Category Archives: Fear & Doubt

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September 15, 2014

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Fear & Doubt, God's Word: The Bible, Knowing Him

TRUST THE ONE YOU FEAR

All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. … He will bless those who fear the Lord, both great and lowly. [Psalm 115:11,13 (NLT)]

Even though we know that the words “Fear the Lord” don’t necessarily mean we have to cower in terror, we may still find that phrase troubling when used in reference to our relationship with God. Many of us were afraid of people in our own families so we may carry some heavy baggage when we see the word “fear” in our Bible reading. There are some who grew up in homes where there were arguments instead of discussions and shouting instead of speaking. While punishment was readily handed out, forgiveness wasn’t readily offered. Perhaps there were more tears than laughter and more hostile silences than words of comfort. Children were afraid to approach their parents with a problem because, instead of a solution, they would get a lecture on how their failures brought on the difficulty in the first place. There may even have been outright abuse.

Psalm 115 tells us that, if we fear the Lord, we can trust Him and He will bless us. How are we supposed to trust a god who frightens or terrorizes us as a parent or someone else in authority might have done in the past? If you find it troubling when the word “fear” is used in the context of your connection to God, look to other translations. For example, instead of the word “fear,” the Easy-to-Read Version often uses the word “respect,” the Good News Translation frequently uses the words “honor” and “obey,” and the Message Bible uses “worship.”

God does not want us filled with terror at his presence nor does He does want us cowering in a corner, afraid to seek him. He wants to have a relationship with us, one that is based on love not dread, trust not anxiety, and reverence not fright.

You must fear the Lord your God, serve him… [Deuteronomy 6:13a (GW)]

Revere the Lord your God, serve him… [Deuteronomy 6:13a (CEV)]

Respect the Lord your God and serve only him.… [Deuteronomy 6:13a (ERV)]

Honor the Lord your God, worship only him… [Deuteronomy 6:13a (GNT)]

When you are full, don’t forget to be reverent to him and to serve him… [Deuteronomy 6:13a (TLB)]

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August 30, 2014

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Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Fear & Doubt, Trusting God

TAKE THE PLUNGE!

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. [Exodus 14:15-16 (NLT)]

With Pharaoh’s army fast approaching, the Israelites were trapped between the mountains and the sea. They immediately panicked and blamed Moses for their predicament. He was no longer regarded as the man who freed them from years of suffering slavery; he was now the fool who’d led them to certain death in the wilderness. Looking back at the soldiers, the Israelites refused to go forward. Moses assured them that the Lord would fight for them. “Stand still,” he said, “The Lord will rescue you.” The Lord, however, had other plans. He told Moses to stop praying and to get moving; they could walk through the sea on dry land!

Have you ever felt like the Israelites, like you’re between a “rock and a hard place” with no place to go? When that happens, we usually do the same thing the Israelites did; panic, find someone to blame, lose heart and want to quit. Eventually, we may pray but then we hesitate to take action. It’s easier to do nothing than to take a plunge into the unknown. Sometimes, God will fight our battles for us but, other times, he wants us to get moving and to trust that He will make a path for us.

Never give up; if God parted the waters for the Israelites, he can part them for us. We, however, will still have to do the walking!

Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! [Exodus 14:21-22 (NLT)]

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July 30, 2014

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Fear & Doubt, God's Grace & Love, Obedience

HE WANTS ALL

Jesus answered him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and most important commandment.” [Matthew 22:37-38 (GW)]

O Lord, I love you but I’m not sure it is with all of my being. You want all of me and I’m hesitant about surrendering completely to you. A part of me still wants to be in control. My apprehension keeps me from heeding your command. Don’t let my fear keep me from answering your call and living the life you have planned for me.

Whoever knows and obeys my commandments is the person who loves me. Those who love me will have my Father’s love, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them. [John 14:21 (GW)]

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June 24, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Fear & Doubt, Joy, Today: Make it Count, Worry

JOY TO YOU

This day is holy to God. Don’t feel bad. The joy of God is your strength! [Nehemiah 8:10b (MSG)]

From the moment we’re born, we’re already dying. Our task is to live life to the fullest until we die: to live while dying. I had a friend who recently passed away. I miss her, but my greatest sorrow is that, while she was alive, she was simply dying while living. Her mindset would have made Eyore in “Winnie the Pooh” look like an optimist. Instead of savoring each day as the gift it was, she could always find something about which to complain. Misery was her favorite color.

We can face each day with fear and dread, anger and disappointment, regret and resentment or we can face it with confidence and hope, love and joy, anticipation and excitement. The choice is ours and ours alone. Let God fill your heart with His love and peace. May the joy of the Lord be your strength this and every day.

There’s a decision we all have to make, and it seems perfectly captured in the Winnie-the-Pooh characters created by A.A. Milne. Each of us must decide: Am I a fun loving Tigger or am I a sad-sack Eeyore? Pick a camp. [Randy Pausch, from “The Last Lecture”]

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. [Philippians 4:8-9 (MSG)]

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June 20, 2014

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Fear & Doubt, Forgiveness, Joy, Prayer, Temptation & Sin

IT’S GARBAGE DAY

When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me. I moaned all day long. … Then I confessed my sins to you and didn’t hide my guilt. I said, “I will confess my sins to the Lord,” and you forgave my guilt. [Psalm 32:3, 5 (NCV)]

Most of us aren’t good at admitting when we’ve sinned or even misbehaved. In fact, some of us are pretty good at denying it altogether. When my children were small, the guilty party in our household always seemed to be someone named “Not me” or “I don’t know.” One child always said, “The fox did it!” Is it the fear of punishment or the fear of not being forgiven that so often prevents us from acknowledging our sins?

As a girl, whenever I was caught misbehaving or admitted to disobedience, I knew I could expect yelling, tears, humiliation, disgrace and punishment. Forgiveness wasn’t guaranteed and wrongs were often rehashed again and again. I knew I deserved the punishment, but it was forgiveness that I craved. So, like many people, I did my best to hide my problems, failures and transgressions. Hiding sins, however, is like hiding garbage; as the guilt and shame accumulate, sooner or later things are going to stink!

Our Heavenly Father  gives us a guarantee our earthly parents didn’t: unconditional forgiveness. It’s amazing how easy it is to confess one’s sins when assured of forgiveness. Today, if there is any guilt or shame stinking up your life, confess your sins to God and be restored. There’s no secret so shameful and no sin so vile that He won’t forgive. Toss the disgusting garbage of past transgressions and start fresh today.

Father, help us acknowledge our wrongs and accept responsibility for our transgressions. Listen to our litany of offenses as we offer our confessions to you. Empty our lives of guilt and shame; fill us with joy at your merciful love and promised forgiveness.

When God forgives us and purifies us of our sin, He also forgets it. Forgiveness results in God dropping the charges against us. [Billy Graham]

If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done. [1 John 1:8-9 (NCV)]

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June 9, 2014

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Faith & Hope, Fear & Doubt, Joy, Trusting God, Worry

LET’S GET OUT OF THE DARK ROOM

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. [Psalm 34:4 (NLT)]

Fear and worry are powerful emotions; they can keep us from living the confident and joy-filled life our Father in Heaven has in mind for us. They lose their power, however, when we trust God. Trusting God doesn’t mean that we will never have difficulties. What it does mean is that, even if our worst fears come true, we will never have to face them alone; God is with us.

Worry is the darkroom in which negatives are developed! [Anonymous bit of bumper sticker wisdom]

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. [1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)]