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Conquering Fear
Andrea Lende • May 2, 2021
Hebrews 10:38
Conquering Fear
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Conquering-Fear-e103qii
Hebrews 10:38
“But the just shall live by faith [My righteous servant shall live by his conviction respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, and holy fervor born of faith and conjoined with it] and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight or pleasure in him.”
Our passage tells us we should live by faith.
Faith over fear.
It says the Lord does not delight in those who shrink in fear.
Immediately, a question rises up in me.
How do we overcome fear, so we don’t shrink in the face of it?
The answer is written in the beginning of the verse.
Live by faith.
But I still wonder, how.
How do we have the kind of faith we need to truly overcome our fears.
Just two verses later, the writer of Hebrews gives an amazing definition of the word faith.
“Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].”
So, faith is like a title deed – a written guarantee of sorts.
A guarantee for what we hope for and hope in just as we hope in God.
It’s the kind of knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the things we hope for are real and will come to us at the appointed time.
This is the kind of faith that overcomes fear.
It’s not that we won’t ever be afraid.
We simply take a step forward.
Taking one step at a time until we step past the fear that is plaguing us.
For God will not let us down.
If we will allow Him to direct our steps, He will go ahead of us and clear the way for us.
As I processed this scripture, I started thinking that if I only rely on myself and what I can do, I will never know the joy of moving past myself and into divine care.
I’ll never know what God can do through me because I am relying on just me.
I’ll miss out on the opportunity to walk in the power of the Almighty.
I don’t want to miss this opportunity.
Today I choose to lean into the fears I have and put my faith in the Lord, so He can show Himself mighty.
May you find faith can overcome your fears and allow you to walk in the true power of God.
Daily Word:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me the power of faith. Thank You for showing me I must lean into my fears, so You have an opportunity to work through me. You go ahead of me and clear away the obstacles in my path – the ones that look like mountains. You are the mover of mountains. You are the author of my soul. You created me to worship and serve You. Help me worship You all day long, Father. Even when the day is difficult, help me worship You. May I sit in Your presence and be filled with Your glory. May Your grace shine upon me. May Your peace rest in me today. May You strengthen me in every way. You are Almighty God and are greatly to be praised! I praise You, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM making a way for you My child, so trust Me and hold fast to Me.
Response: Increase my faith and trust in You, O God.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.