Afraid No More

Afraid No More
Ps.46:1-3 NKJV
"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling."
What are we afraid of in this life? I believe a good many of our inactions in this life can be traced back to a heart of fear. We're afraid of the possible outcome, we're afraid of what might/might not happen, we're afraid of what someone might think or say about us or to us, we're afraid of how others will respond, we're afraid of our own reactions or failures. We are so afraid of the unknown that we never come to know what could have been. We're so afraid to fail that we never take the step to try and do. We're so afraid of everything and everyone around us that we fail our God, the only One whom we should fear. 

Consider this verse soberly:
Though the earth be removed! 
Though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea! 
Though the waters roar! 
Though the waters be troubled! 
Though the mountains SHAKE with its swelling! 
Though the very world itself be thrown into chaos and terrifying turmoil, WE WILL NOT FEAR! Why? Because God. He is OUR refuge and OUR strength. He, the Creator of it all, is a very present help in time of trouble. The very Lord Himself is OUR help! Now, honestly here, what is there in this life to fear when those facts are made clear in our minds and hearts?! 

Friends, consider how powerful is the God whom we serve! When I look about and see the chaos in our world, I don't freak out, I don't throw up my hands and run screaming in panic from the room, I don't see doom and gloom. No. Here's what I see: hope and opportunity. I see hope; hope because I know the God whom I serve and I know that no matter how bad it gets for you and I here, my Lord overcame it all and through Him I can as well (Jn.16:33). All the bad in this world helps me to realize that this life is temporary; I take comfort that the Lord has prepared a place where sin and corruption doesn't dwell, and where nothing defiled shall enter. My Lord has prepared a place for His faithful servants to dwell for eternity, and I'm headed there no matter what may come. I see opportunity; opportunity to shine my light and show others the way to Christ, to salvation, the way to live higher than the grim picture painted daily before them. I know that I, too, can overcome anything this world throws at me because I serve the Creator and Savior of all, and it's in His footsteps that I walk. 

Through my Lord Jesus Christ I can, and I will, overcome.

How about you, friend? Do you have hope, do you see opportunity? Or do you live in constant fear - of mankind, of earthly things, of the forces of evil, of things imagined or of things real, etc. - because you're failing to live up to the standard of Christ and are lacking in your faith? 

We all have moments where our faith fails or is lacking, the question is have you and I gotten back up from that fall and rejoined ourselves to our Savior on the straight path to heaven. Are we on that straight road or are we headed for destruction?

Now, thinking through these thoughts, how terrible would it be to be on the receiving end of His wrath? Realizing that He is the Judge of all mankind: that He sees all, knows all, is everywhere, nothing is hidden from His sight; what will we now do with this renewed knowledge? Shall we continue in our sin or keep ourselves far from it?

Think soberly about every action today. Realize that we have nothing to fear as long as we abide in Him, yet we have pure unadulterated dread - sheer terror! - if we fail to serve Him faithfully (2Pet.3:7-18). 

The evil of this world talk too much, where are the righteous to boldly speak up? There is way too much noise from sinful people, who will teach the world the gospel of Jesus Christ? There are too many voices raised in defiance of the truth of God, which of us will stand in opposition to the error and stand firmly with our Lord? Replace the noise with substance. Replace the words of death by sin with words of life by Jesus Christ. Defeat the error by speaking the truth - in love for the lost souls of mankind - without fear or favor of men. 

What are we afraid of in this life? 
Mistreatment from evil men? Isolation? Ridicule? Hatred? Bodily injury? Rejection? Severed earthly bonds? Death? Christ suffered more, friend, and He arose and overcame death and all that this life threw at Him so that we might have life eternal; and that more abundantly. 

Why would we not suffer for His sake? What shall stand in our way (Matt.16:26; Rom.8:31-39)? Read again the verse we began with and note what we can face, and be unafraid of, when God is our strength, our refuge, our very present help. 

Let nothing stand in your way today, be afraid no longer. 
Silence the noise of the world with the saving message of Jesus Christ. 
Serve the Lord and overcome this world! 

Afraid. No. More! 
Ps.56:11 NKJV
"In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

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