Fear

“God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies; The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm,
And the clouds are the dust of His feet.
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry,And dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither,And the flower of Lebanon wilts.The mountains quake before Him,The hills melt,And the earth heaves at His presence,Yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation?And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?
His fury is poured out like fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him. The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.”
Nahum 1:2-7 NKJV

Fear

Scary times! I turn on the television and news is overwhelming! I look at social media and it is worse. Many of the people I know are caught up in this conspiracy or that one, worrying about things that “could” happen. There is no consideration of the likelihood of such dire occurrences actually happening, only dire panic and urgent desire to send it off to someone as a message, or post it in the hopes of sharing their worry with like minded people.

In my life I have a multitude of things in my life that could give me an overwhelming sense of foreboding if I let it. I have lots of real and present potentialities that “could” happen in my health, in my finances, in the basic conduct of my day. If I were swept up by the fear, I wouldn’t even get out of bed. When I consider the things coming in the future to oppose the Church of Jesus Christ, I could easily be obsessed and defeated before the battle even starts.

Fortunately, I belong to a dangerous God. When I stop and consider the judgement that is coming to the world, and the signs that I am already seeing, I know that I can have peace and I don’t have to be consumed by all the things that could happen. Whether it be political takeovers, future and present pandemics, or even the dreaded cashless society, I know that I am covered by Jehovah Sabaoth, God Almighty, who is sovereign over all things.

Those of you who call upon the name of the Lord have no fear! Our God is for us! I read through the passage today and I could sense the tension in me build up as I considered the great power of God in raining destruction on His enemies. It all seemed so dire. Then I got to the part where He is a stronghold in the day of trouble. Brothers and sisters, we are heading into that day of trouble. Take comfort in knowing that as the world goes to hell in a hand basket, you can have peace.

I love my mornings. God has created a quiet space where He is all I need. I fill my house with worship music, coffee and prayer, with a healthy dose of Scripture and I have an enclave, a place of shelter. I urge you to find those moments to be alone with the Lord.

Surrendering fear is an intentional act, as I choose not to be swept away by the prevailing winds of the storm looming. It is like the Levite’s carrying the Ark of the Covenant into the Jordan River at flood stage. The waters spread apart as they made the faith filled step. God will give you the peace you crave as you take that step of faith to shed the worries and embrace faith in Jesus. He will never leave you, nor forsake you.

He is ahead of your darkest day, He is is in the midst of your worst moment to come. He has all sufficient grace to carry you and give you strength.

The LORD bless you, and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’
Numbers 6:24-26 NASB

DO NOT FEAR