Day 5 - Exodus 20:20

“Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, 

“for God has come in this way to test you, 

and so that your fear of Him will keep you from sinning!”

The first thing we notice about this verse is that it is a response to something that the Israelites have said before. And what was that?

Well…in verse 19, they said this to Moses, “You tell us what God says, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us. If He does, we will die!” They were in the presence of the Almighty God, and they were afraid for their lives…with pretty good reason.

In Chapter 19, God told Moses He was coming to Mount Sinai (Horeb), and He said that Moses was to draw a boundary line around the area to keep the Israelites from crossing it. If they did, because it was so close to where God Himself would be, they would die (or, at the very least, if they didn’t die when they crossed the line, they were supposed to be killed after crossing the line). Just another reminder that God’s holiness can’t stand to be around man’s sinfulness, but thank God for our Lord Jesus Christ who allows us to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God” (Hebrews 4:16).

Then they saw the glory of the Lord descending on the mountain in a violent storm of thunder and lightning with a dense dark cloud swallowing up the mountain…And there were loud “trumpet” sounds from a ram’s horn. Oh, and let’s not forget the fire!

Now this, as far as I’m concerned, is one of the scariest scenes in the Bible. I think, if I had been there at the time, I would’ve been at least a little afraid. But look at what Moses tells the Israelites, “Don’t be afraid.” Yes, God is holy, and yes, if you see Him, you will die…but He loves you, and He’s chosen you as his people. So fear Him, but don’t be afraid of Him.

The use of “fear” and “afraid” here, by the way, mean slightly different things. They’re based on the same root Hebrew word, but the implication isn’t the same. “Afraid” is used to describe how you would feel if an intruder was invading your house with a gun or a machete or something, intent on harming you. “Fear of Him” implies reverential awe. This means that we are to respect God for who He is and what He has done. We need to respect His power, grace, and love. If we truly respect Him and His gifts, we will not be so ready to commit the sins that damage our relationship with Him and keep us from freely enjoying Him.

Are you afraid of God, or do you fear Him? Do you truly honor and respect who He is and what He has done in your life? Take some time to thank Him and confess anything that might hold you back from serving Him completely.

Two Days of Silence

Now, let me make this clear. When I use that title, I certainly don’t mean that God was silent for two days. He wasn’t. I continued to meet with Him by reading my Bible and praying, and He’s continued to show Himself to me in whole new, amazing ways. I just haven’t been posting on this blog.

That led to more fear on my part. What if I don’t have time to post every day? Should I give up the project? What if people get mad at me/disappointed in me for not posting every day?...And that was almost enough to get me to abandon this blog and idea…ALMOST!

Really, since I just started this blog, I don’t have all that many readers yet, anyway, so why would they be that upset if I didn’t continue to post every day? And what about future readers who might come upon this blog later? As long as there were more posts besides the first five I posted, would they even care that I didn’t post every day, as I said I was going to do… as I wanted to do?

But it occurred to me, as I thought and agonized more about it all, that I’m not really worried about the people who are (or who will be) reading this blog. I’m worried about the One who, I believe, led me to start this blog in the first place. I’m worried about my commitment to Him. And, really, I don’t think I have much to worry about on that front.

He knows I’m weak. He knows I’m human. He knows all of the reasons why I didn’t post daily, like I said I was going to. And, if I confess my sins and my faults, He is faithful and just and will cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). He will give me another chance. He’s given me so many more chances than I’ve ever deserved.

So, even though I’ve been silent, I have nothing to fear. I can go on and continue to share the messages and thoughts that God has brought to my mind from reading His Word. And, if I slip up on occasion, that’s okay because I’m not perfect. I’ll just get back up on the horse and try again. 

Day 4 - Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! 

Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (NASB).

This week has been an especially tough one for me...and it's only Wednesday. The attacks of the enemy are real, and I've never felt them stronger in my life than I'm feeling them now. It just seems to be one thing after another. ...

And, really, not everything that's happening is bad, but some of the things that are happening are bringing up fears and resistances that have been a part of me since I was very young. Change is never easy, no matter what the change is. Consider Joshua. 

He was being given charge over the whole Israelite nation after Moses' death. Joshua was the one who was going to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. It was a great blessing, but it was also a great responsibility, and I'm sure Joshua must have felt some of the fears and pressures associated with the weight of his position. Otherwise, why would God need to encourage him with those words?

What changes are going on in your life right now? What are you worrying about? Do you know that you don't have to worry or fear anything because "the Lord your God is with you wherever you go?" Those words that were spoken to Joshua way back then are still as true to those of us living today who seek to follow and serve God.  

Don't lose heart! God will not desert you. He loves you and wants you to do great things for Him and His kingdom. Let Him use you in any way He wants to. Move confidently through the wilderness with Him, knowing that He will always be your side, so you won't ever have anything to fear. 

Day 3 - Genesis 21:17

Then God heard the boy's cries, and the angel of God called to Hagar from the sky, 

"Hagar, what's wrong? Do not be afraid! 

God has heard the boy's cries from the place where you laid him (NLT).

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. Just think of all Hagar has just gone through.

She’s been forced into a marriage, of sorts, with Abraham, her mistress’s husband…all because Sarah didn’t have the patience to wait and see how God would work out His plan in their lives (Does that sound familiar at all?).

Then, because Isaac, the child of the promise, was finally born, and then his half-brother Ishmael got jealous, Hagar and her son were sent out into the desert with just a little food and one skin filled with water. Imagine how lonely and betrayed Hagar felt!

As was sure to happen, the water ran out, and Ishmael began to cry from hunger and thirst. Hagar couldn’t stand to watch her son die, so she went off to a solitary place. But God heard the boy’s crying, and  He knew Hagar’s distress. He tells Hagar not to be afraid because even though their circumstances look bad at the moment, God will turn Ishmael into a great nation. He and his mother would not die out in the desert, after all.

Something even more wonderful happened. God “opened Hagar’s eyes” (v. 19), and she saw a well of water and filled the skin up. And not only was God with Hagar in that desert place, but He was with Ishmael the whole time he was growing up (v. 20).

Do you see how amazing God’s protection, guidance, and provision are? What is going on in your life that has you troubled right now? Do you feel lonely and betrayed, as Hagar did? Are you in need of some miraculous provisions from God? Look toward Him. Cry out to Him and ask for whatever it is you need, and He will provide it, just as He did for Hagar. And don’t forget to thank Him when your prayers are answered!  

Day 2 - Exodus 13:22

"Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night 

left its place in front of the people." (NIV)

Technically I didn’t publish this yesterday, so I’ve already failed a bit with my original mission, but I did read this passage yesterday…  And I know the verse doesn’t literally say “do not be afraid,” but in a way, to me, this verse says it just as much as some of the other verses in the Bible.

God had just done an amazing thing for the Israelites, his covenant people. He had rescued them from over 400 years of slavery and bondage to the mighty Egyptians. But He knew that the Israelites would be fearful along their journey into the desert, so He did everything He could to calm their fears.

He took them the long way around instead of by the much shorter road through the Philistine country, which was paved with enemy outposts. He knew that, if the Israelites had to face much opposition at this point, they would turn right around and go back to Egypt, where they’d be slaves again, but at least they would know what to expect. Often what we’re used to—even if it’s something really bad—is less scary to us than the unknown. At least, I’ve found this to often be the case in my own life.

But the Israelites had someone much more powerful than the Egyptians to lead them along their journey. They had the Almighty God, El Shaddai. He went before them in a pillar of cloud during the day, and He led them in a pillar of fire by night so that they would have light with which to see. He never left His people the whole time they were traveling. He was always guiding them.

How encouraging this should be to us, who are traveling on our journey through life, moving forward on the road to the land God has promised us…our eternal home with Him. Don’t let your circumstances or your feelings stop you from seeing God at work around you. He was there for the Israelites. He will be there for you, if you have faith. Trust God, and don’t fear what lies ahead of you. The One who is with you is stronger than anything you might face in this life.

Day 1 - Genesis 15:1

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.

“Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your shield, your very great reward” (NIV).

The first thing that caught my attention when I read this verse was the phrase “After this,” and I immediately asked the question, “After what?”

Well, you have to look back to Genesis 14 to get the attention to get this question, and there are a lot of things that happened in Genesis 14. I like to picture Abram in this chapter as the Mel Gibson version of William Wallace in Braveheart. He just seems that in command and powerful.

Here are the events of the chapter:

1)      The kings of Shinar, Elam, Ellasar, and Goiim went to war against the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Bela. They won.

2)      The men of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and when they did, many of them fell into the many tar pits that littered the Valley of Siddim. Those who didn’t fall into the pits ran into the hills.

3)      The victorious kings seized everything in Sodom and Gomorrah, including Abram’s nephew, Lot.

4)      Somebody came and told Abram all about this. He gathered an army, and they all went after Lot’s captors. Abram and his 318  men were victorious.

5)      After the defeat of his enemies and the return of Lot, the king of Sodom came out to meet Abram at the Valley of Shaveh. And so did Melchizedek, the king and high priest of Salem.

6)      Melchizedek blessed Abram, and Abram gave him a tenth of everything he had.

7)      The king of Sodom told Abram to take all the goods that he had recaptured from Sodom’s enemies, but Abram refused. He promised God that he would take nothing from the Sodomites, so that they couldn’t claim that they were the ones who made Abram rich. Abram acknowledged that everything he had came from God alone.

Do you see what happened there? Abram had maybe just had his most amazing day ever…conquering whole armies of people with the Lord’s help, and yet after this, the Lord has to tell him not to be afraid. Why? I think, just maybe, it had to do with the fact that Abram was human. And, as most of us know, humans are afraid of things we don’t understand.

This is just before God makes His official blood covenant with Abram, and Abram is still rather new in his faith. How often do we doubt God when we don’t know Him that well? How often do we doubt God when we think we do know Him?

God’s reassurance to Abram extends down through the centuries to us. We have nothing to be afraid of. God is our shield (our protector/ruler) and our very great reward, if we would only have faith enough to be able to see that.   

What does it mean to you that God is your protector and reward? How does it change the perception of your current circumstances? Praise God that He never changes and never fails!

The Idea Behind This Blog

I saw this picture in one of my friends' posts on Facebook today, and it gave me (what I thought) was an awesome idea...start a blog of  my responses to the "do not fear" verses in the Bible I feel led to do this for a few reasons.

1. As an amateur blogger, I often struggle to come up with things to write about every day, and this is especially troubling for me because I am a professional editor/writer. If I have a different Bible verse to read and write about every day, that's an automatic blog entry topic. Yay!
2. I'm trying to read my Bible every day. Since I am a Christian, I know that if I don't read the Bible, I won't stay connected to God, and that's one of the worst things I can do...neglect my relationship with Him.
3. In recent years, I have experienced a lot of fear. I've lost a job, I've lost two houses, and I feel like I'm on the verge of something big and wonderful, but I have no idea what it is. As a result of all this, I've been more anxious in the very recent past than I've ever been before in my life. And it's not something I'm proud of. 

This is a message I needed to hear today...and probably every day, if I'm being honest. So I'm ensuring that I will hear the message every day by starting this blog. I've made myself accountable to reading and posting, and hopefully blog readers will follow along soon who can also hold me accountable! 

So, often, when I'm writing, I hold things back out of fear of what others will think of me when they read what I've written, and that's another reason why I'm calling this "My Year of No Fear." I will, with God's help, lay it all out in the open for everyone else to see. I will be as transparent as I possibly can. You will see me, my thoughts, and all my warts and failures. I will hold nothing back, in the hopes that the story of my struggles and fears will help others who are going through the same things. In this way, I desire to bring glory to God. 

Here I am, beginning my slightly scary journey. Won't you join me? Grab a cup of coffee--or a Coke or bottled water, whichever drink you prefer--and your Bible, and get ready for an exciting ride!