Truth Over Fear

 "Peace be with you."

John 20:26

 

Several months ago I wrote a blogpost titled, "Love Over Fear". We looked at how love leads to joy and joy leads to peace, as Paul indirectly points out when he wrote about the Fruit of the Spirit. I encouraged you to focus on loving God, loving others, and loving yourself. Having a heart of thankfulness, unselfishness, and trust in God's love for you can go a long way to help in overcoming fear.

Today I want to talk a little more specifically about how focusing on love can bring peace by looking at how truth plays a role in this. Truth is something that can bring on feelings of fear and also chase them away. Your fears may be for yourself or for those you care about, such as your spouse, your children or grandchildren, another family member, a friend, neighbor, or those you minister to. You know bad things happen in our world. This is a sad reality of life. Those you love, and you yourself, are vulnerable to physical, mental, or emotional trauma every day. Natural disasters, health problems, violence, crime, financial hardship, cruel words of others, just to name a few, are all very real and can threaten our well-being. But the truth also tells us that God will care for us, protect us, and bring good things out of bad circumstances.

The same is true regarding the condition of our hearts. We are sinful. We do the wrong things, make poor decisions, put our own needs above the needs of others. The reality of our sin can make us cower in shame, try to cover up our mistakes, and leave us feeling guilty and unworthy of anything good.

But God's mercy is also real. His love brings forgiveness and the courage to come into the light, admitting our failures and weaknesses and asking for help to overcome our clumsy, messy selves.

In 1 John 4:18 it says, There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Believing in God's love is a key factor to overcoming fear in your life, whether it's fear of your mistakes being exposed, others hurting you or someone you love, or not having what you need. These are real fears with real consequences. But God's love is greater than anything we could ever face in this life.

In John 20:26, we read these words of Jesus: "Peace be with you." His followers were gathered together, still trying to process what had happened concerning His death and apparent resurrection. Not everyone there was convinced He had risen from the dead, and whether He had or hadn't, they were obviously fearful because they had locked the doors.

Then Jesus appears and says, "Peace be with you." He didn't want them to be afraid and wanted to assure them everything was going to be okay. And, if we are willing to hear Him, He can speak these same words to us today in the middle of our fears and uncertain circumstances.

I encourage you to make a list of your current fears--fears you have for yourself and for others. Write them down to get them out in the open, not merely swimming through your mind. When you've completed your list, go through them one by one. How can believing in God's love for you or those you care about erase these fears? Try to write one truth beside each current or potential crisis, such as: God is with me/them, God will protect me/them; God will provide for me/them; God will help me/them; God forgives; God loves unconditionally; God works all things together for good, or whatever truths can apply. Finding a specific Bible verse or recalling a certain Bible story may be particularly powerful. Write whatever comes to mind on the same line as your fear and then cross-out the fear you listed.

When you are finished, pray about the fears you crossed-out; Ask God to help you believe what you already know is true. Then ask Him to reveal truths that are greater than your fears that remain. You might need to search the Bible or ask someone to help you look for specific words God spoke and promises He has made that can bring you peace about these things.

If God didn't want us to have peace, He wouldn't have given us the Bible and His Spirit to teach us the truth and help us believe. But the truth is He did; and He can put our fears to rest and help the fruit of peace to flourish in our hearts and minds.

 

Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil...having fastened the belt of truth...and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Ephesians 6:10-11,14-15

 

 

Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

When God Paints the Clouds

 

There is no one like my God. He rides across the heavens to help me, on the clouds of His majesty.

Deuteronomy 33:26

I love clouds. I love when they bring refreshing rain. I love them on sunny days when they appear like fluffy marshmallows in the sky. And I love when they turn beautiful colors of pink and orange at sunset.

 

 

But clouds aren't always welcome. Sometimes they bring too much rain and long, gloomy days. Sometimes they bring terrible storms that cause floods and great destruction. Sometimes they block the stars and the moon when I'd like to see a celestial event--I'm a bit of an astronomy nerd.

 

In the Bible, clouds are often used to remind us of God's presence. When Noah and his family emerged from the ark to a whole new world of shifted lands and climate change, God knew the rain and clouds might be a reminder of the terrible flood, so He made them a promise:

"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth...Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life." (Gen. 9:13,15)

 

  

Many years later when Moses was blessing Israel, he said:

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun (Israel), who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deut. 33:26-27)

 

David wrote a song that says:

 

Sing to God,

sing in praise of his name,

extol him who rides on the clouds.

(Ps. 68:4)

 

  

And in the Book of Revelation, John proclaimed: 

“Look, he is coming with the clouds." (Rev. 1:7)

 

  

When God paints the clouds with a beautiful sunrise or sunset, I believe He's reminding us of His constant presence in a beautiful, eye-catching way we can't miss. From morning until night and throughout the darkness, He is with us--always.

 

But when clouds come into our lives, they can make God's presence and truth seem--well, cloudy! And it can be discouraging, disheartening, and difficult to believe He's still with us. But He is! Clouds of gloom can become clouds of majesty.

 

 

When I was young, I went through a difficult time of being bullied. I didn't want to go to school, but my mom shared a verse in the Bible that says:

"Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid;

do not be discouraged,

for the LORD your God will

be with you wherever you go.”

(Joshua 1:9)

I asked God to help me not be afraid, and I trusted Him to take care of me, and He did. It was still hard at times, but He showed me His presence in many ways, and He was faithful to lead me into new friendships and activities I may not have chosen otherwise. I've lived a lot of life since then and I've been through a lot of trials, but I've always found God to be faithful to me.

 

I think this one looks like a heart 💙

 

I want to encourage you to trust God with whatever you're going through. Ask for His help. Ask Him to show you He is with you. If you did something wrong and need to confess your sin, confess it and believe in His forgiveness. And if you did nothing wrong but life is hard anyway, look for better days to come. Look for the rainbows. Look for God to paint your clouds, and He will, because He is always there.

 

 

Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:3-5

 

 

 

Deut. 33:26: personal paraphrase mine

Jesus Is With You

 

The eyes of the Lord watch over you,

and He hears your prayers.

1 Peter 3:12

You are never alone. Jesus is always with you. Do you believe that?

Whether you have known Jesus for awhile, as far back as you can remember, or have recently started to follow Him, He walks beside you; He leads you; He protects you from behind and on all sides; He lives within you. You are never alone.

Even if you wander away from Him (which technically is not possible, but your thoughts and actions can make you feel distant from Him); He is always watching over you, and He is always listening.

What does that mean for you today?

Maybe you've been distant, not listening, doing your own thing--Is it time to "come back"? Is it time to ask for His help, His forgiveness, His guidance?

Maybe you've been trying to listen and follow and do the right things, but it seems too hard; Is it time to remember He loves you no matter what, to simply receive His love, rest in it, and rely on His strength, not your own? It's okay to just Be still and know that He is God--that He is your God, your Savior, your best friend; You can trust Him with your imperfect self.

Maybe you've been following Him closely and living in His presence daily, but everyone around you seems off-course, troubled, or lost. You feel burdened for them, but you don't know how to help. You feel at-odds with them, but anything you say or do just pushes them further away. You don't understand their behavior or attitude or can't relate to their pain. Do you need to just keep following and trusting, but the waiting or loneliness seems unbearable?

Sometimes Jesus has great things for us to do, new places to take us, ways to use us, things to show and teach us. But sometimes it's just about being with Him. Believing in His love. Believing in His faithfulness. Believing He sees your deeds and knows your heart and hears every prayer--even if it's just a whisper or desperate cry.

To just be known.

Seen.

Heard.

Loved.

He sees you. He knows. He listens.

He is with you. You are His.

Jesus is with you.

 

 

"I am with you always."

Matthew 28:20

 

 

Love Over Fear

If you have seen the Disney movie Monsters, Inc., you know that for many years this fictitious company believed scaring children was the way to power their monster world. They snuck into bedrooms at night to frighten children and get them to scream, filling up canisters with the valuable resource of Scare Energy. But when one of their not-scary employees, Mike Wazowski, decides he wants to be a Scarer too, like his friend Sulley, he isn't able to scare a child and gain energy from the human world that way. But he does make them laugh, producing much more energy than any scream ever could and completely changing the strategy of Monsters, Inc.  Scary monsters are out and funny monsters are in!

You're probably familiar with the phrase 'laughter is the best medicine', and you know from experience that it is much more pleasant to be happy than sad. But have you ever thought about joy outweighing the power of fear?

In Galatians 5:22-23, we read about the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Notice how joy comes before peace, and love comes before joy?  I don't believe it's an accident they are in that order.  In Nehemiah 8:10, God tells the people, The joy of the LORD is your strength.  They were facing scary opposition from their enemies, but God said, 'Don't be afraid of them, just find joy in Me: that is your best weapon.'  He wanted them to have peace and be at peace with others, but first they needed to embrace joy.

'So how do I find joy?' you may ask.  'I'd much rather be happy than sad or afraid, but in these days, in these times, in my circumstances?  I don't think that's possible. I can maybe muster up enough faith to get through this crisis. (Faith over fear, as they say.) I can smile when others are around and cry when I'm alone and pretend to be happy. But to have real joy, real peace, and real faith?  That's like living in a fantasy world where monsters are funny and laughter saves our society--fine for a kids' movie, but in my complicated life?'

If you are lacking peace, you are likely also lacking joy, so let's take another look at which Fruit of the Spirit comes first... Love.

Can love lead to joy?  Can love triumph over fear?

In Nehemiah, where the people were sad because they realized they hadn't been following God, Nehemiah said, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks and share with people who have nothing."  This might sound like he was saying, 'Just forget about your problems and party!  Eat pizza and ice cream and drown your sorrow in food and laughter.'  But he wasn't talking about superficial or temporary joy; he was talking about real joy that comes from thankfulness for what you have (love for God) and sharing what you have (love for others).

In Matthew 22:37-39, we read these words of Jesus: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself."

There is a lot of hate and anger in this world. There is a lot of ungratefulness and selfishness. There is a lot of fear and loneliness and sadness. But love... Love brings joy, love brings peace, and love is a choice we can make every day.

Love God; Be thankful for what you have and trust God to always take care of you. The joy of the LORD is your strength.  Joyful gratitude and trust in an almighty God is powerful.

Love others; Give generously...whatever you have to share. Time, friendship, kindness, practical help. Don't be so consumed with your own problems that you forget others have needs too.

Love yourself; Believe in God's love for you. Believe you are special and unique, made for a purpose, the creation of His very hands.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness... It's a great list of what can heal our world...of what can heal your world.

But it starts with Love.

 

May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace

as you trust in him. 

Romans 15:13

 

 

Secure In His Love

 "Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields them all day long, and they rest between His shoulders."

Deuteronomy 33:12

 

There is a story that Jesus tells in Luke 15 about a flock of sheep. There are 100 sheep in this flock, and one of them is missing. Jesus asks those who are listening what they would do if this was their flock of sheep. Would they leave the ninety-nine to go look for the lost one?

 

Assuming their answer is yes, He speaks of the joy they will experience: "When he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.  Then he calls his friends and neighbors and says, 'Rejoice with me! I have found my lost sheep.'"

It's not difficult to identify Jesus as the shepherd. He calls Himself the Good Shepherd in John 10.  "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me...I lay down my life for the sheep."  The greater mystery in this story lies with this question: Who are the lost sheep?  Jesus identifies them as sinners who need to repent. But that can be difficult to define.

Or maybe I should say, that can be difficult to define accurately. I think we're all pretty good at pointing out "sinners who need to repent".  The Pharisees and teachers of the Law were good at this too and did it often. In fact, it was their disapproval when Jesus was welcoming and eating with sinners that prompted Jesus to tell several stories about "lost" things: sheep, coins, and sons. But what was it about these things that made them lost?

Simply put, they were not where they were supposed to be. It wasn't so much about behavior as it was about location. The sheep was alone—away from the shepherd. The coin was missing. It wasn't where coins were usually kept, so its value was in jeopardy.  And the sons?  One was away from home, away from his father and his whole family.  And the other?  He was there in body, but not in spirit. He was living in his father's household, doing what was expected of him, but he wasn't enjoying it.

We generally label those we call "sinners" by their behavior. But I don't see Jesus identifying them in that way. It's not about what they are doing or not doing; it's about where they are.  Is the sheep close to the shepherd or out of his sight? Is the coin in a treasured place, or is it missing? Is the younger son near his father or far away? And is the older son near his father in a physical sense but distant in his heart?

Jesus isn't really teaching about lost sheep or coins or sons. He's using them as illustrations to teach about something greater. And He wasn't teaching the "sinners", He was teaching those who saw themselves as "righteous".  If He would have spoken more bluntly, I think He would have said, "These people you call sinners are coming to me and listening.  I'm excited about them!  I'm welcoming them with open arms because that's why I'm here!  They understand what I'm saying about God's mercy and love.

But you? Not so much. I want to be excited about you too, but I can't. Not yet. Not until you understand My love. Not until you change your thinking (repent). Not until you get to where you need to be. Not until you let Me rescue you."

In Deuteronomy 33, God says, "My beloved ones rest secure in Me. They rest between My shoulders."  They are at rest.  They are at peace.  They are near Him and secure in His love.

They have nothing to prove. No where else they would rather be. And no fingers to point, because they have their eyes on their loving, merciful, and faithful God.  They are His, and they are loved, and that's enough.

 

 Photo courtesy of freeimages.com

The Worth of Losing Everything

 

 

I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.

 

Philippians 3:8

 

Giving up things is hard.

Whether it's forced or voluntary, sometimes we just have to let go: Bad habits we need to break; Interests and activities we don't have time for or are taken from us; Relationships; Jobs; Homes; Lifestyles; Freedoms--yes, even in America.

We don't like it. We avoid it wherever possible. We fight tooth and nail to keep what we have and cling to our comforts, our way of life, even our vices that aren't really good for us. We know it, but still...

One time when a great crowd of people was following Jesus, He spoke these words:

"Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciple."

With a bit of word study, I learned the phrase "everything you have" can not only pertain to one's possessions, but also one's being. Jesus wasn't just talking about giving up riches or material goods, but also oneself: My way of being, existing, living.

We've all learned a lot about that during this pandemic, haven't we? Time with others. Time for ourselves. Jobs. Security. Rest. Personal freedoms.

Whether we put on a mask for the benefit of others or because it's mandated, it's uncomfortable. It itches, fogs up our glasses, feels claustrophobic, and hides the smile we try to put on, even in the midst of our own discomfort.

Our way of life has changed. And for the most part, the changes, and even the benefits of change, were not our choice. And while choosing to follow Jesus is entirely an act of free will, a personal choice I have made, the terms of that choice are not without cost. Following Jesus is all about surrender. Giving up my way of life and being, for His way. Giving up my agenda, for His. Letting go of what I want, for what He wants.

And yet, I did it, and I continue to do it. (Following Jesus is a daily choice, not a one-time decision.)

Why would I do that? Why would I give up my way for someone else's way?

Because God's way is better.

Not always easier or convenient or comfortable; but better. More beneficial; More satisfying; More rewarding; More productive; More purposeful.

In His words about the cost of following Him, Jesus warns these wanna-be disciples they may not be up for it, even insinuating they may fail: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you...Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?"

Thanks for the pep-talk, Jesus.

But hold on. Jesus finishes his message by declaring His words are for "whoever has ears to hear", a distinction Jesus gave to those who were really listening. Not only to His words but also the heart of God. He wasn't talking about failure or defeat coming to those who choose to follow Him and give up their own ways, but rather the cost of not following. Independence, self-sufficiency, pride, thinking I can make it on my own and fight my own battles and gain the whole world by giving up my soul? Foolishness!

But surrender to a mighty God? Giving up my ways for His ways? Love over selfishness? Peace over strife? Joy over despair? Faith over doubt?

Pure gold.

On another occasion when Jesus was with his closest disciples, He spoke these words:

"Everyone who has left their home or family or livelihood for My sake will receive a hundred times as much and will truly know Me and My Father. But many who cling to what they have will find they have nothing, and those who have let go and humbled themselves will lead."

If Jesus is telling you to let go of something, let it go. And if something has been taken from you--perhaps many things, it's okay. Jesus will always give you what you need, and even if you have to wait for awhile, the reward for your trust and patience and faith will be so great--you won't even believe what He does.

 

Photo courtesy of freeimages.com

Scripture taken from: 

Luke 14:28-35

Matthew 19:29-30; (paraphrase mine)

Children of Light

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light.

Ephesians 5:8

 

(An oldie but a goodie...originally published in July, 2010, but good for these gray times.)

 

My husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this week, and we went to our favorite place: Cannon Beach, Oregon. Our first date was there, and we also spent our honeymoon in the small coastal town along the picturesque Oregon shore.

This year we spent our anniversary enjoying the beautiful beach with our three children. The weather was mostly good, but being the Oregon Coast, it varied from day to day. From sunny and warm, to sunny but windy, to overcast and fog; we had it all, including a bit of misty rain one morning, but we had a great time, and I took lots of pictures, as usual.

I transferred the photos to our computer when we got home. Some of them were taken with blue skies, while others were mostly gray. Gray sky, gray water, gray sand. I was tempted to discard those, but one of them caught my artistic eye, and I could see it had the potential to be much more.

 

 

With a little creative photo editing, the gray clouds and gray water could become a hazy purple or blue, like when the morning light first illuminates the sky. Or it could glow with the colors of a muted sunset that gives a pink or orange hue to the skyline. 

 

 

You can see the results, and the way we look at life, circumstances, others, and ourselves can also be viewed through different filters. It may be a bleak picture with the unaided eye, but as children of light, we can have a different view.

 

In Luke 11:34, Jesus says, "The eye is the lamp of the body. When your eyes are good, the whole body will be filled with light, but when your eyes are bad, darkness prevails."

 

Gloom. Despair. Hopelessness. The outlook is bleak and gray, like an overcast sky...but that's just a limited human view. With God's help, a beautiful picture can emerge.

 

When I am feeling discouraged, afraid, hopeless, unloved, insignificant...I ask God to give me a different view. To help me filter things through the light of His love. His truth. His ways. His beauty. His goodness.

 

Seeing the light fills me with light. Hope. Joy. Peace. May we live as children of light, for our Father is glorious--even on a cloudy day.

 

 

Luke 11:34, paraphrase mine