When I Am Afraid…

Psalm 56:3-4 (NIV)

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

As I reflect on our Verse of Day, I wonder: “Are you afraid this morning? Anxious about your life? Concerned about your future? King David experienced those types of feelings and insecurities. We all do from time to time. Life does not always go as expected. Circumstances and situations change. Relationships change. People change. The only thing that is certain in our lives is change! And, there is another thing of which we can be certain … God’s unchanging nature. His love and mercy are everlasting! They endure forever! God does not change. (Cf. Psalm 55:19; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Cf. Hebrews 13:8)

Through adversity and great challenges, King David came to understand that the only thing he could really trust in life was God Himself! When fighting life’s battles … both real and perceived … both external and self-inflicted, I think we should consider these words from the pen of David:

Psalm 20 (NIV)

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Selah. May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over Your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to His anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of His right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!

Although, David was referring to his position as the anointed King of Israel, understand that you abide in Christ and are anointed by His Spirit as a believer. Yes, through faith, the Holy Spirit abides in you and equips you for a victorious life! You are the recipient of His victorious power! As Peter wrote: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. (Cf. 2 Peter 1:3) So, trust that God does hear your prayers and answers them from His heavenly sanctuary. Yes, trust that Christ Jesus is your mediator and sits at the right hand of God (Cf. 1 Timothy 2:5). Indeed, you can trust Him with your life … because He created your life! God loves you and He is for you! (Cf. Romans 8:28-32)

God has given us His Spirit … and He has given us His Word! And these are the greatest weapons we can wield in the spiritual battles that the Adversary wages against us. Paul exhorted Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God (in indwelling Holy Spirit) … for the Spirit God gives us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. (Cf. 2 Timothy 1:6-7) Indeed, Paul taught that the struggles we encounter with people are not against flesh and blood but with spiritual forces of evil:

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

In God I trust and am not afraid. Let this be our banner today! “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (Cf. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5) And I recall the word of the Lord to Joshua: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Cf. Joshua 1:8-9)

Here are some additional references that speak into this message:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. ~ Proverbs 29:25

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is the Rock eternal. ~ Isaiah 26:4

No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord. ~ Isaiah 54:17

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. ~ Nahum 1:7

My friends, we are spurred by God to trust in Him. King David urged, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” (Cf. Psalm 62:8) And, “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Cf. Psalm 91:2) Indeed, trust is the foundation of our faith in God. Trust is inherent to a life without fear. And so, I pray that you will find all of these Scriptures an encouragement for your journey of faith.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8

Seek Me … Find Me … Trust Me

Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Our Verse of the Day affirms the timeless message of trusting in God. Are you worried about your life? Fearful that you will have enough food or clothes to meet your needs? Dreadful that the rent or mortgage payment will not get paid and you will lose your shelter? In His teachings recorded for us in Matthew 6, Jesus assures us that God is absolutely concerned about every aspect of our lives and we can trust Him for provision of every need. I will reprint the context for your reference and contemplation:

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ²⁸“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Notice in the verse it states, “… and all these things will be given to you as well.” The implication is that everything that you and I need for our physical lives comes from God … these are given to us by God. And so, it follows that we should seek the One who “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (Cf. 1 Timothy 6:17) God said, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Cf. Jeremiah 29:13) The key here is searching for God with all of our hearts! This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live! (Cf. Amos 5:4) And He declares the same promise to you and me. Apart from God there is no life … and with Him there is no anxiety or fear. He is the Lord our Provider – Jehovah Jireh. Amen.

So, I encourage you to let faith have its way in your life. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Cf. Proverbs 3:5-6). Indeed, “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (Cf. Psalm 9:9-10) The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in Him…. (Cf. Nahum 1:7) That is the message for us today! Indeed, let each of us declare: “In You, Lord my God, I put my trust.” (Cf. Psalm 25:1)

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

My salvation and my honor depend on God Most High; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him,

for God is our refuge. ~ Psalm 62:7-8

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? What can man do to me? ~ Psalm 56:3-4; 10-11

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8

REJOICE!!!

Joel 2:23 (NIV)

Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains because He is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

Rejoice in the Lord your God! As I read that phrase … my thoughts wandered over the past several weeks and months. I had to ask myself, have I rejoiced in the Lord my God? In the midst of trials and troubles … as pandemic restrictions and cultural chaos continue in our nation and around the world … have I stopped a moment to intentionally rejoice in the Lord? The word rejoice means to feel or show great joy or delight. I have to admit that I have not “felt” great joy or delight lately when I look at the tribulation in the world around me. But maybe that is the point. Perhaps, I’m looking at the wrong things. Maybe my focus should be on something that does bring excitement, joy, and delight to the heart….

The Apostle Paul urges us: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” And I love the context in which we find this encouragement:

Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV)

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I think there is a message here for us. Do not be anxious about anything; rather, we should take our cares and concerns to God in prayer with thanksgiving. One might ask, “Why with thanksgiving before you even know the outcome or answer to the prayer?” Well, think about what God has already done in your life…. Consider His faithfulness! He has given you the autumn rains because He is faithful. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Yes, we should think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. We should set our minds and hearts on God and the love He lavishes on us through Christ Jesus!

Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Quoting Psalm 44:22) ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Oh, we have so many reasons to rejoice in the Lord! From A to Z we can rejoice in Him:

Rejoice in His abundance.

Rejoice in His anointing.

Rejoice in His atonement.

Rejoice in His authority.

Rejoice in His baptism.

Rejoice in His beauty.

Rejoice in His blessing.

Rejoice in His calling.

Rejoice in His comfort.

Rejoice in His compassion.

Rejoice in His covenant.

Rejoice in His creation.

Rejoice in His cross.

Rejoice in His deliverance.

Rejoice in His discipline.

Rejoice in His election.

Rejoice in His encouragement.

Rejoice in His eternal life.

Rejoice in His faithfulness.

Rejoice in His forgiveness.

Rejoice in His freedom.

Rejoice in His gentleness.

Rejoice in His gifts.

Rejoice in His glory.

Rejoice in His grace.

Rejoice in His healing.

Rejoice in His holiness.

Rejoice in His intercession.

Rejoice in His intimacy.

Rejoice in His justice.

Rejoice in His kindness.

Rejoice in His kingdom.

Rejoice in His liberty.

Rejoice in His life.

Rejoice in His light.

Rejoice in His longsuffering.

Rejoice in His love.

Rejoice in His mercy.

Rejoice in His name.

Rejoice in His omnipotence.

Rejoice in His omniscience.

Rejoice in His peace.

Rejoice in His presence.

Rejoice in His promises.

Rejoice in His protection.

Rejoice in His provision.

Rejoice in His purpose.

Rejoice in His quiet.

Rejoice in His redemption.

Rejoice in His restoration.

Rejoice in His resurrection.

Rejoice in His righteousness.

Rejoice in His sacrifice.

Rejoice in His salvation.

Rejoice in His sovereignty.

Rejoice in His testimony.

Rejoice in His truth.

Rejoice in His unity.

Rejoice in His victory.

Rejoice in His wisdom.

Rejoice in His word.

Rejoice in His yoke.

Rejoice in His zeal.

So, perhaps, we should spend less time on what we see … and rejoice in who we know. He is everything that matters most. So, again I say, Rejoice!

So Now You Know….

Have a Blessed Day!

Let God Arise!

Psalm 68:4-5 (NIV)

Sing to God, sing in praise of His name, extol Him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before Him—His name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.

I had been reading Psalm 37 this morning; and then our Verse of the Day caught my eye. As I read Psalm 68, a theme began to emerge that I believe is a word for us today: “The Protection and the Justice of God”.

Track along with me for a few verses:

Psalm 37:1-2; 7-11

¹Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; ²for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

⁷Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. ⁸Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. ⁹For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. ¹⁰A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. ¹¹But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.

Psalm 68:1-6

¹Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; may His foes flee before Him. ²May you blow them away like smoke— as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. ³But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. ⁴Sing to God, sing in praise of His name, praise Him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before Him—His name is the Lord. ⁵A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. ⁶God makes a home for those who are lonely; He leads out those who are captive into prosperity; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

I encourage you to read both of these Psalms today … and let them speak to your heart. Let the Word of God assure you this morning that Father God is still on the throne! Yes, and He will forever be the power and strength of His people … the Great Defender! God knows both the wicked and the righteous! And He knows their end from the beginning! Could we but remember these following words and trust God:

Psalm 139:13-18

¹³For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. ¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. ¹⁷How amazing are your thoughts concerning me, God! How vast is the sum of them! ¹⁸Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I awake, I am still with you.

God knows each one of us intimately … and He invites each one of us to know Him intimately. And as we come to know the Father … let us learn to trust Him in all things that concern us. Let us keep praying for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And as Peter wrote: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ⁹The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (Cf. 2 Peter 3:8-9)