Fear Not, 15

~ Joshua Again Was Given God’s Peace ~

God does not want His children living in fear.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:2-3). 

“Fear not,” or its equivalent, is recorded many times in Scripture—ALN will post one “fear not” each week during this calendar year. 

This Week’s Verse  ~  “Now the Lord said to Joshua: ‘Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai.  See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land” (Joshua 8:1). 

The Foundation Of Peace  ~  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid” (Psalm 27:1). 

The Solution If You Lack Peace  ~  “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psalm 119:165).  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You” (Isaiah 26:3).  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). 

Summary  ~  “No Christ = No Peace” versus “Know Christ = Know Peace”

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Fear Not, 12

~ Joshua Knew God’s Peace ~

God does not want His children living in fear.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:2-3). 

“Fear not,” or its equivalent, is recorded many times in Scripture—ALN will post one “fear not” each week during this calendar year. 

This Week’s Verse  ~  Moses speaking to Joshua, “Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.  And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed’” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8).

The Foundation Of Peace  ~  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid” (Psalm 27:1). 

The Solution If You Lack Peace  ~  “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psalm 119:165).  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You” (Isaiah 26:3).  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). 

Summary  ~  “No Christ = No Peace” versus “Know Christ = Know Peace”

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Faith vs. Fear

~ A Matter of Trust ~   

Christianity has many paradoxes—dueling truths. Some find such a conflict in having faith in God while having a fear of God. The “fear” of God is better considered a reverence for Him, His majesty, and deserving of our respect and trust. “Faith” in relation to Christianity could be defined as “trust.” For example, you may have faith in someone you do not know. A person may purchase something over the phone from a person they’ve never met and have faith that they will do as promised. But can you really trust a person you do not know?

Trust is a relational term. This is one reason why those who do not have a loving earthly father may find it hard to trust a  heavenly Father. We fear a person or trust a person based largely upon what we have heard and believe about that person.

Example 1  ~  Consider the account we find in Numbers 13. Moses had sent twelve men to scout out Canaan (13:17-19). Ten of the twelve came back with a negative fearful report. The result was predictable. Most of the Israelites became fearful. Later in the account we find that Joshua and Caleb, the two scouts who trusted God in that same situation, were rewarded by God and entered into the promised land. This is a beautiful picture of Christians who have trusted God and will one day enter the promised eternal New Jerusalem.

God’s people are called to trust God with their everyday life and their future. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is rewards those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6, I suggest you read the rest of Hebrews 11). 

Example 2  ~  Remember the account of the disciples out on the Sea of Galilee when the storm arose. “But He [Jesus] said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’” (Mark 4:40-41).

the heart of the matter:  Bad things happen when there is a lack of trust. This all started in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve did not trust God at His word. In this account we find Satan’s first lie to mankind. 

“And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:2-6).

application:  Are you fully trusting God and His Word? Are you fearful? If so, can you identify the area of your lack of trust? 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW