A Major Weapon against fear....

 Good teaching will take you beyond your fear. Good teaching looks at your situation and says, “I never realized how small this place is.” It examines the limitations fear brings to any and every situation. Good teaching and a dedication to God's word changes your fear. 

When God transforms your mind, you look at your comfortable place, you look at your laziness, you look at that which used to please you and you realize how ugly, binding, and hindering your fear is...it is the insecurities, the desperation, the fear that is melted away when a person is willing to study God's word and plant the seeds of the word in the heart.

Consider these Scriptures on Fear:

Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Proverbs 1:33
"But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalms 46:1
GOD is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Romans 8:15
For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Philippians 1:12-14
Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

The Word of God reveals to us that the circumstance is not beyond God's control and the circumstance is not about me. The circumstance is about how is God going to be glorified in it.

You know I love ya and together we will use this major weapon against fear,  Don

The Grand Canyon

Be still, and know that I am God. -Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon silenced me. Mom, Jim, and I were in the process of moving me to Tennessee to take the job at Smoky Mountain Christian Church. The Grand Canyon was not far off our planned route, so we thought we should stop and see the world's largest ditch. What an understatement. When we arrived, all three of us wished we had planned to stay there a little longer.

As I gazed out over the vastness and realized that water had done all this, I had no words. The Canyon stretched before me as far as the naked eye could see. There seemed to be no end to it. In the quiet, I watched light reflecting off the walls, creating splashes of red, blue, purple, yellow. A jagged rock towered nearby, reflecting light to the east side. Light and color glistened on the canyon rim where the trees staggered on the edge. Below I could see the river storming through what looked like cracks and crevices.

That was 16 years ago and even today I do not have words to describe my emotions and thoughts in that moment. I was mesmerized knowing that God created this beauty. But my thoughts turn today as I reflect back on that moment and in my heart the words, "Be still." Anxiety rushes up: worries over relationships, finances, schedules, and wondering if God will see fit to give us another opportunity to adopt a perfect little boy. But as I recall gazing at the scene unfolding, I heard the words echoing across the canyon, "Be still, and know that I am God."

The God who designed this canyon has designed you and me with the same infinite care. He is also the fountain of every blessing. If physical water can create such a vast canyon in the earth, how much more can the God of blessing carve into our anxiety the perfect heart that waits and trusts in the God we love. When we ponder the greatness of God who watches over all creation, both the Grand Canyon and us, silent awe seems an appropriate response.

"Fountain of every blessing and Awesome God, silence my heart. Help me to be still and allow you to take care of my anxieties. Thank you for caring about each of us in the midst of your great universe. I wait and trust in you. In the silence, I search, watch, and praise you for the blessings that carve out my anxieties. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

You know I love ya, Don