Day 121: Isaiah 41:14

"You few people of Israel who are left, do not be afraid even though you are weak as a worm. 'I myself will help you,' says the Lord. 'The one who saves you is the Holy One of Israel.'" ~Isaiah 41:14, NCV

Again, today God is talking about a remnant who are left in Israel, who have many reasons to be afraid. They are, apparently, as weak as a worm. But they don't have to be afraid, because God, the Holy One of Israel is taking care of them.

We might not be a wormy Israel, but we are no strongmen either - take heart though, the Lord himself will help you. He will save you, He says so. Do you believe that? Sometimes it's hard to, when you feel like a worm. But Don't give up. Just don't give up...

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Day 120: Zephaniah 3:13

"This core holy people will not do wrong. They won't lie, won't use words to flatter or seduce. Content with who they are and where they are, unanxious, they'll live at peace." ~Zephaniah 3:13, MSG

God's plan was always to have a people who obeyed Him and loved Him full-heartedly. It seems that His big idea has always been to create a community of people that live together in harmony and better one another. Why else did He design families, clans, tribes, nations? Even the Church at its heart is essentially one giant community - an overgrown family. In the verses leading up to the one above, God is telling Zephaniah how "one day" everyone will "be able to worship the Lord together," and how there will be no one left on Zions hill who speaks haughtily, or rebels against Him.

The remnant on Zion are who God is talking about in this verse. They will be "lowly and humble" v12. The core, this remnant will be pure in God's sight. With God as their Lord, they will have no one to make them afraid. Content with who God made them to be and what He's leading them to do, they will be confident and trusting in God's part in their life.

We are that remnant - God called us to follow His son, and when we accepted Jesus, we agreed to obey God's commands, and to do no more wrongs. Obviously we mess up sometimes, but God promises to forgive us of our sins when we ask for it, and He gives us the power to say no to temptations. When we truly live in God's promise and will, we're aware of who He is, and we're truly confident that no one can come between us and Him.

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Day 119: Judges 3:15

"But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD again raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin." ~Judges 3:15a, NLT

After Joshua died, the Israelites went through periods of belief, and then disbelief - they would follow God, then fall away, then come back and follow Him, then fall away. When they fell, God would send them punishment for their sins, usually in the form of occupation and attacks. When it would get too much for the Israelites to bear, they would turn back to God and choose to put their trust in Him, asking Him to save them. And as we can see from the verse above, God raised up rescuers, known today as judges.

Ehud is notable because a) he was a Benjaminite b) he was left handed and c) he saved Israel from the Moabites. Story goes he took the Israelite tribute payment to the king, asked for a moment alone with him, and stabbed the king in the gut until the knife hilt couldn't be seen. (And people say the Bible is boring!) God saved the Israelites from the Moabites.

What can we take from this? Cry out to God and ask for His help to solve your struggles. Go and do His will, and trust that He can use you too to make a difference and save people's lives. He wants to use you, He wants to save you, and as always... He loves you!

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Day 118: Psalm 56:13

"For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life." ~Psalm 56:13, NIV

David, David... he knew his stuff. The "you" in the above sentence is, of course, God. When afraid, we've already established it's good to remember what God has done in the past - be it your past or someone else's. David had a lot of examples from his own past to think of.

God had delivered him from physical death many times - just read 1 and 2 Samuel for some examples. But God also delivered "his feet from stumbling" - God helped David not to sin, so that he could live in God's good promises. Sin separates us from God and all of the courage and confidence that He offers, so to hear that God will help us make the right choices is a very encouraging thought. Be it choosing a college, a place to live, a spouse, God is with us and will help us when we trip up over our own feet.

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Day 117: Jeremiah 23:4

"Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the LORD, have spoken!" ~Jeremiah 23:4, NLT

God often refers to His people as sheep, as the verses leading up to this one show. Metaphorically, the leaders of the people are shepherds, and in Jeremiah's Israel, they had been pretty poor shepherds. But now, God makes a promise to appoint responsible shepherds, so the sheep don't have to be afraid.

"Not a single one will be lost or missing." Can't find your way? Scared? The LORD has spoken, He promises to find you. Believe it, He is the good shepherd, and when you trust Him - when you trust Jesus, you don't ever have to be afraid again.

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Day 116: 2 Samuel 22:3

"My God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence." ~2 Samuel 22:3, NLT

2 Samuel chapter 22 describes a song David wrote once he had been saved from his enemies, including Saul. As you probably know, David and Saul had a really rough relationship, and David ended up living for fear of his life whenever Saul was around (and often when he wasn't). David never stopped trusting in God, as many of his psalms show, and this song shows a similar flavor.

The song itself is a testimony of praise to the fact that God saved David - it's a "thank you" for all that God had done, and all who He was. The above verse sums up that second thought nicely, don't you think?

WHO IS GOD?

David saw God as a rock of protection, his shield, power to save him, and a place of safety. Added to that description is an understanding of God as a refuge, David's savior, and the one who saves from violence.

Who is God for you? Sometimes when we're in the heat of the battle, we don't see God as a refuge, or a shield, or one who saves from violence. It's then, when we feel beaten and unable to rise up again, that we have to choose to believe that He is a shield, He is a refuge, He is worthy of praise and thanks! Those choices make us who we are, make us a better person, make us more similar to His image, make us stronger, and further His kingdom. Better than that, it makes those thoughts that we choose to believe true.

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Day 115: Zechariah 8:13

"Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong." ~Zechariah 8:13, NIV

While Israel was still in exile in Babylon, God was giving Zechariah words and visions. God says in the chapter leading up to this verse that He will once again "dwell in Jerusalem" v3 and says He will bring his people back to Jerusalem v8. In verse 9, the subject changes, and God is describing how the Temple will be rebuilt. Verse 12 and 13 are the culmination of His promises to Israel concerning this.

God promises to give good things to "the remnant of Israel" v12. Then He proclaims the above message of hope: "Even though you've been utterly humiliated, I will save you and turn your situation around. It's going to take some effort on your behalf, but take courage, work hard, it'll pay off in the end!" (paraphrased) We can take the same advice, and start cracking at our challenges.

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Day 114: 1 Chronicles 5:20

"They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated." ~1 Chronicles 5:20, NLT

If you recall, the tribes of Gad, Rueben, and Manasseh lived on the opposite side of the Jordan from all of the other tribes. There were several other people groups in the area, notably here the Hagrites. The three aforementioned Israelite tribes went to war with these groups. And that's where we come to the above verse.

Why were they successful? They seemed to be in a heap of trouble at the beginning of the battle, but the Hagrites and their allies were defeated. I would attribute two factors to their victory - they trusted God, and they knew they were His children. They cried out to God, and trusted in His love for them!

God can overcome your mountain with you. Trust in His promise to love and take care of you as His child!

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Day 113: Jeremiah 40:9

"Gedaliah vowed to them that the Babylonians meant them no harm. "Don't be afraid to serve them. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you," he promised." ~Jeremiah 40:9, NLT

Gedaliah was neither a prophet nor a holy man. He was a politician set up as governor by the Babylonians. One might say that because of these qualifications (or lack thereof) that we can't take his words seriously - how many times in the Bible does a sinful person claim one thing that doesn't happen because it wasn't in line with what God wanted? Yet Jeremiah, the man of God, trusted him, and the words he said were in line with what God had told Jeremiah. Because those words reflected what God said to Jeremiah (see yesterday's verse) we too can trust them.

God can use any of us to spread His word. We don't have to be prophets, we don't have to be pastors, we don't have to be denominationally appointed missionaries; God can and will use any of us to spread His message of hope.

Gedaliah tells the people not to be afraid to serve the Babylonians. This is a message reflected later by Paul, who says slaves should serve their masters as they would serve Christ. Don't be afraid to do your best, don't be afraid to let your actions shine forth as a testimony, who knows, you might be changing the lives of the Babylonians that you serve in ways that you can't even imagine! Step out in faith and be the very best person you can be, it will glorify the God who made you regardless of the beliefs of those around you.

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Day 112: Jeremiah 42:11

"You don't have to fear the king of Babylon. Your fears are for nothing. I'm on your side, ready to save and deliver you from anything he might do." ~Jeremiah 42:11, MSG

After Israel got taken into exile by the Babylonians, things were pretty messy in the province of the Promised Land. The governor that the King had appointed got assassinated, and the productivity that had been flourishing thanks to the poor was put to a halt. The officers and the people asked Jeremiah for instructions from the Lord as to what they were supposed to do. They wanted to go to Egypt, but they wanted to know if God wanted them there. They promised Jeremiah that if he would ask God what He wanted, they would do it.

God told them to stay in the land. "I will plant you in this land" (v10) and then the above verse - "you don't have to be afraid, I will deliver you." He then warns the people that if they go to Egypt, everything they feared would happen to them.

Unfortunately, the people stubbornly decided to go to Egypt, where they died. They decided not to listen to God's promise for them, they decided to choose their own way. They ended up dying for it, living in fear and dying. (v17)

God has given you a promise as well. He promises to be with you, and to satisfy the desires of your heart - the desires that He gives, the desires that bring life. If you find God and stay where He wants you to, go where He tells you to, then you don't have to be afraid. You are on God's side, and He is ready to rescue you because He loves you. Step out in faith and do what you're afraid to do, stay where the mess is, if that's what God's telling you, don't seek out a comfort zone, because God can easily tear that down. If you are on God's side, then there's nothing to fear.

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Day 111: Luke 1:13

"But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John." ~Luke 1:13, NKJV

Zechariah and Elizabeth's story is a familiar one. It resounds in similarity to Abraham and Sarah's tale, but it shows God's grace in new ways. A barren couple ask God for a child. They pray to God, trust in Him to provide their desires, and wait.

For years.

Honestly now, how long does it take for you to quit praying over something important to you? A week? A month? A year? (I average about a month, honestly.) But they waited with unquenchable faith and believed that God would answer them. And this verse describes the moment where Zechariah finds that out.

God sent an angel - a scary being, if you've ever met one - to tell Zechariah the good news while he was performing his duties at the temple. And while we probably associate the command to fear not with the terror of meeting an angel, having a child in that day and age was no small matter. The command might also have referred to...

"Do not be afraid, God is listening!"

"Do not be afraid, you will have a son!"

"Do not be afraid, God is with you!"

All of that and more (c'mon, I'm sure you can think of something!) can be said to you too.

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Day 110: 2 Corinthians 1:9

"Truly, in our hearts we believed we would die. But this happened so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from the dead." ~2 Corinthians 1:9, NCV

Paul is writing to the believers in Corinth about the trials he endured in Asia. Through his story, it becomes clear that God did not call Christians to an easy life. We struggle through circumstances and situations, but not just because God wants us to suffer! As Paul says, those things "happen so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God".

Our position life isn't to be in control all of the time. It's to take whatever's thrown at us with the knowledge that we don't have to face it alone. If we did, we would fail, but with God, we can do anything. And we don't have to be afraid while we're at it, because we serve a God who loves us and who will do what's best for us.

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Day 109: Psalm 142:5

"Lord, I cry out to you. I say, 'You are my protection. You are all I want in this life.'" ~Psalm 142:5, NCV

In life, we get to choose a lot of things. We might not get to choose where we live, who our family is, or how tall we are, but we do get to choose who we hang out with, we do get to choose what we read, and we do get to choose our desires. (Most of them anyways, we inherited some of them from God.) Therefore we can choose to put our focus on God, to decide that He's all we want in this life. To decide to believe that He will protect us.

To decide to ask Him for help.

The brilliant thing about following God is that because of who He is and who He designed us to be, seeking Him first and focusing on God will usually take us places that are thrilling. We'll get to do incredibly satisfying things, things that can't be written down specifically, because each experience will be specifically tailored to who You are. God wants You to be You, so that His friendship with you is genial and fresh, loving and irreplaceable. We can say "You're all I want in this life," but God also says "You're all I want for your life." God wants you to be you!

And you can't be you if you're scared, right? I would bet all of my socks (and my guitar. And my books. And my laptop.) that He didn't create you to be scared. So take courage, put a fresh pair of socks on and go find God. It's worth it.

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Day 108: John 14:1

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and also trust in me." ~John 14:1, NLT

Jesus spoke these words to His disciples after He tried (unsuccessfully) to explain to them that He was going to die. To the disciples, even the thought of their beloved Messiah, the heir of David who was going to overthrow the Roman Empire in their eyes, dying was a very disturbing thought, and might have kept them up at night. But Jesus told them not to.

Jesus told them to trust in God, because it was His plan, after all. But not just that, He told them to trust in Him, who knew God's plan and wasn't going to chicken out and miss His purpose.

Today, there are plenty of things that can trouble our hearts. Some things that bother me include the moral decay of the Western world, the impending war in Israel and Internet totalitarianism. There are other, greater things to worry about, but God doesn't want us to worry about it, but rather come to Him with those things in prayer. He wants us to give the matters into His hands, to trust with our prayers that He can handle it and take care of us.

And He can.

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Day 107: Hebrews 2:15

"Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying." ~Hebrews 2:15, NLT

In what way could God reunite himself individually with His people? With the blood of Jesus Christ. Only in this way could He set us free from Adam's curse of sin, from the fear of death that came with the presence of death. Everything a human does is done for self-preservation, to keep ourselves from dying. Such is the effect of sin. A terrifiedly selfish community arises.

But with Jesus we became set free from our terrors. We're no longer slaves of self-preservation. If anything, we should be slaves to the preservation of others, and that is how I understand the Great Commission. Why have the greatest Christians of all time fearlessly preached under extraordinary circumstances? It's because they were freed from the paralysis of fear, and they chose to trust God to deliver them bodily as He delivered them spiritually. I'm talking Peter, I'm talking Paul, I'm talking Martin Luther, I'm talking Billy Graham, and all of the persecuted Church.

We too can follow in these steps and fulfill God's purpose for us not as slaves to the fear of death in ourselves, but slaves to a fear of death in others. It's not the same, and I hesitate to compare them both so, but in a lot of ways it's true. What will we choose?

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Day 106: Isaiah 50:10

"Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? That person may walk in the dark and have no light. Then let him trust in the Lord and yet depend on his God." ~Isaiah 50:10, NCV

Back in Bible times, God would send prophets, His servants, to tell the people what He expected of them. Thus in order to obey God, often times you would have to hear the words of His servant, a prophet, and then put them into action. As sons and daughters of God, we no longer have to wait for a prophet to tell us something's wrong or something's right - we have direct access to God. But we still have to obey what we hear! (And of course, we still must listen.)

If we do that, we can walk in the dark, without any light, and not stumble. In dependence on our God, in trust that He will guide us, no matter how dark the situation, we can win. If you want to succeed, trust in God. If you want to quit being scared, trust God.

I know that it's easy to hear. So listen to it, say it over and over, and make yourself believe it. Remember what God's done, and keep on keeping on!

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Day 105: Proverbs 19:23

"The fear of the Lord leads to life, then one rests content, untouched by trouble." ~Proverbs 19:23, NIV

As opposed to a pathway leading to death, the fear of the Lord is a road that leads to life. When you're trusting in God to protect you - no matter what, you believe He's going to take care of you - then you rest content. You're not worrying about this or that, even if there's crazy, terrifying things around you happening.

See, one thing I always used to do is assume that being a Christian meant my life was going to be easy peasy, because instead of trudging through the hard bits, Jesus would organize everything so that I didn't have to. The verse above doesn't mean that no trouble will come to us. (I wish!) Rather, it means that we can be confident and unafraid when trouble does come. Yeah, we might still have to work hard to make it through, but it won't be oppressive, and God will always provide a way out.

That's just life, isn't it?

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Day 104: Isaiah 44:2

"The Lord who made you and helps you says: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, O dear Israel, my chosen one." ~Isaiah 44:2, NLT

We know that Isaiah was sent to tell the Israelites that God was sending their destruction, and that He was urging them to turn from their sins and repent so that they could avoid the fires and the pain of God's wrath. We also know that Israel didn't repent until after they were in captivity.

But here, God is telling another story of hope despite the fact that He would follow through with His warnings of destruction. "Listen," He says in verse 1, "Don't be afraid." v2. "I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children," He continues in verse 3. Even though one generation was going to be punished, God's wrath would not last for all time - and the promises He gave have come to pass.

Now we too are God's people, and thus to us also God says "Do not be afraid, my chosen one." The God who made you and helps you here and now does not want you to live in fear; break free and take a hold of His promises for you!

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Day 103: Daniel 3:17

"If you throw us into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from the furnace. He will save us from your power, O king." ~Daniel 3:17, NCV

Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah and the king of Babylon. This is a classic Sunday-school tale, and chances are good that you've heard it before and you know that it's technically Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and king Nebuchadnezzar.

And even if you didn't hear it in Sunday-school, maybe you've seen the Veggie Tales rendition. Regardless, the basic story is the same - three Hebrews are loyally serving their God, despite the fact that the king set up a statue and commanded the people to bow to it on pain of death. When the signal to bow came, all of the people in the city bowed except for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (and presumably other Hebrews as well, but we don't know their story). The king was furious, and had to stick with his penalty - burning in the furnace.

Now the three protagonists know that by standing when everyone else bows, they risk getting cooked. And in the verse above they clearly demonstrate the feelings on this topic - they trust that their God can, and will save them from the furnace. They know that God has all power, and that Nebuchadnezzar's power is minuscule in comparison.

Even though you know the end of the story, it might be good to read it through again in Daniel 3. Yes, God saves them, and add greater odds than anyone expected!

If God can and will save them, can't we be certain that He can and will save us? And even if He doesn't, you've still done the right thing by obeying Him and not giving in to the pressures of the world, and He will honor that.

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Day 102: Psalm 34:7

"God's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray." ~Psalm 34:7, MSG

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." ~Psalm 34:7, NIV

Angels are generally messengers, but not all angels of the Lord come to deliver messages. In this verse of a lovely Psalm, it says we have... *drumroll please* Guardian angels. Now they probably aren't the size of your fist and they don't sit on your shoulder, rather they provide support and do God's bidding. According to the Message's translation, this guardian angel has orders to protect you while you pray.

A little more traditionally, according to the NIV, the angel sets up camp and intimidates off the baddies. But he (she? it? how about xir? I guess "the angel" works too...) only sets up camp around those who fear God, who love God, who believe God will save them. Fortunately for us, in the NIV understanding of things, it says that God delivers us.

We'll be saved one way or another as long as we keep on trusting in God to protect us.

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Day 101: Psalm 91:9

"The Lord is your protection; you have made God Most High your place of safety." ~Psalm 91:9, NCV

Instead of gushing on about the Psalms again (they're so incredible!) let's cut straight to the chase - whatever you're afraid of, the Lord is your protection. He's better than any Hylian shield will ever be, and He can outlast any siege.

Congratulations, your choice to make God your place of safety was sheer genius! Whatever you do, don't change your mind. I don't know what it is you trusted in before - money, people, guns, 10-foot thick walls... (Hey! Don't judge!) But now remember that you're actually safer than you were before. At least, your soul is. And since your soul/spirit is what's going to last forever, that's what matters, right?

If you're scared, remember who you're trusting in to save you. And please believe me when I say He will deliver you.

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Day 100: Numbers 14:9

"Do not rebel against the Lord, and don't be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don't be afraid of them!" ~Numbers 14:9, NLT

These words are what Joshua and Caleb told the Israelite community before Moses had died when they were able to cross the Jordan and to take the Promised Land. As you probably know, the Israelites did rebel against the Lord, and they paid for it with 40 years roaming in the desert.

What do I think this verse tells us? I think it tells us that if God gave us a promise that He will make a way for us. We shouldn't be afraid of failure, we shouldn't need to be reminded of our purpose in God's will, and we should remember that God is with us! Our enemies are ill prepared to take on the awesomeness that God bestows upon His children, our enemies don't stand a chance against God's promise. We don't need to be afraid of doing poorly; we just need to trust that God has a plan and that we are following in it.

If we really are following in God's plan, it'll work out. If not, God will let you know - as long as you're listening!

Don't disrespect God and throw His promises away. Work towards them, believe it will happen, and walk in the plans that God has for you!

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Day 99: 1 Timothy 4:10

"This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers." ~1 Timothy 4:10, NLT

I don't know about you, but I don't struggle through my fears just for the sake of overcoming them. Honestly, I could live a perfectly comfortable life without ever challenging my fears. And it would be so much easier to go through life that way, just chilling in the flow of "whatever". It would be easier to stop trying to please God. It would be easier to just do whatever I wanted. It would be easier to give in to everyone who tried to beat me down. But what kind of a life is that?

It's not the one I want to live, and neither did Timothy.

I traded in that easy lifestyle for the hope of a living God. I trust that He saves all people, and particularly us believers who have chosen to accept His rescue. And I will continue to work and to struggle for Him - I don't want to cut corners on my friendship with Him. And as Paul wrote to Timothy in verse 6, I want to be a "worthy servant of Christ Jesus".

Allow me to be a Paul encouraging you, Timothy: the hard work pays off, and the struggle is worth it. Fight your doubts, fight the Devil, fight the good fight and bring glory to God, get to know Him better and put your trust in Him and His goodness.

PS: Happy Easter, the best reason to never be afraid again!

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Day 98: Lamentations 3:57

"You came near when I called to you, you said, 'Don't be afraid.'" ~Lamentations 3:57, NCV

Jeremiah had a pretty rough prophethood. He was prophesying against Israel and for Babylon, which was not a very comfortable thing to be saying to a besieged city, let alone a beleaguered nation. In the lines leading up to this verse, Jeremiah is calling out to God "from the bottom of the pit." (verse 55)

Yea, and God came near and told him 'Don't be afraid.' sometimes if we need a little courage, all we have to do is ask for it. Ask and trust that God will provide a way, ask and believe He's coming and that He loves you, ask and know that your God is faithful and that He will take care of you.

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Day 97: Psalm 56:3

"Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You." ~Psalm 56:3, NKJV

That right there is the core of this blog, of my life. Whenever I am afraid (not if: when) I will trust in my God who created the Heavens and the Earth, who knows the number of hairs on my head and cares for even the sparrows. I will choose to believe that He really does have a plan for me and that it is good, and I will believe that in all things He can make good out of seeming evil.

Belief doesn't just "happen," it's not a magical feeling that randomly appears if you do the rain dance a certain number of times. You've got to make it happen for you, you've got to choose that you will believe that God will come through. He's saved you before, He'll save you again: count on it.

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Day 96: 2 Kings 1:15

"Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, 'Go down with him, and don't be afraid of him.' So Elijah got up and went with him to the king." ~2 Kings 1:15, NLT

I recommend taking the minute or so to read the first chapter of 2 Kings. King Ahaziah had an accident and was worried that he wouldn't recover, so he sent some peeps to inquire of a Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron as to whether or not he would indeed survive. Before the messengers could get there, however, God had Elijah intervene, and in the name of God he sent the messengers back to tell Ahaziah that he was as good as dead and that he was foolish for thinking to ask the god of Ekron for advice.

Ahaziah then sent 50 soldiers to capture Elijah. The fire of the Lord struck down the men before they could do so. When Ahaziah heard, he sent 50 more men. They too, got incinerated. The third captain and his soldiers, however, went and begged for mercy - they'd seen the pattern and didn't want to repeat it. And it is right here that the angel of the Lord tells Elijah to go with the captain, and to go tell the king in person that he was gonna die. The king died because he sought out the god of Ekron before the God of Israel. (verse 16).

God can do miracles with us. He can send fire down from heaven to destroy our enemies - even if it's not literal fire. We don't need to be afraid. We can live in the confidence that the Lord gives, we can go before our enemies and explain what they're doing wrong without fear. If God did it for Elijah, He can do it for us too.

Are we still afraid of the 50? Are we still afraid of the faithless king who can only destroy our flesh? We can choose to go forth in the courage that God claims is ours. Let's do it!

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Day 95: Zephaniah 3:15

"The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm." ~Zephaniah 3:15, NIV

When you accepted Jesus into your heart, you chose to believe that He had paid the full price for your iniquities and that He loves you. He took away the punishment you would have had to pay, and He turns back the attempts of the enemy on your life as you let Him.


When we're afraid, we forget who the Lord, the King of Israel and our lives is. We forget that He's with us. When will we need to be afraid of harm? This verse, spoken to Israel but applicable to us, says "never again." There is no such thing as a decent reason to be afraid when you are with God. Do you believe that?

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Day 94: Proverbs 3:26

"Because God will be right there with you; he'll keep you safe and sound." ~Proverbs 3:26, MSG

Who is your protector? Who wants what's absolutely best for you? Who is your undying lover? His name is Jesus, and He will keep you safe and sound, even if not in the way you expect.

See, He's never far behind you. Have you read the Footsteps in the Sand poem? Often times, when we feel most forsaken, that's actually when He's helping us the most, when He's the closest. Trust that He's there (because He says so right up there!) and trust Him to keep you safe, trust Him to take care of your needs, especially when you cry out to Him to help.

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Day 93: Daniel 10:12

"'Relax, Daniel,' he continued, 'don't be afraid. From the moment you decided to humble yourself to receive understanding your prayer was heard, and I set out to come to you.'" ~Daniel 10:12, MSG

First of all, it should be noted that the person speaking to Daniel in the verse is an angel. Daniel had asked God to receive understanding, and had been waiting for an answer from God for 21 days. Now he was faced with a terrifying angel - with a "body like topaz, face like lightning, eyes like flaming torches, voice like the sound of a multitude" (verse 4).

But the angel says "Don't be afraid." "Relax," even. Angels are messengers of God. They convey the information God wants to tell humans. Your thoughts going where mine are going?

Yes, God is holy. Yes, He can be terrifying. He's not just the teddy bear we tend to make Him out to be in the American culture. But He still loves us and doesn't want us to be afraid of the weaknesses of the world. Relax, trust God and believe that He'll come through and answer your prayers - even if you can't see how or why yet.

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Day 92: 2 Kings 17:38

"And the covenant I have made with you, you shall not forget (me), nor shall you fear other gods." ~2 Kings 17:38, NKJV

God made a pact, a promise with Israel that they would serve no other gods but Him. This must be true for us also; we must not forget it nor will we forget it. Again, the "fear" in this verse means "awe, reverence," but we can interpret it literally too.


What if you're forced into serving a false god, and the only reason you stay in service is because of your fear? This god could be a person, a system (think communism, totalitarianism) even a thing (addiction, anyone?), but you don't have to fear it anymore. You gave your life to Christ, you're under His care, and you shall not fear other gods over Him. Is your principal for abortion? Your science teacher for evolution? (Disclaimer: I believe there might be something to evolution.) You can speak out against him (or me), if God tells you to, because He calls for obedience in all things, and there is nothing that has more value than the Word of God - fear not other gods, other things that have taken a godlike position in your mind!


Now I'm not telling you to go start a riot just for the sake of telling off your principal. Please, don't do that! But if you are 100% certain and have Biblical backing and the Spirit's guidance toward this end, then God will be with you and He will make sure His purpose is fulfilled. Remember, all God wants is eternal life for EVERYONE, and even more than that He wants a personal relationship with every single human that He created. And that includes you.


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