2021-03-17
Job 4:14 NKJV
Health. Fears about health can take different forms. We worry about the health of those we love. We might be fearful because we’re currently unwell and we’re scared of what could be wrong, or we’re afraid of getting a particular illness at some point in our lives. It’s great to be informed about different illnesses and what we need to look out for, but the downside for some of us is that we can be tempted to jump to the worst possible conclusion whenever we experience a symptom.
In Job 4:13-14, Eliphaz says: ‘In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night…fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake’ (NKJV). It’s often in the middle of the night, when we’re alone with just our own thoughts for company, with plenty of time for our imaginations to run wild, that our fears can increase and take us captive.
But God wants to bring us out of that fearful place to a place of His peace. Jeremiah 17:14 says, ‘Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise’ (NIV), and Psalm 30:2 says ‘O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health’ (NLT).
God can and does heal people from illnesses. But sometimes His healing takes a different form. He might not always physically heal us, but when we cry out to Him, He’ll soothe our minds by taking our fears and replacing them with His peace. We don’t know why He doesn’t physically heal everyone, but we can be sure that whatever health problems we might experience, He won’t let us face them alone.
Job 15-17; Matt 23:23-39; Ps 19; Prov 8:6-7
Job 4:14 NKJV
Fear can be devastating. Why? Because it breeds more fear! And the most insidious thing about fear is its ability to exaggerate. C. Everett Koop, former surgeon general of the United States, observed, “People just have an inappropriate sense of what is dangerous.”
Do you fear flying? The fact is, you’re more likely to die from choking on a piece of food than in a commercial airline crash. Are you afraid of dying in a robbery? You’re twice as likely to be killed playing a sport than you are to be stabbed to death by a stranger. Are you afraid of sharks? Every year farmyard pigs slay more people than sharks do. Are you worried about having surgery? You’re sixteen times more likely to die in a car crash than you are from surgical complications.
Seldom do the things we fear come to pass. In our minds we conceive coming disasters that will likely never happen. And when they don’t occur, we think, “That was a close one!” The truth is – our thoughts were the only things creating potential danger for us.
So how should you deal with your fears? By practicing the truth of this Scripture: “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]” (Isaiah 26:3-4 AMPC).
Soul food: Job 15-17; Matt 23:23-39; Ps 19; Prov 8:6-7
2021-03-16
Genesis 3:10 NKJV
We tend to think that successful people are exempt from fear. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every generation in history has experienced fear. The first person God created was Adam, and the first recorded words Adam spoke were these: “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Fear is genetic; it’s part of human nature. Studies confirm that our seven greatest areas of fear are these: (1) finances, (2) health, (3) career concerns, (4) parenting struggles, (5) family relationships, (6) accomplishing personal goals, and (7) death. Are you fearful and anxious in any of those areas?
Fear can be a destructive force in your life. One of the old English words for fear means “sudden attack.” It’s akin to an old German word for fear that means “ambush or snare.” That’s what fear does; it attacks us and takes us captive.
So what’s the answer? Faith in God! Fear weakens, but faith strengthens. Fear imprisons, but faith liberates. Fear paralyzes, but faith empowers. Fear disheartens, but faith encourages. Fear sickens, but faith heals. It’s been said that the words “fear not” are recorded in Scripture 366 different times. If that’s so, God has given us a “fear not” for every day of the year – and one for leap year! And here’s one of them: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1 NKJV).
Today God is with you and He promises to strengthen and guide you in every situation you face.
Soul food: Job 11-14; Matt 23:13-22; Ps 11; Prov 8:4-5
Psalm 118:6 NKJV
Finances. Worrying about money is something that most of us will do at some point in our lives. We might be afraid that we don’t have enough of it, that we won’t have enough to pay the bills or meet our basic needs, or we might live in fear of an unexpected expense coming along that we won’t be able to handle. We may also live with the fear that what we do have could be taken away from us, our credit cards could be stolen, or our source of income could disappear.
The first thing we need to remember when dealing with money is that it’s not ours, but God’s. 1 Chronicles 29 says: ‘Riches and honour come from you. You rule everything…Everything comes from you’ (NCV). We might think that He’s only interested in spiritual things, but if money ultimately belongs to Him, we can be certain that He’ll want to help us work through any financial worries we have. That doesn’t necessarily mean He’ll suddenly give us plenty of money, but He will give us wisdom in how to best use what we have.
We also need to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:26-34. In these verses, Jesus assures us that just as God provides for every bird and flower, He’ll provide for us, His beloved children. Psalm 118:6 says: ‘The LORD is on my side; I will not fear’ (NKJV). Whether we’ve made bad decisions and mismanaged our finances, or whether something external has created fear where our money’s concerned, God’s still with us, He’s still for us, and He’s still fighting on our side. We just need to turn to Him, trust Him, and follow His guidance.
Job 11-14; Matt 23:13-22; Ps 11; Prov 8:4-5
2021-03-15
Psalm 118:6 NKJV
During the Great Depression unemployment hit 25 percent of the American population. Savings accounts were wiped out by bank failures, farmers lost their land to foreclosures, and people were having trouble just feeding their families.
During this dark time Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed the nation in these words: “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
What most people didn’t realize is that the president himself had experienced some dark hours during which fear paralyzed him. Roosevelt was born a child of privilege and educated in Europe, at Harvard, and at Columbia Law School. But at age thirty-nine, he was stricken with a case of polio that left him severely disabled. During his recovery he developed an extreme fear of fire. He worried he wouldn’t be able to escape because of his disability.
But in time he overcame his fear, regained the use of his hands, and even learned to walk again with the aid of braces. He reentered the political arena – fearlessly campaigning to become the governor of New York, which he did in 1929. He then went on to become one of America’s greatest presidents and guided the nation to victory in World War II. In his memoirs Roosevelt recalls how when he turned to God for help, courage, and guidance, he received them.
Are you afraid today? If you are, stand on this promise: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Soul food: Job 8-10; Matt 23:1-12; Ps 115; Prov 8:1-3
