Fear

Have you ever wished there was someone who could get you from one place to the next? Maybe you needed a ride because your car was in the shop. Or perhaps you longed for a promotion and hoped your boss could help you make a move.

Is the Lord interested in us moving from one place to another? Yes. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He taught them to pray, “deliver us from evil,” Matthew 6:13. Deliver us. Rescue us. Take us from evil to holiness.

Jesus’ prayer is answered for all who call on Him for salvation as Paul records in Colossians 1:13. “He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.” Deliver. Rescue. Take us from Satan’s kingdom to Christ’s kingdom.

Jesus is the Deliverer whom David prophesied was to come (Psalm 14:7) and to whom Paul referred in Romans 11:26, “…THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.”

Jesus is our deliverer from past, present, and future sin. He is our deliverer from evil. He is our deliverer from fears as David again testified. “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears,” Psalm 34:4.

If you are looking for someone to deliver you from evil, deliver you from past, present, and future sin and deliver you from your fears, look no further than Jesus.

Lord Jesus, we praise you, our DELIVERER. Thank You for rescuing us from the domain of darkness, from evil, from sin, and from our fears. We love and worship You.

Have you seen the look in a child’s eyes when they were afraid because they couldn’t find their parent? Have you watched that child locate their parent and run to him? Have you heard a child cry for their parent? If so, consider Romans 8:15, which says believers have “received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba Father.’”

Abba Father can be translated from the Greek as “daddy.” So what does Romans 8:15 tell us? It tells us that our relationship with God is like that of a loving father with his child, tender and close. Our Heavenly Father chose to adopt us. Jesus chose to get into human skin so we can see and smell Him. We can watch and learn from Him. We can run to Him. We can feel His embrace.

Our Heavenly Father and Jesus deeply care for us. In a world that sometimes seems indifferent and uncaring, it’s reassuring to know that we have a Heavenly Father. Although we may be afraid at times due to the events in our life, nation, or world, we can look to our Father and be assured that He’s watching out for us and watching over us.

Heavenly Father, ABBA FATHER, thank You for adopting us as Your child. Help us walk confidently through our day assured that You are an ever-present help.

Friends, I’d love to have you join me beginning Wednesday, January 10th at 10 am for our weekly Bible Study of John Part 2 or on Thursday, January 11th at 6:30 pm. Click here for more info.

Live outside of the Texas Hill Country? No problem! My weekly teachings and Listening Guides will be added HERE each week so you can follow along or use it for a group study. 

Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Nice verse, right? No, not a nice verse. It’s an incredible verse. Fear is coursing through people’s veins. “What will happen to our nation/world? What will happen to my children and grandchildren? What will happen to me?” This is not God’s intention for us. Let’s look at the meaning of some of the psalmist’s words and rethink why Psalm 34:4 should be our testimony.  “Sought” in this verse means “resort to.” Think vacation. You leave and go to a place that revives you. This is what we can do spiritually rather than trek through our day with fear. We can trip off to heaven. We can “resort to” the LORD in our spirit through prayer. What happened when the psalmist resorted to the Lord? God answered him and delivered him from all his fears.  The word “deliver” means “snatch.” The Lord snatched him away from his fears. Friends, what a blessing to know that when we resort to the Lord rather than resort to worry and imagining the worst, He snatches us from our fear. That’s the best vacation we can take on worrisome days. 

Heavenly Father, thank You that we aren’t stuck in fear. Rather, we can resort to You. 

Have you ever seen the look in a child’s eyes when they were startled or afraid because they couldn’t see where their parent was? On the other hand, have you seen a child who is afraid look for and find their father and run to him? Have you heard a child cry for their parent?  If so, consider Romans 8:15 that says believers have “

received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘ABBA FATHER.

 Abba Father can be translated Daddy. So what does Romans 8:15 imply? It tells us that our relationship with God is tender and close. God has chosen to come close to us. He has chosen to embrace us. He has chosen to get into human skin so we can see and smell Him. We can watch and learn from Him. We can run to Him as children ran to Jesus and He embraced and blessed them. He protected and defended them. Our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ deeply care for us. In a world that sometimes seems to have gone mad, it’s reassuring to know that we have a Heavenly Father. Although we may be startled or afraid at times due to the events in our life, nation, or world we can look to our Father and assured that He’s watching out for and over us.

Heavenly Father, ABBA FATHER, thank You for adopting us into Your family. When we fear, turn our eyes to You. Help us walk confidently through our day assured that You’ve got us. 

I don’t know about you, but Covid put a screeching halt on me traveling for speaking engagements.  What about you and any travel plans you may have had? Does a nice resort somewhere sound nice? If so, Psalm 34:4  has a recommendation. “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Nice verse, right? No, it’s more than a nice verse. It’s an incredible verse. Fear is coursing through the veins of people. “What will happen to our nation/world? What will happen to my children and grandchildren? What will happen to me?” If you are among those who are living with fear, closely consider the meaning of some of the psalmist words and rethink why Psalm 34:4 can be our testimony. “I sought the Lord.”  Sought in this verse means “resort to.” Think vacation. You leave and go to a place that revives you. This is what we can do spiritually if we’re  trekking through our day in fear. We can trip off to heaven. We can “resort to” the LORD in our spirit in  prayer. What happened when the psalmist resorted to the Lord? God answered him and delivered him from all his fears.  The word “deliver” means “snatch” in this verse. The Lord snatched him from his fears. He snatched him from a mindset of fear to a mind set on God’s heavenly provisions. Friends, it is a blessing to know that we can resort to the Lord rather than resort to worry. Going to God is the best vacation we can take. 

Heavenly Father, thank You that we can resort to You rather than fear. We love You!  

So that it is well with us and our children. 

To keep us from sinning. 

Do we have the right kind of fear?

‘Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!  Deuteronomy 5:29

Heavenly Father, help us have the right kind of fear – reverence for You and Your Word. Thank You that we are in Your loving care and do not have to fear man. We love you and worship You, our Lord. 

Have you ever seen the look in a child’s eyes when they were startled or afraid because they couldn’t see where their parent was? On the other hand, have you seen a child who is afraid look for and find their father and run to him? Have you heard a child cry for their parent?  If so, consider Romans 8:15 that says believers have “received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘ABBA FATHER.” Abba Father can be translated Daddy. So what does Romans 8:15 imply? It tells us that our relationship with God is tender and close. God has chosen to come close to us. He has chosen to embrace us. He has chosen to get into human skin so we can see and smell Him. We can watch and learn from Him. We can run to Him as children ran to Jesus and He embraced and blessed them. He protected and defended them. Our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ deeply care for us. In a world that sometimes seems to have gone mad, it’s reassuring to know that we have a Heavenly Father. And although we may be startled or afraid at times due to the events in our life, nation, or world, we can look to our Father, assured that He’s watching out for and over us.

Heavenly Father, ABBA FATHER, thank You for adopting us into Your family. When we fear, turn our eyes to You. Help us walk confidently through our day assured that You’ve got us. 

Have you recently heard the word “fear” in relation to the pandemic, elections, fires, and even drinking water? Yes. The news, “Brain-eating amoeba in city’s water supply kills 6-year-old,” may have caught your attention when Texas Governor Abbott issued a disaster declaration in Brazoria County on September 27 after an amoeba that can cause a rare and deadly infection of the brain was discovered in the local water supply system. What more could happen in 2020, we may ask. Few would disagree with author/speaker Jonathan Chan’s statement that 2020 has been a year of America being shaken. Is our being shaken a bad thing? Or, might it be a wake up call? While some today discount the value of fear and associate it with not trusting God, the Bible explains the value of fear that is rightly placed. Is ours? For more on the kinds of fear and to consider which fear you have, read my column, “Are Christians to Fear or Not Fear?“

You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. Psalm 115:11

Heavenly Father, our nation has been shaken. Shaken by fires, lawlessness, the murders of innocent ones,  disease, floods, and more. We are looking to You, our Lord and Savior. Teach us how to walk through our days so that we point others to You. 

“Are Christians to Fear or Not Fear?“

So that it is well with us and our children. 

To keep us from sinning. 

Do we have the right kind of fear?

‘Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Meand keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!  Deuteronomy 5:29

Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Nice verse, right? No, not nice verse. It’s an incredible verse. Fear is coursing through the veins of people. “What will happen to our nation/world? What will happen to my children and grandchildren? What will happen to me?” This is not God’s intention for us. Let’s look at the meaning of some of the psalmist words and rethink why Psalm 34:4 should be our testimony.  “Sought” in this verse means “resort to.” Think vacation. You leave and go to a place that revives you. This is what we can do spiritually rather than trek through our day with fear. We can trip off to heaven. We can “resort to” the LORD in our spirit through prayer. What happened when the psalmist resorted to the Lord? God answered him and delivered him from all his fears.  The word “deliver” means “snatch.” The Lord snatched him away from his fears. Friends, what a blessing to know that when we resort to the Lord rather than resort to worry and imagining the worst, He snatches us from our fear. That’s the best vacation we could take in our worrisome day. 

Heavenly Father, thank You that we aren’t stuck in fear. Rather, we can resort to You. 

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