Dearly Beloved,
I just received an email from one of our precious saints here at Valley. The question was, “Hi Glen, what do you do when you are afraid?”
How would you have responded? What do you do when panic, worry, anxiety, and serious concerns come upon you out of the blue? I sent an email back to this Christ follower with the verses below as a reminder of God’s goodness, presence, power, promises, and grace.
- Isaiah 41:10 – “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.”
- 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
- Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Psalm 34:4 – “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
- Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
- Psalm 56:3-4 – “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”
- John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
- Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
- Romans 8:15 – “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!'”
- 1 Peter 5:6-7 – “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”
Friends, there is no deliverance from fear, worry, anxiety, problems, or dilemmas, apart from believing and resting on the promises of our authoritative King! Last Sunday Kurt reminded us of “truthful facts” – Christ qualified us, rescued us, redeemed us, loved us, empowered us, and delivered us from the “fear” of death.
If you ever wonder, “Who is this Christ who has done all this?” read Col. 1:15-20 aloud 3 times and meditate on those verses. It would really benefit you if you could memorize them. The Holy Spirit does not recall things out of a vacuum, but if you hide His Word in your heart – well, I could give you hundreds of verses regarding the blessings and benefits. The largest blessing is that your view of our Savior King will fascinate your mind and satisfy the longings in your heart!
Because He must increase,
Glen