Tag: fear

Luke 12:6-7 (ESV)

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.  Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Reflection:

Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you are left wondering, “Did they ask me or did they tell me?” Was it a command or was it a request? What is Jesus doing in this passage? Is He commanding us to “Fear not“, or is He suggesting to us that we need not fear? I do not believe Jesus is suggesting to us there is a possibility that the sparrows go unnoticed before God, nor is Jesus suggesting God roughly knows how many hairs are upon your head. Jesus is decisive in what He says, “Not one of them (sparrows) is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” Therefore, I believe He remains decisive in what follows, “Fear not.” Sometimes we need more than a suggestion; we need a firm but loving instruction, “Fear not!” Our heart and soul need that reassurance, especially now! We need to remind ourselves, “Fear not,” when we watch the news or when we walk through the grocery aisle or when we look at the bank balance. We are precious before our Father in Heaven. He knows us, loves us, and encourages us, “Fear not!”

Prayer outline:

Father, You know the number of hairs on my head. You know my thoughts, my delights, my fears. You know all there is to know about me, and still You chose me. For this I praise Your name! Open my ears to hear Your words, “Fear not.” Strengthen my soul within me. May I move from fear to faith and from anxiety to hope. May I know the love that knows me so well. This I pray in Your name Jesus. Amen.

Find the whole Words of Life series here

Psalm 27:1 (NLT)

“Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?”

Reflection:

“It’s not about you.” You have probably heard this many times. Parents, preachers, teachers; we all use it at some stage. I am sure though, that the person using it is trying to show us that our actions and desires affect those around us. Yet, in this Psalm, David uses words like: my, I and me. He expresses all that God is doing for him. I would probably have reminded David, if I was standing over his shoulder, as he penned the psalm, “David, it is not all about you. For God so loved the world, David, the WORLD.” Yet, on the cross we see Jesus, in the very act of taking away the sins of the world, reaching out to a thief. He then makes sure that Mary, His mother, is looked after. After all, He told us how the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to rescue the one.

Be encouraged, God comes to YOU at this time, and every time. The Lord is YOUR light, YOUR salvation. YOU do not need to be afraid. The LORD is YOUR fortress, He protects YOU from danger. Why then should YOU tremble?

Prayer outline:

• Write down how God has come to YOU over your lifetime.
• Reflect and remind yourself of His faithfulness, His love, His grace. 
• Confess the truth of Psalm 27:1 over your life.
• Commit it to memory, even if all you manage is, “The LORD is my light and my salvation

Find the whole Words of Life series here

Philippians 4:4-8 (NIV)

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Reflection:

This is a well known scripture. I am sure many of you have prayed it through, stuck it up on the fridge or encouraged little ones with it. Rightly so! It speaks straight to the heart of what many of us face, namely, anxiety. 

Firstly, Paul recognises that we do feel anxious at times. Fear and doubt creep in, our thoughts of hope are stolen from us and our mind runs down a path shadowed by despair. His instruction is clear: “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” If need be, do this over and over and over again. His promise is true, His peace will guard your heart and mind.

Secondly, Paul directs us to place boundaries in our thought life, a list by which our thoughts should be characterised. Maybe that means placing guards on social media, news broadcasts and controversies (1 Tim 6:4).  Start your day in God’s Word, not in Facebook; play worship music at home; let prayer and thanksgiving be the last act of your day before you close your eyes. Paul puts it better, “If anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things,” and, “Put it into practice.”

Prayer outline:

• Express your anxiety, share with Him how you feel. 
• Rejoice and give thanks to God.
• Tell Him what you need and what your requests are .
• Ask Him for the grace to change habitual thinking and to have His Word replace negative thoughts.

Find the whole Words of Life series here