Isaiah 41:10 " So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Meditation:
Now I suppose you are wondering what fear, faith, and courage have in common. What they have in common is us.....everyone is afraid at some point in their life.....everyone has faith (even if they try to deny it).....and everyone has courage. For some of us fear sometimes overshadows faith and courage. Some of us spend all our time being afraid to try new things, or show our emotions, or change old habits. We spend endless hours worrying about things that we have no control over, we constantly wonder "what if"..... what if I don't have enough money to pay the rent, what if I lose my job, what if......what if...... Sometimes our "what ifs" get the best of us and wear us down. Fear has a way of creeping up on you in a moments notice, and once it gets a hold on your mind it's like a bulldog that won't let go!
There are many things in this world that can instill fear in all of us. Random violence, cutbacks in the workforce, rising prices, and the total lack of respect the human race seems to have for each other. All this negativity can have a tremendous effect on us. Every night on the news we only hear the bad things that are happening around the world versus the good things that are taking place. Bad news or gossip sells better than good it seems. The good things are few and far between and we only hear minute moments about them versus the hours and hours of bad things. So what does this have to do with faith and courage?
Romans 12:3 "God has dealt to each one a measure of faith."
In order to combat the fear we need to use our faith.
So what is faith? Faith is believing in the unknown. Faith is trust......trust in God, or if you don't believe then it's trusting a higher power, or Karma. Faith is not something tangible....it cannot be seen, touched, tasted, or smelled. Faith is believing that what ever comes your way it will work out for a greater good. Even if things don't seem to work out for you faith keeps your hope alive. With faith there is no fear.
Courage is not the absence of fear, it's moving forward in the face of fear. Courage comes in many forms and degrees, from the fireman who enters a burning building to save someone to the person starting a new job. Courage has no boundaries and is abundant in us all. We all have courage we just don't always use it or even acknowledge it. It takes courage for some of us to even get out of bed in the morning. Those suffering from depression, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and many other things find it difficult at times to even cope with the simple things like getting out of bed. Many people suffer silently and for them courage is facing each and every day. How do they do it??? Faith that God will help them through the day......fear of how it will go.......and courage to keep going anyway. It takes courage to change habits and old ways, and we all have relapses but one thing we can count on is God's love for us. God's word is true and his promises are for you! God loves us and will never give up on us.....God has faith in us and he has wonderful plans for each and every one of us. So the next time you are afraid of something or someone just remember to have faith ...faith that God will see you through .....have courage to face the fear and hope....hope in God's plans for us.
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Prayer:
God give me the courage to face my fears, the hope that will keep me moving forward, and the faith that you will see me through them, in the name of your son Jesus, I pray your will be done. Amen
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