Do not fear

 

             As the Lord so often works his lessons keep coming, yet they are always building off of our pasts and our current relationship with him. The theme lately has been dying. I have been so convicted of all the things I am not dying too, though I clearly hear him calling me to. I have been drawn to him in realizing that I cannot do it without him and I need his wisdom to reveal where and why I am stuck.

            This past week I finally began to realize that what is holding me back is fear. The Lord used unexpected circumstances in my life to reveal that I am simply afraid.

            …of what it will cost

            …of the uncertainty of the future

            …of facing my own hurt and heartache

            …that God won’t follow through on his part

            …of giving up my comfort

            …of failing

            There are so many things that I am afraid of. There are so many reasons I can think of to doubt and worry and live in fear. And yet all of them are crushed under the promises of my God.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity
(of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear),
but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love
and of a calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
-2 Timothy 1:7

              How clear it is that I don’t believe my God is powerful enough to truly overcome and help me relinquish my fears. And of course what was the sermon about on Sunday…2 Timothy 1:7 I have to start believing in my God. Last night at bible study we talked about Galatians 3 and Paul’s ideas that what sums up our position before God is belief, is our faith. So now it begins with drilling into my head the promises he has given me to believe in his power and start to relinquish my fears to him.

            “Do not fear” is the most often used phrase in the Bible, over 216 times all translations. That should be no surprise to us as humans who constantly live in fear. In a few translations it appears exactly 365 times. So we can chose to see that as every single day when we wake up, the Lord is telling us to fear not. Lord help us believe, Lord help us to simply trust.

            And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. Ruth 3:11

            Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Joshua 1:5

            “You are my servant,

                        I have chosen you and not cast you off;

            fear not, for I am with you;

                        be not dismayed, for I am your God;

            I will strengthen you, I will help you,

                        I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:9-10

             I will fear no evil for You are with me. Psalm 23:4   

       I sought the Lord and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4   

          "I will be to her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midst of her." Zechariah 2:5

            What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

            “For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

            we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

            No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39

            Whenever I contemplate these verses, these truths, I think of horses. I think of so many memories of riding, of simply sitting on the back of a powerful and beautiful part of God’s creation. God has used horses in my life time and time again to teach me how to relinquish my fears. My fears of dying, loss, hurt, pain, loneliness, brokenness, failure, doubt, and so many more.

            Mounting the back of horse requires an incredible amount of trust, in oneself and in the horse. You are trusting that you have the skill and expertise and even sense to communicate with your horse and you are trusting that when you do so he will obey and follow you. This so beautifully portrays our relationship to Christ. We have to trust him to do his part and when we do, we slowly begin to trust that we can do our part, only with him. Only with him. I am thankful for that picture in my life and how I can look back and be challenged once again to learn to trust in my God and let him take my fears and my doubts.

            He has given us his power, his word, his Spirit. He has given us everything we need to live and to follow him in obedience as we chose, each day, to die to ourselves and our sin and our junk and even our fears, so we can live with him.

            "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire." 2 Peter 1:3-4

             Thank you father for your promises. Thank you for your power. Thank you that you are always with us and you never leave us nor forsake us.