Reflections in The WORD

Latest Posts

FEAR NOT: Trust God (Even) More

“And Elijah said unto her, FEAR NOT; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.” ~ 1 Kings 17:13

FEAR NOT: Trust God (Even) More

Under ‘normal’ circumstances widows and their children (which the Bible calls orphans) were among the most vulnerable in society in the times of Elijah. They had no husband to protect them or provide for them. Consequently, they were often taken advantage of by men and often became slaves because of their eventual, perhaps inevitable, indebtedness.

But these weren’t ‘normal’ times, it was worse, much worse. Israel was in the midst of a long drought (which God had used Elijah to pronounce, 1 Kings 17:1) which had led to economic collapse. As a result, it seems, the widow had run out of food. She just had enough left to make a fried flatbread (“cake”) which she would share with her son as their last meal before starvation. She was facing the ultimate crisis, with no one to turn to. And she was facing the ultimate failure as a mother: the inability to care for her child.

In the middle of this crisis, here comes Elijah, the man of God.

Elijah, the man of God asks here to do what seems impossibly unreasonable: to give him a meal FIRST. “FEAR NOT” he says… “Fear not?!!?!” she must have thought. At her lowest point, God (through Elijah) was challenging her to give: to exercise faith while staring into the abyss.

Sometimes God challenges us in similar ways. When our lives are falling apart, will we still put out trust in God? Will we still put Him first? It’s easy to ‘put God first’ when things are going well. But how about when we lose our homes, or our health, or our jobs, or our children, or ‘all of the above’? Will we put God first then?

It is at these crisis points in our lives that we discover who we really are and who God really is.

The widow of Zarephath learned that she had more faith than she realized and she learned that God will sustain the one who trusts in Him. The widow made a meal for Elijah and God made sure her meal sack and her oil jar never emptied (1 Kings 17:14-20). In reflection, it is important to note that result was not promised to her. Elijah never said, ‘if you feed me God will bless you’. There was no transactional commitment. There was only a challenge to exercise faith in a very, very practical way.

Similarly, when God challenges us, we often can’t see the benefit: we can’t decipher how trusting in Him will make things any better. Indeed, we often are tempted to think “well, we trusted Him already… and it doesn’t seem to be working out… I am about to lose everything”. But God still insists, “trust Me, put Me first… FEAR NOT”.

We are not told why the widow decided to take a leap of faith. Was it fear of Elijah? Was it Fear of God? Was it apathy, the grim realization that death by starvation was imminent either way? We do not know. We only know that she did exercise faith and that God did bless her, and her son.

When the Christians in the early church (~ 1900 years ago) were put in the Colosseum to be mauled by lions, they had to exercise their faith too. They had to decide to trust in God, even if they would be put to death for that faith. Many believers did die in that horrible fashion, but God was still faithful. Because of their sacrifice, because of their faith, many, many hearts were broken. And,eventually, an entire empire turned away from idols and turned to God.

Yes, even in their death, God was faithful. For He used their deaths to bring life to many, many more… and we still benefit from their martyrdom today: their meal sack has not emptied and their oil jar still has oil in it.

If we make the leap of faith like the widow did, we too will find that God is faithful. Like the widow, we don’t know how things will turn out. But we will discover that, in life greatest challenges, the only faithful option, the only option that has any chance of rescuing us, is to FEAR NOT. Let’s put our trust in God.

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: Focus on your Future, NOT your Past

Published by reflectionsintheword

(part of picture from NPR)

“And Samuel said unto the people, FEAR NOT: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart” ~ 1 Samuel 12:20

FEAR NOT: Focus on your Future, NOT your Past

The people had sinned yet again. Now they had failed to put their trust in God, rather they wanted a king so that they could be like the pagan nations in their region. Aware of their sin they were worried God would punish them.

Yet God’s word to them through His servant Samuel, was FEAR NOT. Instead of focusing on the people’s sin. God focused on their future “…yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart”.

Paul echoes this sentiment in the letter to the Philippian church

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 3:13-14

The lesson to us is this: don’t dwell on the failure of the past. God doesn’t and neither should we. Rather, we must keep our focus on the righteousness of the future. Does, the past matter? Absolutely, it does. Errors of the past can have a long-lasting effect on our lives. BUT the future matters much more. God is concerned more about where we are going than where we are from. We can never UNDO the wrongs of yesterday, BUT we can get things right for tomorrow.

FEAR NOT, God wants to help us get it right from now onwards.
FEAR NOT, focus on God, He will guide us.
FEAR NOT, God will wash our (confessed) sins away and lead us to a better day.
FEAR NOT, let us hold on to our future and let go of our past.

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: “Seeing” God is a Blessing: Get to Know Him

Published by reflectionsintheword

“And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, ‘Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.’
And the Lord said unto him, ‘Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.'” ~ Judges 6:22-23

FEAR NOT: “Seeing” God is a Blessing: Get to Know Him

Gideon saw an angel of The Lord and thought he would die because as a result.

This was a wrong concept that seemed to have developed over the years, likely influenced by pagan traditions of the Caananite peoples/nations or simply due to a lack of understanding.

First of all, no one accidentally stumbles upon God or His messenger. If one were to see the face of God it could only happen if God intended it. Likewise, if one were to see the face of God’s messenger, an “angel of the LORD”, it too could only happen if God intended it. Second, seeing God or an “angel of the LORD” was not a curse; it was a Blessing.

We see both these principles at work when Moses ASKED God (i.e., Moses sought a blessing) for permission to see Him. And God CHOSE (i.e., it was intentional, not accidental) to reveal Himself partially to Moses (Exodus 33:12-23). Indeed, God did not give Moses a full view, because His Holiness was too great. But the point is that it was a blessed experience, NOT a curse.

Like Gideon, many of our fears concerning God arise from misconceptions due to cultural influences and/or a lack of knowledge of God’s WORD.

For example, a common misunderstanding is that we are guardians of our salvation: that if we “slip up” we risk losing our salvation. However, The WORD makes it clear that Jesus is the guardian of our salvation (John 17:12) and it is God who ensures our progress to spiritual maturity (Philippians 1:6). Those who are truly saved have a new heart (2 Corinthians 5:17) and a new purpose that is supplied by God Himself.

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” ~ Philippians 2:13

Two more examples of common misconceptions are that God is “only” a judge and, at the other end of the spectrum, that God is “only” love (i.e., a ‘good-hearted’, benevolent ‘grandfather’). Both of these concepts, by themselves, are false. God is not one or the other, God loves us and is willing to die for us (John 3:16-17, 15:13-14) AND God will judge those who refuse to submit to Him (Revelation 20:12-15).

The point is that misconceptions, misunderstandings, hinder us; making it difficult for us to hear from God. They make it hard to understand what God is doing in our lives because they project the wrong image of God’s character.

But there is good news: Gideon’s fear arose from not knowing who God was, but God was not going to punish him for His mistake, for his lack of understanding: as our text says, “FEAR NOT, thou shalt not die”. Rather, God was going to give Gideon the opportunity to lead His people out of bondage/oppression. Despite Gideon’s weakness God was going to bring victory to the Hebrews through him.

That’s the key: despite our weaknesses, God is still willing to employ us in His Kingdom, if we will let Him. God doesn’t wait for perfection: God will use even the little faith we have to work great things through us (Matthew 17:20), will you let Him work in you?

FEAR NOT, God intends to work triumphantly through ALL Believers. FEAR NOT, God will meet us where we are. FEAR NOT, God Himself will grow us into mature, fruit-bearing saints. The only question is: will you, will I, will we let Him?

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: Our God is (infinitely) Bigger

Published by reflectionsintheword

“And I said unto you, ‘I am the LORD your God; FEAR NOT the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell’: but ye have not obeyed my voice.” ~ Judges 6:10

FEAR NOT: Our God is (infinitely) Bigger

God had instructed the Hebrews not to be afraid of the gods of the Amorites. This instruction challenged the Hebrews: to obey God meant that they must respect His Word over that of the Amorites. In effect, they were being challenged to decide which god was greater. Should they listen to Jehovah? Or, should they listen to the Amorites and their gods?

We face the same challenge in our lives everyday: If our God, Jehovah, is our Healer, why do we fear illness/disease? If Jehovah is our provider, why do we fear poverty? If Jehovah is our shield, why do we fear our enemies?

Is there an illness/disease that God cannot cure? Will God run out of supplies to take care of us? Is there an enemy too big for God to defeat?

Like the Hebrews, our ongoing problem is that we doubt God’s love for us and we mistake battles for defeats: Our courage melts away in the heat of the battle: we forget the victory is already won.

The Hebrews had won great battles, God had given them the land. But, instead of growing in faithfulness, they grew in fearfulness. So eventually they thought the very enemies that Jehovah had defeated for them somehow had a greater god than their God, Jehovah.

Whatever trial is facing you now, remember how far God has carried you: remember how many battles you have won, by His enabling power: by His grace. Let us not shrink back in the heat of the battle. If Jehovah IS God, then there is nothing that can defeat you. Yes, trials will come, and battles must be fought. But FEAR NOT your God is Victorious, live in His victory. Amen!

“But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” ~ Hebrews 10:39

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: We are Tested so We can Testify

Published by reflectionsintheword

‎”And Joshua said unto them, ‘FEAR NOT, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.'” ~ Joshua 10:25

FEAR NOT: We Tested so we can Testify

Throughout his life, Joshua had experienced God’s constant faithfulness: Joshua knew there was nothing to fear when walking in the will of The LORD. Joshua was, therefore, now able to confidently tell the people to FEAR NOT.

Similarly, as we experience God’s faithfulness in our own lives, it is right for us to pass this on to others: to declare unto all the tender mercies of God: to make known His faithfulness and love.

When we have experienced it ourselves, we can say with authority that God WILL walk with us through the fire and the flood (Isaiah 43:1-3). We can confidently testify of God’s faithfulness on the battlefield, when we have been in the battle ourselves. We can proclaim God’s faithfulness in the storms of life, when we have been through those storms leaning on Him.

Faith must be authenticated by trials: faith must be tested: faith must be validated.

If the people asked Joshua “How do you know God will be with us?” Joshua could answer: “Because God was with me: God sustained me in the battle. He lifted me up when I was weak. He led the way. He made my steps sure. I know God is faithful because even when I failed, God did not fail.”

If we have experienced God’s faithfulness in our lives, let us tell others. Let us spread the news that God is faithful: Let us, like Joshua, publicly declare to our brothers and sisters in Christ: FEAR NOT, God will fight for His people!

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: Shun Sin Instead

Published by reflectionsintheword

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, FEAR NOT, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land” ~ Joshua 8:1

FEAR NOT: Let’s Shun Sin Instead

The Hebrew nation had just suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of the small city of Ai, because of Achan’s sin (Joshua 7). Having rooted out that sin, God now encourages Joshua to do battle with Ai again. This time Joshua would be victorious.

Sometimes we also suffer defeats in our lives because of our sins. And the message for us is the same: GET RID OF THE SIN!!!

Once we stop harboring hidden, un-confessed sin in our lives we will suffer defeat, because God is not with us. But, when we stop deluding ourselves and instead confess our sin(s) to God, God will forgive us; He will walk with us, and we will triumph in The LORD!

FEAR NOT, if the sin is gone,
The battles will be won!
FEAR NOT, put the sin away
And experience triumph today!

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: The LORD goes Before Us, The LORD is With Us, The LORD will not Leave Us

Published by reflectionsintheword

‎”And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: FEAR NOT, neither be dismayed.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:8

FEAR NOT: The LORD goes Before Us, The LORD is With Us, The LORD will not Leave Us

In this verse we see three reasons to “FEAR NOT”, namely

The LORD goes before us
The LORD is with us
THE LORD will not leave us

FEAR NOT, the Lord goes before us! If God goes ahead of us, it means the battle is already won. Who/What can stand before God? Who/What can resist God’s infinite power? When The LORD goes before us, He leaves a Trail of Triumph for us to walk in: as long as we follow Him, as long as we walk in the paths He has laid out, we cannot fail.

FEAR NOT, The Lord is with/beside us! As He promises in Isaiah 43:1-3, when we go through the fire He will be there. The battle is won, the victory is sure but we still have a fight to finish. And The LORD assures us that He will be right by our side: While we serve Him, we don’t go into any fight alone. When the doctor brings bad news, you are not alone, The LORD is right there. When your company announces cutbacks, and you lose your job… you are not alone. When you were attacked, violated… you were not alone. The world we live in is evil and decaying. And just like anyone else believer’s are ravaged by world-wrought-wickedness, but the difference is, BELIEVERS are NOT alone… God is right by our side: close, ready to give support to reach out and comfort, to reach out and strengthen. FEAR NOT, God is right by your side.

FEAR NOT, The LORD will never forsake us, He will never leave us alone! When the battle gets tough He will be there, He won’t flinch… because He has already won the victory for us. BUT, even more than that. We can’t “make” Him go. We often have the misguided notion that our sins/weaknesses will force God to abandon us. That is not true. Even when Peter denied Jesus, three times, The LORD never forsook Peter. instead, after the resurrection Jesus took the time to restore Peter: to encourage him and reassure Him (John 21:15-19). Just like Peter, we will make BIG mistakes, “whoppers”, BUT The LORD will never give up on us, He won’t forsake us. When we fall down, The LORD does not kick us. The LORD will not abandon the wounded believer on the battlefield of life. FEAR NOT, The LORD will never forsake you!

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: Overcome Obstacles with Obedience

Published by reflectionsintheword

“Be strong and of a good courage, FEAR NOT, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:6

FEAR NOT: Overcome Obstacles with Obedience

If we are walking with God, what can harm us? …… Nothing!

Is there an obstacle we can’t overcome with God holding our hands? …… No!

Can someone else snatch us away from God’s side? …… No!

Our fear is often that God will lead us down path’s we do not want to travel. We fear that God will challenge us in ways we don’t want to be challenged.

The task that God gave the Israelites was to conquer the people of Canaan. Two purposes of this this task were that, in performing them, they would learn to be obedient to Him and to trust Him to fight their battles for them. God had already assured their victory, but only through obedience could they claim/gain that victory.

Similarly, soldiers go through vigorous training, before they go into battle, to teach them to respond instantly to orders on the battlefield. Even in the secular world, obedience is key to victory.

likewise, God allows us to face tests and challenges so that we will learn to rely on Him and to be instantly obedient to His every command on the battlefield of life. God won’t leave us alone when the going gets tough, but we must walk in obedience to be victorious.

FEAR NOT… just be obedient instead.

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” ~ Romans 6:16

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: Believers, God is for Us!

Published by reflectionsintheword

“And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, FEAR NOT, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them” ~ Deuteronomy 20:3

FEAR NOT: Believers, God is for Us!

As Believers face battles, obstacles, difficulties, and challenges in life. We must take courage that God IS on our side, that God is for us (Psalm 56:9b). God wants us to succeed: He wants us to be victorious.

To be clear, the victory God seeks for us is not as the world defines it. Victory in the Kingdom of God, is defeating satan and self (i.e., the flesh, Galatians 5:24). Jesus was victorious through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Likewise, since we find our victory in Jesus, we will be victorious when we die to sin and live in the power of God’s enabling grace.

FEAR NOT, God is at work in us to give us the grace we need to TRIUMPH. In the words of a favorite song:

We will triumph in the Lord
We will triumph like never before
For greater is He who makes me overcome
We will walk in the power of His might
We will shine forth His glorious light
For greater is He who makes me overcome

FEAR NOT!

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: There is a Way out of the Wilderness

Published by reflectionsintheword

‎”Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; FEAR NOT, neither be discouraged.” ~ Deuteronomy 1:21

FEAR NOT: There is a Way out of the Wilderness

After forty years wandering in the wilderness, the Hebrews were about to enter the Promised Land. And God, through Moses, encouraged them to FEAR NOT and to not be discouraged. Canaan had giants living there, and many of the main cities were fortified. From a human standpoint, it must have seemed quite daunting to attempt to conquer such a place.

Likewise, God has a plan for the life of every Believer (Ephesians 2:10). Part of that plan is for us to move from wandering in the wilderness of carnality and spiritual immaturity. God wants us to take hold of the life He has planned for us: He wants us to live life abundant: full of His grace and mercy; shining forth His Light to guide sinners safely to Him. But to do that we have to face and conquer the giants and tear down the fortresses in our lives.

We need to defeat the giant of laziness, the fortress of selfishness, the ogre of pornography, the metropolis of materialism, the goblin of gossip, the arena of anger, bastion of sexual immorality, the monster of compromise and more… so much more.

If we don’t, if we refuse to fight the giants that stand between us and the place, the person, God wants us to be then we will live in the “wilderness” for the rest of our lives.

But there is GOOD NEWS!!! We won’t have to fight the battle alone, We won’t have to rely in our own (feeble, and ineffectual) strength. God Himself will fight for us. When the Hebrews went into their first battle (against Jericho, Joshua 6). God Himself tore down the walls of Jericho. All they had to do was follow God’s instructions and shout praises to Him when they were told to.

Let us learn from them, let us be obedient to God as He leads us, and let us shout praises to His Name: let us honor Him with every aspect of our lives. He will tear down the strongholds in our lives when we do.

FEAR NOT God will fight for us, till the very end and through Him we will have the victory (Philippians 1:6) FEAR NOT!!!

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.