When Fear Rises

The world is now in shock, mourning the victims of last night’s deadly shooting. It was a truly “dark night”; one that centers around the release of the new movie “The Dark Knight Rises.”

All of us who were not present in that fateful theater feel today extremely sorrowful for those who have been lost, and heartbroken at the tragedy that now surrounds their legacy and their families. We are certainly all today holding our loved ones closer.

We are also today fighting with another thought that is begging entrance into our minds. There is now an enemy that is knocking on the door of our souls. Its name is fear.

It brings with it hopelessness, dread of tomorrow, and distrust in our fellow man. As we let it gain entrance and presence in our thoughts, it will grow and gain foothold. We can’t let fear move in and become our constant roommate, even though its presence is pervading our eyes, ears, and hearts today.

These circumstances of yesterday are trying to take a feeling of security and strength away from us, but God has told us that He is our strength and shield (Ps 28:7), and I have this hope as an anchor for my soul, firm and secure (Heb 6:19).

That is the bottom line. This is the truth — that He is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, in whom I take refuge, and in whom is a place of safety (Ps 18:2). Do we believe His Word? I do! I choose to trust Him now in this day in which we live. I choose to pray for those who do awful things to others, and I choose to believe that God is to me the strong Father and protector that the Word says He is (Heb 11:6).

James 4:8 says “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (ESV).” If the events of yesterday are to effect anything about our tomorrows, let it be that we draw closer to God. Times like these make us realize the importance of having a close relationship with Him. Most importantly, so that we know that no matter what man may do to us here on Earth, we have a home with Him in Heaven. (If you would like to know this confidently for yourself, click here for a simple prayer to pray).

Also, times like these make us realize that we should be close to the Father so that we may be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit — that we may be led by His guidance. He will lead you out of harm, and give you warnings of danger, and in fact is doing so every day — it is just that so many times we are too busy and are not listening. We have to be in constant communion with Him so that when He speaks, we will know His voice. We must have a relationship with Him to recognize His conversation.

Times like these make us realize that we should never put our confidence in man, only in God. Proverbs 29:25 says “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. (NLT)”. These times also make it so clear to us everything that truly matters, and everything that doesn’t. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says that when it comes down to it all, in the very end, all that will remain is faith, hope, and love. These are the very opposite of fear. Let faith be the fruit through which you live your life, even today, instead of fear.

I say to you now what Jesus said to the disciples, and to all of us by the Spirit, in John 6:19-20: “They were terrified, but He called out to them, ‘Don’t be afraid! I am here’ (NLT)”, and also in Mark 5:36 “Don’t be afraid; just believe (NIV).”

I take to heart the comfort of Jesus’ words in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My own peace I now give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled. (AMP)”

When we are afraid, let’s put our trust in God. “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56: 3,4 ESV)

Fear is the opposite of faith; it is the opposite of the heart of our Father God. Let’s fight against it with the Word today. Let the light of God’s word break through the darkness of fear.

Here are some scriptures from God’s Word on fear. I pray that they would encourage and bring strength to you. Don’t forget also to pray for strength and peace to the victim’s families and loved ones in the days and weeks to come.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38 NLT

“He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 112:7

“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 NLT

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

“The angel of the Lord encaps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” Psalm 34:7 ESV

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 ESV

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Psalm 23:4 NIV

“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

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love.” 1 John 4:18 NLT

Last, but not least, is my favorite passage of scripture for protection, and that is Psalm 91. I would recommend reading it over many times, and confessing it out loud. Even put your name in there — whenever it says ‘you’, say “me”, and so on. Store it deep in your spirit this way so that it will be there to call on in the times you need it most.

“1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him. 3 For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. 5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. 6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. 9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. 11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. 12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. 13 You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! 14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. 16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91

Can you recognize your writing?

Growing up, my Dad was constantly studying for his weekly sermons. When I came home from school, while we watched movies or sporting events on TV, when I woke up or went to sleep…he’d usually be in his chair in the living room with his spiral notebooks diligently writing away at the things in his heart God was giving him. He still does it to this day, and I love seeing it whenever I go home.

We have countless boxes in the attic full of Dad’s sermon notes over the years. We’ve tried to get him to go digital (to save entire forests), but once you form a habit, it’s hard to break. So, he writes away.

One summer in junior high, Mom gave me the job of going through these boxes in an effort to organize their contents. I was to categorize them based on subject matter, series, or year. Easy, right? Easy until we realized that we couldn’t read Dad’s handwriting one bit.

It didn’t used to be that way. I saw some of my Dad’s writing from his early years that was clear and neat. But over the years, his handwriting has morphed into something more akin to hieroglyphics. Unless he’s trying really hard to write neatly, it can be quite difficult to decipher. I am not telling you anything that my sweet Daddy doesn’t know already. More times than he would probably care to admit, even he was unable to recognize his writing himself.

I’d like to think my handwriting is more like my grandfather’s. My Dad’s dad — Paw-Paw, as he is lovingly endeared — has the most amazing penmanship. I loved it when his birthday cards came in the mail, if only to see his writing on the envelope and in card. I have been told that I have nice penmanship as well. Although I don’t think it touches Paw-Paws, I do take comfort in the fact that my writing is not compared to my Dad’s.

Yet…a funny thing happened the other day! I was writing quickly in my journal, and as I looked down, I realized that, like my dad, I could not recognize my handwriting. Usually, I am pretty purposeful about my script, especially in my journal and when taking notes, because I like for it to look nice. But this time, I wasn’t thinking about it, and I was writing fast and sloppy.

There is a pen with which we write our lives.

Our lives are a book, and we have control over the pen that writes among its pages. Are we writing carefully or carelessly? Are we recognizing that this is a book whose record is permanent and seen by more than just ourselves?

Paul said that our “very lives are a letter that anyone can read…Christ Himself wrote it — not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives — and we publish it.” (2 Cor 3:2-3 MSG)

When Rob and I went to the Mediterranean on our honeymoon, we were able to visit the gorgeous cliffside town of Amalfi, Italy. In the town, there was a paper store that had been owned for generations by the same family. They used their paper in stunning stationary, and leather-bound journals. One of our souvenir splurges on the trip was a journal from the shop. It is such a special book that it has been hard to commit to what we will write. When we do write in it, we make sure the penmanship is pristine, and is our very best.

If we are so careful with a book that has no eternal value, how much more thought, consideration, and deliberate intention should we put into the book that is our very lives?

How do we do that? A good start is by obeying the word, and living daily with the purpose to please God, which is the fear of the Lord. Malachi 3:16 reads that “those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In His presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and always thought about the honor of His name.” (NLT)

Proverbs admonishes: “Keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Prov 7:1-3 ESV)

What are you saying? What is your life saying? Is it something that could be recorded in God’s presence? Is it something you could live with forever, penned in stone?

Are you ok with what your life has written? Can you recognize your writing?

When you honestly examine your life, you may see writing there that you did not intend to be read for eternity. There may be words you have spoken in anger or gossip that you would not care for anyone to ever read — ever! You may even look and realize that you can’t recognize the pages, compared to what your original dreams and desires may have once been.

It’s easy to begin again today. The wonderful thing about the Bible is it is full of people who changed their stories. God doesn’t care about the story of yesterday if you are willing to make a change and go with Him into today and tomorrow.

Isaiah 43:25 says “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remember your sins no more (NIV).”

We all must give an account of what our lives have written (Rom 14:12). Romans 14:13 goes on to say not to worry about anyone else’s life; only our own. If you need a fresh start, don’t wait, that we may all go together boldly before His wonderful throne with no fear on that glorious day.

Home is where your heart is

Scriptures for your home

God cares about everything that is important to you. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Even the things you might think are trivial, or inconsequential — if it is important to you, it’s important to God.

One thing that is important to a lot of people is their home. God must have already known that it would be important to you, because the Bible has a lot to say about it! For the person that fears the Lord, God has even given many promises on the subject.

It is good to read these scriptures, and think on them. It is good to talk to God about them, and use them as a basis for your faith. Anything that God promises to you in His word, not only can you bring it back up to Him — He wants you to do so. He wants us all to believe His word, and trust Him to bring it to pass.

There are desires I have for my home, and, on the basis of these scriptures, I am believing God for them all to come to pass. Proverbs 14:1 says “a wise woman builds her house”, so I am building. What better foundation to build it on than the rock of the Word!

Here’s a list of several scriptures in the Word about house and home; it is by no means an exhaustive list! There are many others in the Bible. Check them out for yourself, and use these as a starting point. Many of the following references I received from Gloria Copeland’s message on believing God for a home. (It is a fabulous message, by the way. You can read an excerpt from it here.)

For many of the scriptures, I have included a few different versions, to give even greater understanding of what each is saying. Keep these scriptures close; remember them for yourself, and share them with a friend who may need the encouragement of God’s promises. I want to hear your testimonies!

• Proverbs 24:3-4

“Through skillful and Godly wisdom is a house, a life, a home, and a family built, and by understanding it is established on a sound and good foundation, and by knowledge shall its chambers of every area be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” AMP

v 3 “A house…becomes strong through good sense…” NLT

v 4 “By knowledge the rooms are filled…” ESV

v 4 “It takes knowledge to furnish its rooms with fine furniture and beautiful draperies.” MSG

v 4 “…its rooms are filled with every kind riches…” GWT

v 4 “…valuable, beautiful things…” GNT

• 2 Corinthians 9:8

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” ESV

“And God is able to make all grace–every favor and earthly blessing–come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need, be self-sufficient (possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation.)” AMP

• Isaiah 54:2-3

“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes, for you will spread abroad to the right hand and to the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.” AMP

“Make the tent you live in larger; lengthen its ropes and strengthen the pegs! You will extend your boundaries on all sides…GNT

v 3 “You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family…” MSG

• Proverbs 14:1

“Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.” AMP

“Homes are made by the wisdom of women…” GNT

“The wisest of women builds up her home, but a stupid one tears it down with her own hands.” GWT

• Psalm 68:6

“He gives the lonely a home to live in…” GNT

“…and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.” AMP

“God settles the solitary in a home…” ESV

• Psalm 112:1-3

“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His offspring shall be mighty upon the earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Prosperity and welfare are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.” AMP

“Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God, who cherish and relish His commandments, their children will be robust on the earth, and the homes of the upright — how blessed! Their houses brim with wealth and a generosity that never runs dry.” MSG

v 3 “Wealth and riches are in his house…” ESV

• Proverbs 14:11

“The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.” ESV

“…Holy living builds soaring cathedrals.” MSG

These scriptures, while not mentioning house and home directly, also certainly give ground to any desires you may have on the subject:

• Philippians 4:19

“This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” NLT

“My God will liberally supply, fill to the full, your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” AMP

“You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need; His generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.” MSG

• Ephesians 3:20

“to Him who…is able to…do superabundantly far over and above all that we dare ask or think — infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams…” AMP

• Psalm 37:4

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.” AMP

There are many ways you can ‘build’ your house; there are even more ways you can tear it down. Let’s do the former, not the latter. Build up your house today, by believing the promises of God!