Fear

Devotion (Day 2)

What is it that you are afraid of?
Right now, list out some specific fears in your life before God. Some may include:
ü Fear of failure
ü Fear of commitment
ü Fear of declining health
ü Fear of the future and what it holds
ü Fear of new situations

Now, list out some specific fears related to foreign missions. Some may include:
ü Fear of not being able to communicate because of language
ü Fear of getting sick
ü Fear of people not liking me
ü Fear of the food
ü Fear of not having enough time to accomplish all that I’ve been asked to do

Right now, lay out these fears before God.

My biggest fear in life is fear of failure. I am so afraid to fail. I stay up at night until every task on my work list is completed because I’m afraid I’ll forget something or let someone down (that’s why so often you’ll see emails from me at 1:00—I’m completing my list). I feel such a sense of responsibility to the things I’m committed to, that I can’t stand the thought of failing. This fear of failure gets me in more trouble and sin than anything else. It gets me into trouble and into sinful worrying because it causes me often to draw from my own strength, which wears me down fast to where I truly am useless. It causes sinful anxiety. This is something that I battle every day. I can’t stand the thought of me failing or allowing something to fail.

Here are the things satan often whispers in my ear. Perhaps you’ve experienced some of the same words. “You are not good enough.” “One person can’t change the world.” “You are not making a difference.” “You are inadequate.” “What you are doing is not important.” “You are going to fail.”

You know what? These statements are ALL true statements “apart from God’s Power.” Apart from God’s Power, we aren’t good enough, we aren’t going to change the world, we aren’t going to make a difference….etc. But what satan underestimates is God’s Power. When we tap into His Power, His Strength, His Presence, we are good enough. We can change the world. What we are doing is of the utmost importance.

Let’s take a moment and read two passages that remind us of who He is—of His power and His strength.
*Read Psalm 19:7-14
*Read Job 38-41 You can read the whole thing, or just get the gist of it. (after 37 chapters of Job moaning and groaning and questioning, God answers him in a powerful way—these are perhaps my favorite chapters of the Old Testament because they remind me of who God is).

Job follows that up, and replies to God:
*Read Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.”

Now, read Matthew 6:25-34. Be reminded of how important you are to God. Be reminded that He will take care of your worries and fears. Remember to seek Him first and His Kingdom, and everything else will fall into place.

My prayer for you today is to take those fears that you listed above. Place them in God’s hands, and on His shoulders. Read Matthew 11:28-30:

Jesus says, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Right now, cast every fear, every doubt and every inadequacy upon Him. Stop drawing from your own strength, and make the commitment right now that you will draw from His strength.

Here’s the bottom line: God is God, and we are not. His strength is perfect. His methods are right. He loves us, and has our best interests at heart. Take those earlier statements of inadequacy that are so often whispered in your ear, and replace them with these truths. Again: God is God, and we are not. His strength is perfect. His methods are right. He loves us, and has our best interests at heart.

I want to close this devotion with another of my favorite uplifting passages of scripture, taken from Isaiah 40:28-31
“Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
They will run and not grow weary,
They will walk and not be faint.”
As Christians trying to live our lives in this world AND spread the Good News, there is a lot of work to be done. There are a lot of new people to minister to—some within our own family or neighborhood. Step out of your comfort zone—God has your back! Draw from His strength. Walk, run, soar!