. Isaiah 41:0 (ESV)

 

Everyone is afraid of something.

 

As a child I was afraid of the dark, convinced there was a monster under my bed and another in my closet. I was afraid of heights then…and even a bit now. I know it is irrational, but the feeling of fear sometimes overtakes my rational thinking processes and I have to fight it to get over it. You too?

 

What are you afraid of? They say the most common fears include public speaking, rejection, failure, pain and death. The list of our fears is probably a very long one if we are honest with ourselves.  You probably know some of your own fears. God knows all your fears, including the ones you haven’t admitted yet. He knows that fear is a creepy crawly thing that invades your daily life, sometimes paralyzing you in its hypnotic trance. He speaks a lot about this in His Word, and gives us reason to face our fears with confidence. Read these truths slowly out loud. Maybe you’ll want to write some of them down and repeat them later. Memorizing God’s Word is a mighty weapon against fear.

 

  • 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. (Psalm 23:4)
  • For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)
  • Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
  • For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
  • 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? (Psalm 27:1)
  • So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can Man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)
  • Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
  • 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 41:0 (ESV)

 

We can face our fears with the confidence that He who is beside us and in us is greater than all our fears! Fix your eyes on Jesus, the perfecter of your faith. Abide in the Spirit He has given you, the Spirit of power, love and a sound mind.

 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

 

 

Unexpected blessings -2-

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Yesterday, I shared the lyrics and link to Laura story’s beautiful song, Blessings. You can scroll down to yesterday’s post if you missed it.

Have you ever wondered how composers come up with the inspiration for their songs? In this case, as probably is the case for each of us who are inspired by them, it is wrapped around personal experience. Laura’s husband was hospitalized with a life threatening brain tumor. She describes their experience:

“There was a time he was on a breathing machine and we weren’t sure he was going to make it. I spent my whole life singing, ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,’ but until Jesus took me through something where my only option was to trust Him, I didn’t really know that sweetness.”

“It’s hard to understand why God would allow us to go through this, but I know He works all things together for good, and I feel my new album is reflecting that. Though He leads us through valleys, that’s when we get to trust Him and draw closer to Him all the more. Though I’ve doubted, His grasp has never released, never slipped. He’s remained completely faithful to me. He has proven that He really is my foundation and my hope.” *

BT: Are you at a point where you’re asking God, “Why don’t you just FIX this? WHEN is this going to end? Are you even listening?!” Perhaps part of his answer is already being revealed. As my loving wife has often reminded me in our journey through Leukemia, this isn’t just a ‘detour’; this is part of the road that takes us to unexpected blessings.

May you be blessed richly in drawing close to and waiting on the Lord. Don’t miss out on a blessing just because it comes in a different package than you expected! Look for God’s light to shine into the darkness of your trial, and for the peace He has to offer you, even when His mercies are in disguise.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Jesus, John 14:27

*(Quotes from interview with Matt Hubble, FISH radio.) You can also watch a short video excerpt from an interview here describing how she and her husband wrestled with this issue of waiting for God’s good answer:

For Peace of Mind Resign as General Manager of the Universe

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When I was student teaching in Iowa City with Larry Knipfer, our elementary music students put on a production of “If’n I Was God” from the musical Tom Sawyer. In the musical, Tom reckons he could straighten the world out ‘if’n only he was God’. Unless you are the rare exception, you probably have a few ideas of your own that you’d like to pass on to the Almighty Creator. In our minds we think we know what is best and would like to be in control of it.

The truth is, control is most often an illusion at best, and an addictive drug at worst. We can plan and work and strive and fuss. We can schedule and manage and organize and supervise. But real control is most usually beyond our grasp. We don’t control others and we certainly don’t control life’s circumstances. Real peace is found in accepting that we only have control over ourselves, our own choices about what we think, what we believe and how we respond to the things life throws our way.

You probably aren’t familiar with the name Reinhold Niebuhr; I wasn’t. But you probably are familiar with something he wrote. Niebuhr was an American pastor who wrote in 1943 what is now known as the Serenity Prayer:
“God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.”

Niebuhr goes on to write about the virtues of living one day at a time, enjoying each moment and accepting difficulties as the road to peace. It’s a good reminder to stop striving after things so much and to pursue inner peace throughout each day. . . peace with others, peace with self, peace with God. Finding peace in the midst of life’s battles is a discipline that requires daily training. But it is worth the effort.

For years I’ve used ‘transition times’ to find peace: times between meetings, walking to the car, a quiet moment before meals. Some days, I do better than others. But each day spent practicing the discipline of peace is better than trying to be General Manager of the Universe!

Hebrews 12:11
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.