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04-22-2008, 12:28 AM
"It's Scary!"
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“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 NIV
There are many times in life that are scary. It could be something as small as leading a Sunday school class or as large as being on a plane in a storm. We can't avoid fear and sometimes it is even good to be afraid, such as fear of getting too close to an open fire lest you get burnt. It isn't the moment of fear that harms you. It is allowing fear to take control. You have to control it.
Reverend Wayne Muller wrote in Legacy of the Heart that the phrase "be not afraid" appears 325 times in the New Testament and was Jesus' most frequent commandment. God doesn't want fear to control us. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7 NKJV). It takes courage to face down fear and God will give the power needed to do so, when we trust him and step out in faith. When Paul was suffering persecution for following Jesus, he wrote, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (II Corinthians 4:8-9).
Fear has always been around and it takes courage to overcome it. You have to confront fear and conquer it. And if you take a risk, trusting in God, he will help you. God is utterly dependable! When you have done all you can, it is time to relax and leave the rest to the Lord.
Almighty God, help me to put my trust in you, so that with your aid, I can conquer my fears and live my life with courage. Amen.
“Prayerful Living”
Listen to this Prayerful Living message in:
Real Audio MP3
“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 NIV
There are many times in life that are scary. It could be something as small as leading a Sunday school class or as large as being on a plane in a storm. We can't avoid fear and sometimes it is even good to be afraid, such as fear of getting too close to an open fire lest you get burnt. It isn't the moment of fear that harms you. It is allowing fear to take control. You have to control it.
Reverend Wayne Muller wrote in Legacy of the Heart that the phrase "be not afraid" appears 325 times in the New Testament and was Jesus' most frequent commandment. God doesn't want fear to control us. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7 NKJV). It takes courage to face down fear and God will give the power needed to do so, when we trust him and step out in faith. When Paul was suffering persecution for following Jesus, he wrote, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (II Corinthians 4:8-9).
Fear has always been around and it takes courage to overcome it. You have to confront fear and conquer it. And if you take a risk, trusting in God, he will help you. God is utterly dependable! When you have done all you can, it is time to relax and leave the rest to the Lord.
Almighty God, help me to put my trust in you, so that with your aid, I can conquer my fears and live my life with courage. Amen.
“Prayerful Living”