Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Fear Not When..


"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” Isaiah 43:1-2

We should not be surprised when trouble comes upon us. Jesus told us that in this world that we would have many sorrows and troubles, but that we should have peace in Him. James tells us to count all joy when we have troubles because that is when our faith is tested, and our endurance has a chance to grow. When our endurance is fully developed, we will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (John 16:33, James 1:2-4)

But I love what our Lord has told us in Isaiah 43:1-3 the best. He said “Fear Not!”

“Fear not when..”

• You lose your job.
• You fall behind on your mortgage.
• You get a negative report from the doctor.
• You are persecuted.
• Troubles press in on every side and you feel completely overwhelmed.

Our Lord knew that we would have to go through all of this. That’s why he said WHEN you pass through the waters, through the rivers, and walk through the fire. He says, “I will be with you. I will not allow the rivers of trouble to overflow you. You will not be burned by the fire and the flames will not scorch you.” Thank you Jesus!

He is encouraging us to take heart and remember that we are His. We belong to Him and because we are His He will take care of us. Whether He has already made a way of escape or determines that He will walk us through the trials we have been redeemed. We are not alone in our troubles. So when fear comes knocking on the door of your heart allow faith to answer it and fear will flee.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord, For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

If you have allowed your roots to grow down deep in the Word of God then during the times when the heat comes and there is drought in the land you will not be crippled by fear. Instead you will still be full of hope and trust in the Lord. You will keep pressing forward leaving all of your troubles in His hands and knowing in your heart that everything will work out for your good no matter what. You will not lose focus or become distracted by your problems; instead you will continue to produce good fruit in your life. You will be an example to others and when they see your strength they will know that it is by the power of God that you are able to overcome. Your faithfulness and determination will bring glory to our Lord.

So when troubles come fear not! For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Do not be dismayed, for our Lord will help us and strengthen us. He will uphold us with his righteous right hand. (2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:10)



6 comments:

Michael Horvath said...

I love the way you use God's word to inspire. I cannot express what that does for me.

Lisa C. aka Trophy of Grace said...

I am glad Miles and thank you. I pray that our Lord will continue to use Consecrated to Him to minister and encourage you and all its readers. Glory be to God because it is by His wisdom that I do this.

Jundy Bautista said...

This entry is excellent! Keep up the great work!!!

Lisa C. aka Trophy of Grace said...

Thanks for stopping by Jundy. I appreciate the comment.

LisaShaw said...

In all circumstances we must fear not for GOD is with us. Amen! Amen!

As one whom God delivered from many FEARS years ago I can attest that we must FEAR NOT when anything happens. We can, we must lean on Him.

Praise the Lord! God bless you.

Lisa C. aka Trophy of Grace said...

Amen!! Thanks for the comment Lisa. I always enjoy your comments.

My God is Faithful!

My God is Faithful!
Psalm 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.He lifted me out of the slimy pit,out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.