Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Fear not, God Is Here!
Psalm 27:1-6
Alvin Jiji
Phoenix MTC, Arizona
1."The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I
fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be
afraid?"
All of us possess at least one
fear, whether it is the fear of heights, public speaking, or even change. These
fears are the training ground for our faith. When we encounter our fears, we
usually become overwhelmed with self-generated, pessimistic thoughts, and we
quit even before we start. God wants for us to take the first step of faith in
Him, and He will, slowly but surely, carry us through the rest. He will shine
like a light to show us the way to overcome our fears. Even though it may be
difficult at first, once we start growing in our faith, nothing can stand in
our way.
Being
an omnipotent God, our God knows our limits. He will never give us a burden too
heavy to bear. Although it may seem strenuous, God will never push us past our
breaking point. Theologian Jack Watts coined the phrase, “Growth Comes When God
Stretches You”. God may push us all the way up to our maximum capacity at
times, but He does it to help us realize our true capabilities and discover our
new identity as His servants.
A
common complaint among some believers is that God is only there through the
joyous moments, and that He is missing during times of pain and suffering. This
is certainly not true, for God is always with us, through all our ups and
downs. Psalm 121:4 says, “Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither
slumber nor sleep.” God is always there to rescue us whenever we need Him, but
first we need to make God the shelter and stronghold of our life. When we abide
in God and God in us, then we will be protected by God’s mighty shield.
Throughout
the Bible, we see many stories of God’s power. God possesses sovereignty that
is incomprehensible and beyond our understanding. With God on our side, we can
be confident as troubles and problems approach us, for we know that God will
deliver us with his unending might. What do we have to fear, if the God who
created the universe, the Messiah who washed away our sins, the Savior who
resurrected on the third day, is on our side?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, give us the
strength to put our trust and faith in You when we encounter our fears. Help us
to grow and make You the stronghold of our life. Be with us as we face our
fears and deliver us from our struggles. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Greater is He that is living in me
He’s conquered our enemy
No power of darkness
No weapon prevails
We stand here in victory
Greater is He that is living in me
He’s conquered our enemy
No power of darkness
No weapon prevails
We stand here in victory
(from
"Same Power" by Jeremy Camp)