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7th March 2024
ThursdayReflection
'LORI SCHUMAKER' offers
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'Why Is It Important to Know What God Says About Fear in the Bible?'
What God says about fear in the Bible equips us to win the battle and overcome it.
God refers to the Word of God as the Sword of the Spirit.
It's the weapon portion of our armour that not only serves as a shield, or protection from the enemy, but as a weapon with which we can slay the devil's attacks against us.
The devil loves to use fear against us because he knows that our instinctual responses are fight, flight, or freeze.
Those responses usually end up sitting us on the sidelines of life because they cause us to do things that are not in our best interest.
They do not help us be our best selves or to overcome fear.
That is why God takes fear personally.
He addresses it 365 times in the Bible because He wants to see His children overcome and live in victory and fullness.
And it is why we can't fight this battle alone.
We need the greatest of all warriors on our side fighting with us.
But to do that, we need to pick up our Sword of the Spirit - the Bible verses about fear.
Fear is different for each of us.
Some of us may be bold and confident in some areas of our lives, yet in others, remain frozen in fear.
Some of us experience anxiety and depression due to our fears.
Others of us lead a life of avoidance and permanently sitting on the sidelines.
We deal with unique fear challenges, but they all have the same power.
They keep us from living our best lives - using our God-given gifts and living to our fullest potential.
Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.
Being it doesn't need to happen.
Let's think about it in terms of sports for just a moment.
By keeping our eyes locked firmly on Jesus rather than on the distraction of fear, we put ourselves back in the game and claim victory over our fear.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8 (NIV)
Living surrendered takes courage.
But when we let go and choose to trust God, we tap into a fountain of courage and of life-giving hope.
Let's explore the Parable of the Bags of Gold.
The story is about a wealthy man who went away on a journey.
It says he entrusted his wealth to three of his servants.
Undoubtedly, he wanted them to invest the funds wisely and get a good return on the investment.
In so many words, I imagine it as a modern-day investment portfolio scenario!
He determined the ability level of each servant and entrusted them accordingly ... However, the third returned only with the original bag.
His excuse for the lousy return?
He was afraid.
"Then the man who had received one bag of gold came.
'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground.
See, here is what belongs to you.
He hid the gold because he was afraid!
His fear took him out of the game.
It took him off the path to success.
That is exactly what fear does to us, too.
God has given us each gifts to use as we live out our greatest purposes.
Every. Single. One. Of. Us.
With this in mind, are we afraid to invest wisely, afraid to put it out there and trust God to put it to good use?
Are we hiding the gold we were given?
Here is where I want to specifically challenge you, as I am challenging myself.
I challenge you and myself to not hide in our fears.
Let's stay in the game, not forfeit in defeat.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9 ESV
Fear takes us out of the game and sidelines us in life.
But we don't have to stay there.
Step up and out of fear with the help God offers us!
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This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
"LORI SCHUMAKER"
I am not only a wife to Bryan but also a mum to three beautiful children.
Our boys are our biological children, and our daughter came home to us through adoption.
My educational background is in Elementary Education with a Master's Degree in Multicultural and Bilingual Education.
It wasn't until later in life that I realized God had been preparing me all along for a life as a caregiver in various capacities.
Serving at my home church is an honour and privilege.
I have been actively involved in various capacities and ministries throughout the years.
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