When
we live in fear, we abandon the perfecting work of God's love (1 John 4:18).
Instead, when anxiety overwhelms us, we can cling to the consolation of His
love that fills our soul with joy (Psalm 94:19). There is no fear in God's
love, because His amazing care drives all of the fear right out of our life.
An
anxious heart weighs us down, but kind encouragement can lift us right up
(Proverbs 12:25). That is why God put us in His Body and gave us His Word
(Proverbs 12:25). God redeems us and knows us by name, because we belong to His
adopted family (Isaiah 43:1).
He
is with us, and in us, regardless of where we go. He is our light in the
darkness, our salvation from the consequences of sin, our refuge and our
strength and our stronghold when we are afraid, and our ever-present help in every
troubling time (Psalm 27:1, 46:1; Deuteronomy 31:5).
We
have no need to worry about any aspect of life, because we cannot control life,
but we know the One who can (Luke 12:22-26). God even comes to our rescue when
we insist on living by our own goals, plans and human resources; although we often
have to reap what we have sown (Isaiah 35:4; Joshua 1:9).
As
we humble our self under His mighty hand, He lifts us up in His timing and way,
because He really does care about us (1 Peter 5:6-7). He takes us by the hand
and continually helps us, sustains us, and provides for all our needs (Mark
6:50; Isaiah 41:13-14; Psalm 118:6-7). We owe Him our praises from the depth of
our heart.
Prayer:
Father
God, when we dwell in Your sheltering arms, we rest in Your almighty shadow.
You are our refuge, fortress and strong deliverer when we put our trust in You.
We find protection under Your wings, and Your faithfulness is our shield and stronghold.
The terror of night, the fiery darts from the devil, the pestilences that stalk
us in this world, etc. do not sway our trust in You.
Even
if thousands fall all around us, You will shelter us through every storm and
give our guardian angels the charge to keep us safe. Since we love You and call
on Jesus' name, You answer our prayers, rescue us, protect us, deliver us,
honor us, and walk with us and in us through any form of trouble (Psalm
91:1-16). We thank You, honor You, and praise Your holy name.
Thought
for the Day:
Jehovah
is our God, and we exalt Him; He comforts us with His disciplinary rod and
shepherd's staff, so we can release all of our fear, and our anxiety will
disappear; He is in our midst as our victorious warrior, who exults over us
with joy, quiets us with His love, and rejoices over us with singing and shouts
of joy.
-
Psalm 23:4; Zephaniah 3:17
