Skip to main content

“A lot of us right now are so fearful.”

A thought by Ed Young, from his book, The Fear Virus: Vaccinating Yourself Against Life's Greatest Phobias (p.23). Creality Publishing. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

But we don’t need to stay that way, do we?

Ed says, “We are in such turmoil, so apprehensive and anxious. Our heavenly Father is saying to us right now, ‘Trust me, I’m in control, I will get you through this and I will show you the way. You are safe with me. I know the way home.’

“It’s one thing to trust God in times of plenty; we can sing worship songs about His goodness all day long. It’s a completely different thing to trust God in times of lack, times of want, times of fear. In times like these, we all need the reminder that God is trustworthy.”

He goes on, “Do you know what the word trust means? Our English word trust comes from an Indo-European root word meaning ‘to be solid,’ which is also the source of our word tree. If you want to be firmly planted, if you want to have deep roots, if you want your life to be solid, sturdy, and firm, then trust God. He is the only One who deserves our trust; He will never let us down. Placing your trust in yourself is like trusting in a daisy. When one of life’s storms comes, your roots aren’t going to be deep enough to remain planted. You will be uprooted and washed away. Only God is worthy of our trust.

“One section of Scripture has been the theme Scripture for the Young family for generations. It’s Proverbs 3:5-6: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight’ (NASB).”

He continues, “When we lean on our own understanding, we are in trouble. We are powerless. We are like the man building his house on shaky foundations that can’t withstand trials. Our own understanding is so easily plagued by fear. But when we lean on God’s understanding—lean into His love—we are powerful. We are firm. We look at our fears through the lens of His love. What a message of hope.”

Ed then says, “We trust God by getting on our knees, naming our fears, taking our thoughts captive, and praying for His wisdom and guidance. God will navigate the snakes of life for us, we just have to trust Him and follow His guidance. When we pray, we are admitting our shortcomings and submitting to His will and control. Philippians 4:6 says: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’ Does this say just in tragedies? Does this say just in catastrophic things? Does this say when you are getting ready to close the big deal or undergo major surgery? No, it says, in every situation, pray. And then look what will happen: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, emphasis added).”

And that is what we needed to hear at the beginning of this new week, isn’t it?

Yes, yes!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Jesus comes in the midst of the torrent."

  A thought by Max Lucado from his book,  You Are Never Alone  (p. 60). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)   We all have storms in our lives, don't we? Max says, "No one gets through life scot-free. At one point or another the sky will darken, the winds will rage, and we will find ourselves in a modern-day version of the Galilean gusher." John 6:16–18 (NIV) says, "When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough." Max goes on, "The hearts of the followers began to sink as their boat was certain to do. Their skin was soaked, throats hoarse, eyes wide. They searched the sky for a break in the clouds. They gripped the boat for fear of the waves. They screamed their prayers for help. But they heard nothing. "If only Jesu
Post a Comment
Read more

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life.   It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed.   Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life.   Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you.   You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good.   Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because God is good He will use e
Post a Comment
Read more

“What areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 35). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Rick posed this question at the end of his chapter, You Are Not an Accident.   In this chapter he deals with the fact that God created you the way you are with a purpose.   In other words you are not an accident.   I am also reading the Apostle John’s view of Jesus and what He said and did while He was here on earth.   In the beginning of Chapter 9 there is a story about a blind man.   And the disciples who were with Him asked Him a good question, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind? ”   Have you ever asked the same thing about something in you that you don’t like?   Like that characteristic is a curse or something.   Society has set a standard that is not a standard of God.   Remember, He created you and you are not an accident. Jesus did answer the question about the blind
Post a Comment
Read more