14 FEBRUARY | Whom Shall I Fear?

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
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Romans 8:31–39

All our fears arise from this source: we are too anxious about our life and fail to acknowledge that God is our preserver. We can have no tranquility until we are persuaded that our life is sufficiently protected by God’s omnipotent power.
Let us learn to value God’s power to protect us so that all our fears are put to flight. Because of the infirmity of the flesh, the minds of the faithful cannot at all times be entirely devoid of fear. But let us immediately recover courage, and, from the high tower of our confidence, look down upon all our dangers with contempt. Those who have never tasted the grace of God tremble because they refuse to rely on him. They imagine that he is often incensed against them or at least far removed from them. But with the promises of God before our eyes and the grace that they offer, our unbelief grievously wrongs God if we do not with unshrinking courage boldly set him against all our enemies.
God kindly allures us to himself and assures us that he will take care of our safety. When we embrace his promises and believe him to be faithful, we should also highly extol his power so that our hearts are ravished with admiration of himself. We must mark well this comparison: what are all creatures to God, and how does he protect them? Moreover, we must further extend this confidence to banish all fears from our consciences. Like Paul, we can then speak of our eternal salvation by boldly exclaiming, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

FOR MEDITATION: When an affliction or danger provokes anxious fear in us, what does that say about our trust in God? How can we daily trust in God as our preserver so that fears do not overwhelm us?

Calvin, J., & Beeke, J. R. (2008). 365 Days with Calvin (p. 63). Day One Publications; Reformation Heritage Books.

January 14 – Power over fear | Reformed Perspective

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” – Luke 12:32 

Scripture reading: Luke 12:22-34

So many in the world today begin this New Year with fear in their hearts. This life and the things of this world are all they care about and all they have. Consequently, they’re afraid that their life might be ended by violence or that some criminal might steal their possessions. They worry and complain constantly. It’s no way to live.

To His little flock, His chosen ones, Jesus says: Do not be afraid. We can be sure that Jesus is not asking us to do the impossible. It can be done; we can live without fear. We can be delivered from the burden of worry.

Those who know, by faith, that the Father has given them the kingdom know this deliverance. We can experience it when we turn to Jesus, Who was anointed to be our prophet, priest and king. The prophetic guidance of Jesus, revealed in Scripture, frees us from worry about our purpose and path in life. The priestly sacrifice of Jesus frees us from the fear of judgment and condemnation. The kingly rule of Christ encourages us as we feel His power defending us and His wisdom preserving us.

As believers we rejoice to live in confidence, in hope and in trust. It is the good pleasure of the Father to give us these blessings through the blessed work of Christ, His Son. In your hour of struggle, in your moment of temptation, do not be enslaved by worry, for our Saviour says to us: Do not be afraid, little flock.

Suggestions for Prayer

Seek the Lord’s blessing of a confident faith that overcomes the dark clouds of worry.

Rev. Gregg V. Martin was ordained to the Gospel ministry in 1977. In his years of service, he pastored a total of five congregations in three Canadian provinces. He also served for more than seven years in Latin America as a missionary providing leadership training in Reformed mission churches. He is presently retired and living in Toronto. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.

Source: January 14 – Power over fear

December 12 | The Lord is in your midst.

Mighty God, I will fear not, for You are with me; I will not be dismayed, for You are my God. You will strengthen me, yes, You will help me, You will uphold me with Your righteous right hand. Use me to strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. I will say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” You, the Lord my God, in our midst, the Mighty One, will save; You will rejoice over me with gladness, You will quiet me in Your love, You will rejoice over me with singing. I wait on You, Lord; I will be of good courage, and You shall strengthen my heart.

I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” And You, Lord God, will wipe away every tear from my eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain.

Lord God, thank You for being with us now—and for eternity.

Zephaniah 3:15; Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 35:3–4; Ephesians 3:17; Psalm 27:14; Revelation 21:3–4¹

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¹  Jeremiah, D. (2007). Life-Changing Moments With God (p. 371). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

December 9 | A Fantastic Adventure

Scripture reading: Matthew 14:22–34

Key verse: Matthew 14:27

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

Paul Tournier, the eminent Swiss doctor, wrote in his book, The Adventure of Work, a profound assessment of the Christian life: “Life is an adventure directed by God.”

The seed of life-changing faith is contained in such a view. It can be the difference between a confident, rewarding life or a timid, fretful one. When confronted with perplexity, it can be the hinge upon which swings the response of either fear or faith.

Fear comes when we are overwhelmed by the magnitude or implications of a situation. It swells to paralyzing proportions when we think of the possibility of disastrous consequences.

But once we understand and embrace the truth that God is indeed in charge of our circumstances and has equipped us for every challenge, it is amazing how faith in Christ can change our outlook. Life isn’t risk free. But God has set a divine course for every believer that He oversees and directs with perfect wisdom and love.

Our faith is in His faithfulness to us, in His power that works on our behalf, in His grace that provides all our needs. God is in charge. Life is an exciting journey in trusting Him as our Guide and Companion. Begin the adventure today, and drop your fears at His feet. He won’t let you down.

Father, there may be hard times ahead, but I know that You are directing my path, and I will not fear the future.¹

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¹  Stanley, C. F. (2002). Seeking His face (p. 360). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

November 7 | Do Not Fear

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 15:17–24

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 15:24

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.”

Fear is never a reason to disobey God’s commands. In fact, fear that leads to disobedience is fear that has been wrongly invested.

Saul was misplacing fear when he went against God’s commands out of fear of his men. This is a temptation in the life of every believer. Many times situations or people will be threatening enough for a Christian to question God’s instructions and commands. When God’s will takes the obedient servant into danger, or a situation results in rejection, it is easy to allow fear to paralyze the believer into inaction.

In Matthew 10:28, Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Christ contrasted the concerns of this world to eternal matters. He pointed out that the pains and difficulties experienced in the working out of God’s plan are nothing compared to the glorious victory of helping another be saved from the eternal ramifications of sin.

When you find yourself doing God’s will and come upon a frightening situation, do not fear—the God of all creation is your protector.

Lord, the opinion of the crowd is a powerful constraint on doing what is right before You. Be my courage, when I must stand alone.¹

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¹  Stanley, C. F. (2006). Pathways to his presence (p. 326). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Dealing with Wind and Waves | Thoughts about God

Dealing with Wind and Waves

“And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Mark 4:41

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Have you ever been so afraid that panic set in?

Usually with fear, we have either a fight or flight response, and adrenalin kicks in to help us do whatever we need to do in dangerous situations, but what if you are in a storm, in a boat, and you can’t swim? ‘What do you do???

Of course, some boats have oars or motors, and a flight response would be to “hightail” it out of the storm. Or to see the signs that a storm is coming, and to get to shore before it hits. Even sailboats can use the wind from a storm that is coming to head for shore. This has been my lifelong practice, to see a storm coming, and to get out of its way! But I can’t always outrun the storm, I’ve learned.

The power of wind and waves in my life can destroy my inner sense of calm! I have a choice to try to run from the storm, or to face it, knowing Jesus is in my boat. Who do you think Jesus is when your boat is rocking and you think you may not survive the storm? The disciples wrestled with the question of what to do. They did not feel safe, but Jesus was in the boat with them. They obviously were not sure that Jesus could do anything to help them (besides, he was asleep, seemingly unaware or uncaring about what they were going through).

In the book, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan is safe. (We might also ask the question, “Is Jesus safe?”) Can we trust him?

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

Who’s in your boat? Will you survive this present storm? Only if you trust in the one true, good king, Jesus, who can speak and the wind dies down, and the waves turn to calm! Do you trust him?

Prayer: Jesus, you have power over storms. I don’t. I need you in my boat! Please show me how to trust you, even if it seems that you are asleep and uncaring, and do not hear my prayers for help. Amen.

Today, when fear or panic starts to overwhelm you, realize that you cannot calm the storm yourself, or escape it; instead call out to Jesus. He will respond, and he has the power to calm the wind and water that threaten to swamp your boat!

by Mike Woodard
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Comfort in the Storm
• Approaching Storm 
• Speak Peace To That Storm
• Life’s Passing Storms
• Calming the Waters
• Storm Survival

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The post Dealing with Wind and Waves can be found at Thoughts about God.