Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27
Did you know that the Bible lists cowardice in the same category as murder, sexual immorality, and sorcery?
Revelation 21:8 reads,
“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
Wow! Fear is as bad as killing? How is that? I know that fear stops you from trying, which stops you from accomplishing. Fear keeps you from enjoying life. Fear stands between you and the gift on the other side of the fear. I know this from personal experience.
Years ago, I was afraid of everything a person could be afraid of. I could not enjoy life because I was only able to watch from the sidelines. One day, God told me to go on a mission trip to The Amazon Jungle of all places. Could any place have so many things I was afraid of all together in one place? That trip changed my life. Every day of that trip I had to do things that scared me like climb ladders, step over a gap, climb steep hills, and deal with bugs. As our trip neared its end, we were enjoying a day of sightseeing. We were visiting a shop right on the river. There was a tall rickety old bridge leading back from that shop into the jungle. People were walking along the bridge and I was afraid to cross it. I wanted to do it but I couldn’t make myself move, so I settled for waiting for the others to return. Well one man, decided I was not going to miss and it sternly encouraged me to take the walk along the bridge with him to join the rest of the group. He told me my fear was based on imagination and not reality. I took a deep breath and walked along that rickety old bridge, and there around me were beautiful towering trees and a plethora of birds I had never seen. A monkey moved along the tree tops above us. At the end of the bridge was a lovely little lagoon type of area with giant lily pads, gorgeous flowers, and caiman swimming through the dark water. It was breathtaking! I stood there and marveled at the God’s creation. No description of it could ever have done it justice. I would have missed out on that blessing had I given in to the fear. I would have missed out on the entire trip had I let fear stop me. Before that trip I was afraid of EVERYTHING. After that trip, fear couldn’t stop me from anything.
Fear is not from God. Fear keeps us from doing God’s will, enjoying His gifts and experiencing His fullness.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 reads,
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
We have The Holy Spirit! That Spirit is powerful, we have love, and we have self-control. Some versions of the Bible read sound mind rather than self-control. Fear is the antithesis of power, love and sound mind or self-control. Fear is a timid, loveless, and turbulent mind. We have nothing to fear! Fear is part of a life without God. God loves us, He holds in His arms, Our Papa.
Romans 8:15 says,
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
Do you remember when you were little; you knew if Daddy was there, all was right with the world. He told the monsters under the bed to get out. He held you when you were scared. And when he held you there was nothing in the entire universe that could hurt you. Your Abba, your Father in Heaven is holding you tightly in his arms. Nothing can take you out of His mighty hands. John 10:28-29 reads,
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 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.”
He will not let anyone hurt you. He will not let the enemy touch you! The enemy will taunt you, he will threaten, he will lies to you but he can’t touch you. You are safe in your Daddy’s arms!
1 John 5:18 says,
“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”
What is fear keeping you from doing? What is it you are afraid of happening? Change? Death? Maiming? Is any of that a real fear? Are you imagining what will happen if things go wrong? That is worrying. That’s not reality. Where are those thoughts originating? Those are not from God! Remember God didn’t give you a Spirit of fear. Remember the enemy wants you to fear. The Bible tells us not to worry.
Philippians 4:4-7 reminds us,
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
He didn’t promise nothing bad things would not happen to us but He did promise to be with us regardless (Hebrews 13:5). He promised that everything works for good to those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t spend your time imagining “what if”. If you fear something remember the enemy doesn’t want you to live a victorious life and he wants you to be afraid. That’s probably a good reason to overcome your fear and do whatever it is, the enemy doesn’t want you to do.
Before He went home, in John 14:27 Jesus said:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Don’t ignore that gift. I challenge you today; Do the thing you fear. Do it now. Let the enemy know he can’t touch you. Do what you are afraid to do and accomplish what it is you are afraid of doing. See what wonderful thing God has in store for you and for your world.
Revelation 21:8 reads,
“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
Wow! Fear is as bad as killing? How is that? I know that fear stops you from trying, which stops you from accomplishing. Fear keeps you from enjoying life. Fear stands between you and the gift on the other side of the fear. I know this from personal experience.
Years ago, I was afraid of everything a person could be afraid of. I could not enjoy life because I was only able to watch from the sidelines. One day, God told me to go on a mission trip to The Amazon Jungle of all places. Could any place have so many things I was afraid of all together in one place? That trip changed my life. Every day of that trip I had to do things that scared me like climb ladders, step over a gap, climb steep hills, and deal with bugs. As our trip neared its end, we were enjoying a day of sightseeing. We were visiting a shop right on the river. There was a tall rickety old bridge leading back from that shop into the jungle. People were walking along the bridge and I was afraid to cross it. I wanted to do it but I couldn’t make myself move, so I settled for waiting for the others to return. Well one man, decided I was not going to miss and it sternly encouraged me to take the walk along the bridge with him to join the rest of the group. He told me my fear was based on imagination and not reality. I took a deep breath and walked along that rickety old bridge, and there around me were beautiful towering trees and a plethora of birds I had never seen. A monkey moved along the tree tops above us. At the end of the bridge was a lovely little lagoon type of area with giant lily pads, gorgeous flowers, and caiman swimming through the dark water. It was breathtaking! I stood there and marveled at the God’s creation. No description of it could ever have done it justice. I would have missed out on that blessing had I given in to the fear. I would have missed out on the entire trip had I let fear stop me. Before that trip I was afraid of EVERYTHING. After that trip, fear couldn’t stop me from anything.
Fear is not from God. Fear keeps us from doing God’s will, enjoying His gifts and experiencing His fullness.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 reads,
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
We have The Holy Spirit! That Spirit is powerful, we have love, and we have self-control. Some versions of the Bible read sound mind rather than self-control. Fear is the antithesis of power, love and sound mind or self-control. Fear is a timid, loveless, and turbulent mind. We have nothing to fear! Fear is part of a life without God. God loves us, He holds in His arms, Our Papa.
Romans 8:15 says,
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
Do you remember when you were little; you knew if Daddy was there, all was right with the world. He told the monsters under the bed to get out. He held you when you were scared. And when he held you there was nothing in the entire universe that could hurt you. Your Abba, your Father in Heaven is holding you tightly in his arms. Nothing can take you out of His mighty hands. John 10:28-29 reads,
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 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.”
He will not let anyone hurt you. He will not let the enemy touch you! The enemy will taunt you, he will threaten, he will lies to you but he can’t touch you. You are safe in your Daddy’s arms!
1 John 5:18 says,
“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”
What is fear keeping you from doing? What is it you are afraid of happening? Change? Death? Maiming? Is any of that a real fear? Are you imagining what will happen if things go wrong? That is worrying. That’s not reality. Where are those thoughts originating? Those are not from God! Remember God didn’t give you a Spirit of fear. Remember the enemy wants you to fear. The Bible tells us not to worry.
Philippians 4:4-7 reminds us,
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
He didn’t promise nothing bad things would not happen to us but He did promise to be with us regardless (Hebrews 13:5). He promised that everything works for good to those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t spend your time imagining “what if”. If you fear something remember the enemy doesn’t want you to live a victorious life and he wants you to be afraid. That’s probably a good reason to overcome your fear and do whatever it is, the enemy doesn’t want you to do.
Before He went home, in John 14:27 Jesus said:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Don’t ignore that gift. I challenge you today; Do the thing you fear. Do it now. Let the enemy know he can’t touch you. Do what you are afraid to do and accomplish what it is you are afraid of doing. See what wonderful thing God has in store for you and for your world.
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