Tag Archives: fear

July 13, 2012 · 9:21 AM

Freedom From Fear

Fear is a powerful emotion that grips a lot of people’s lives. It is crippling to those who live with it. It can keep you from sleeping, having relationships, friendships or from leaving your own house. It is a very difficult thing to live with.

If you haven’t ever had to live in fear, thank God. If you have had to or are living in fear, the Bible has answers for how to be released from its grip. I once lived in paralyzingly fear, but I held on to God’s Word and was set free.

Psalm 34:4 (AMP) gives us 3 things we can do to be free of fear.

1. Seek the Lord

The first thing to do when anything, especially fear, grips your life is to seek the Lord. Prayer is your first option. Spend time alone with God to let Him know that fear is taking over your life. When you seek God, it takes your mind off of what is stalking you.

In my own life, we went through each room in the house and prayed for God to send a Spirit of Peace. I sought the Lord in scripture and kept reading I Timothy 1:7. It says that God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. Peace comes from God, not fear.

2. Ask God for help

I like how the Amplified version puts this verse. It says, “require Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word].” When fear has you pinned down, you are asking Him for help out of necessity because you can’t move. God recognizes the urgency of a prayer born out of necessity and it moves Him to action.

The next part is like I mentioned before. You have to know what His Word says and promises to you. Many people in the Bible dealt with fear. You are not alone. Find out what God’s word says about overcoming fear. Claim the authority of the Bible in your own life and ask God to keep His promise in scripture to you.

3. Be delivered

The last part of that verse says that the Lord will hear you and deliver you from all your fears. The Lord is willing to deliver you, but you have to be willing as well. What I mean by this is that sometimes we get so caught up in a life of fear that we can’t remember life without it. We then become afraid of the change.

Allow God to deliver you of all your fears. God wants you to Walk in freedom and live in liberty. You were not made to live in a prison of fear. Once you are delivered, don’t go back to that prison. Learn to live in liberty free from fear. It may take some time, but it is worth it.

What fear is keeping you hostage right now? How has that impacted your life? Seek God for help, learn His word and what promises are available to you to free you and then allow Him to deliver you. God wants to give you a spirit of power, love and a sound mind so you can walk in freedom.

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July 5, 2012 · 8:58 AM

Getting peace in your body, mind and soul

I had the privilege several years ago to be able to visit Israel. I traveled all over the country visiting different sites and cities. In each place, I would stop and read from the Bible different passages of scripture that happened in each location. When I would do that, the scripture really became alive to me.

One of the places I visited that made a huge impact on me was the Mount of the Beatitudes. As I sat there reading Matthew 5, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace over me. It was unlike any other peace I had ever felt. My mind, body and spirit were all calm at once. It was amazing.

Scripture tells us that we can have that kind of peace between the three parts.

1. Peace in your mind

This is probably the most desired peace among people. We are caught up in a world that is fast paced and where debts are high. Our minds have so much information to process in such a short period of time that worry quickly sets in. Even through all of that, God wants your mind to have peace.

In John 14:27, Jesus said to not let our hearts be troubled and to stop letting ourselves to get agitated and disturbed because He was leaving His peace with us. When we don’t accept that peace, we allow ourselves to be agitated and disturbed with all the other thoughts that consume us. Put away those thoughts and accept the peace He gave you.

2. Peace in your body

Our bodies can easily grow weary. The days of 9-5 work are over. We now work sun up to sun down and then try to get the kids to practice or to games. We have friendships and relationships that we are also trying to maintain. Our bodies suffer from fatigue and often get sick as a result.

When Jesus healed people, He often told them to go in peace. Through the healing, He was also offering peace to their bodies that had been suffering. Scripture also says that God will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on the Lord. Peace in your mind will lead to peace in your body.

3. Peace in your soul

C. S. Lewis once said that we are not a body with a soul, but a soul with a body. Our soul is who we are. It is what this shell of flesh is around and what will live for eternity. A lot of people live in fear of not knowing where their soul will go once this body dies. When that fear is present, you do not have peace in your inner man. That lack of peace then translates to the rest of your being and then life.

Philippians 4:7 says that God’s peace shall be yours. That peace is a tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ. We can rest assured in our souls once we accept Christ as our savior we have that life. 1 John 5:12,13 say that whoever has the Son has life… I have written these things that you may know you have eternal life. Your soul can have that peace that it needs as well.

No matter what part of you needs peace, you can find it in Jesus. It takes us receiving it though which means we have to push out other things that are preventing it. God’s desire for you is that you have peace in your body, mind and soul. Pray for and accept that peace today and watch how your life changes.

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June 25, 2012 · 7:43 AM

Stepping out of your boat

Have you been in that place where you felt like God wanted you to do something, but were unsure? Maybe you felt the timing was off or the conditions weren’t right. God often calls us to do things in His timing, not ours. If we wait for things to be just right, we will never get them done. He is looking for obedience.

In my life, when I’ve felt that tug, I have stepped out in faith at times and done what was asked. There were other times where I missed the mark and immediately felt the regret of not doing it. I let that opportunity pass me by without acting.

In Matthew 14, Peter had an opportunity to step out in faith. His opportunity shows us three things that we can do when we are asked to step out.

1. Make sure it’s God asking

In the middle of a storm, Jesus came walking to the disciples on the water to comfort them. When they saw him coming, it scared them. Peter said, “Lord, if it’s you, ask me to join you.” When the Lord told him to come, Peter did as he was told.

Life often presents opportunities for us to step out in faith. Many of us recognize them, but won’t act without checking with God first. I’m a firm believer that it is scriptural to ask God to show you if something is His will. Gideon set mats outside his tent to test if he was hearing God. If you are unsure if God is asking you to do something, ask Him to prove it.

2. He stepped out of the boat

If we wait for the right time to step out of the boat, we will never move. When Peter got out of the boat, the waves were crashing against the boat and it was raining hard. Conditions were not ideal for him to step out. God doesn’t wait for things to be perfect to ask us to step out. It’s when we are in a storm or someone else is that we are asked to step out of the familiar and into the unknown.

A minute before Peter stepped out, he wasn’t even sure that it was Jesus who was asking. As a seasoned fisherman, he knew that his survival rate was minimal if he wasn’t able to walk on water. He took the step anyway. If your faith doesn’t defeat your logic, you will never get out of the boat. There were 11 others in the boat who listened to fear and logic. They will never know what it’s like to walk on water.

3. Stepping out doesn’t mean things will go perfectly

After getting completely out of the boat, Peter began to sink. Even in our greatest acts of faith, we still run the risk of failure. It is not one step Jesus asked Peter to make. It was multiple. Getting out of the boat was step one. We have to understand that while taking that first step is important, it’s not the last step of faith you are to make.

When Peter began to sink, he knew what to do. He called out for Jesus to help him. Jesus reached down and lifted him up. If you are sinking on step two wondering what is going on, call out for help. Jesus is there waiting to help you accomplish what He asked you to do.

What is it that God is asking you to do? If you can accomplish it on your own will and strength, it is not an act of faith. What is keeping you in the boat? Don’t let fear and logic keep you in the boat. First, make sure it is what God has asked you to do, then step out in faith.

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