Day 366: Matthew 28:10

"Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.'" ~Matthew 28:10, NIV

Today concludes a strange journey I set out upon 365 days ago. I sought to see if indeed, there was a verse for every day of the Gregorian year counteracting fear, and I found... Well. This blog has documented my findings, interpretations, and exhortations of the lack of 365 verses that directly state "fear not," or "don't be afraid". The instances are many, some repeat, but the situations can be boiled down to three: God directly telling His people to fear not, God using angels to tell His people to fear not, and God using other godly men to tell His people to fear not.

After Jesus was risen from the dead, some of His female disciples went to His tomb only to find it empty. This verse is just after He's appeared to them, and they fell down at His feet and worshipped Him, and I think it's a fine word to end this year by.

Don't be afraid - in fact, take what you've learned and share it with the world. Jesus said "go and tell my brothers". His plan is that we should go and tell the whole world this very news: that Christ is risen from the dead, we can be one with God again. For this, this is the good news, and this, this is the reason why we shall never have to fear.

Have a great 2013!

Day 360: Ezekiel 34:28-30

"They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid.I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations. Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord." 
~Ezekiel 34:28-30, NIV

First off, Merry Christmas! May your household be filled with the peace of our loving Father and His son, Jesus Christ.

I'll try to make this brief - God's ultimate will is that everyone would be able to live in a relationship with Him. On that day, He can bring peace on Earth and goodwill among all men. This verse describes the plan God has ultimately for Israel, that they will not be under attack from their neighbors, that they will live in safety, that they will have a fertile land and that the world will cease to hate them.

The one, vital step to that plan was the existence of one man, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. I've said it before, but we celebrate the day that our God's progeny came to die. On this day, remember what God's ultimate plan requires: that no one should perish, but that all might know Him and have everlasting life.

The way the verse is set up, it looks like it's a cause and effect verse - when God creates this paradise for Israel, then they will know He is their God and they are His people. But I would say it's the opposite. Because they know that the Sovereign Lord is their only God and Savior, He will be able to grant them that goodness. Either way, it works.

Has God given you prosperity? Then know that He is the Lord your God. Do you know He's God? Then know that His ultimate plan is to prosper you greatly, be that in this life or not.

He loves you. He sent His son to die, and today we remember that. May God bless you.

Day 355: Judges 4:18

"Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, 'Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.' So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket." ~Judges 4:18, NIV

This verse might be a little controversial and almost against my point, but I'm going to use it anyways. Here's the scoop: Sisera was the general of an army that was trying to destroy Israel in the promised land, but thanks to God, the Israelites had routed his army and were pursuing him. He came upon lady Jael's tent, and as the verse shows, she went out to meet him and brought him into her tent.

She told him not to be afraid. He believed her, and entered her tent and hid. Jael ended up killing the dude by driving a tent peg through his head, and that's part of the point.

God's plan for the Israelites was to destroy their enemies. Anyone who's not on the Lord's side shouldn't be taken in by someone claiming that they don't need to be afraid. I'm sorry, but the fact is if you are against God you will not stand. Just like Jael telling Sisera he didn't need to be afraid, anyone against God who thinks they don't need to be afraid is LYING to themselves!

Conversely, anyone who IS on God's side can know that He has the situation under control, and they DON'T need to be afraid.

So whichever side you're on, take heed - God is watching, and He is just. He's a God of second chances, it's true, but He's not going to let the wicked get away with their schemes forever. Whether they get justice in the afterlife or here, we can't say, but we know that ultimately, good always wins.

Day 354: Isaiah 37:6

"Isaiah said to them, Tell your master, 'This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me." ~Isaiah 37:6, NIV

Sennacherib was the leader of the Assyrian army, and they were threatening Israel at her very gates - scoffing that even though the King Hezekiah might proclaim "the Lord of Israel will deliver", no god had ever delivered someone from the Assyrians.

Two things - one, that was because the Assyrians hadn't yet come upon the true God, and two, knowing the truth makes you prepared to take on lies, to filter them out. A lie might be "I'm not good enough", or "they're bigger than my God!" If you live believing those kinds of lies, of course you're going to be afraid!

But like Isaiah said, we don't have to be afraid of lies. Walking in truth isn't easy (for sometimes the truth hurts, or is harder to believe than the lies), but ultimately, if you know it, lies won't scare you.

The Bible is the truth; when in doubt, seek God out and He will always answer you - maybe not in your time or with the answer you want, but He will answer.

Day 353: Psalm 73:23

"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand." ~Psalm 73:23, NIV

So a lot of times we quote God telling us that He'll always be with us. This verse seems a little backwards then, doesn't it? I will always be with Him? He holds my right hand?

This just reflects God's will that we choose Him. Yes, He'll always be available, but it's up to us to accept His love, His goodness, His grace, His promises. When we do that, we're also accepting that there's nothing in this world to fear, and we're taking a certain measure of control over our destinies by putting it in God's hand.

And when we do that, He leads us by the hand down the path of His plan - which is perfect, and in it is perfect love, which casts out all fear. The choice, unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective) is yours.

Day 351: Philippians 4:7

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:7, NIV

Okay, what is fear but an attack on your security? Well, Paul says to the Philippians that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds thanks to our hope in Jesus. And if our hearts are guarded by this peace, that means that fear can't get in and take a hold, right?

If you're facing fear, ask your father for His peace. Just as earthly fathers give their sons and daughters good gifts, so much more will your heavenly father give you what you need when you need it.

Be still and know, calm your heart and understand that He is God, and let that knowledge fill your heart with His love.

Day 348: 1 Samuel 12:14

"If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good!" ~1 Samuel 12:14, NIV

After Samuel had made Saul king by God's appointment, he gave a speech to the new king and the Israelites. The Israelites especially needed to be reminded that their true king was God, and that the point of having a human king was to teach them how to better serve God.

In addition, his speech gave a point that has been proven time after time - fearing the Lord by serving and obeying Him gives goodness and life, and negates the need to be afraid of worldly death. God longs to give good things to His children, but He has to be sure that they will use those gifts wisely. Fearful children make stupid mistakes, I'm afraid.

Day 346: Matthew 10:28

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." ~Matthew 10:28, NIV

Jesus knew what was up. Like David, He understood and thus explained that the body isn't the most important aspect of life - but the spirit, on the other hand...

Look, evil and frightening people will do what they want with your body, but they can't even begin to touch your mind, your spirit. They can influence, but they can never control your thoughts, who you are. So yeah, they can do terrible things, but your spirit is safe in God's hands - fear Him, rather, because He's the one who determines where you spend your afterlife.

If you didn't believe David, I guess there's no reason why you would believe Jesus, but both of them explained this simple truth.

Day 332: Psalm 34:9

"Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing." ~Psalm 34:9, NIV

Day 327: Micah 4:4

"Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken." ~Micah 4:4

This passage of Micah describes the Mountain of the Lord in the last days - goodness for God's people, an a lack thereof among those who have rejected His place. In those days, it is God's plan for peace.

According to the passage it seems everyone in those days will have peace on the Lord's Mountain. Other nations will worship their gods, and Israel will worship God. Israel will have an abundance - to every man his own vine and own fig tree - and because God has spoken, no one will give them cause to be afraid.

The Lord spoke in the old days, will speak in the new days, but He's still talking now. What He has said (fear not), what He will say (you have nothing to fear) is equivalent to what His will is, and He wants you to walk in His purpose for your life (don't be afraid).

The choice to walk or not in God's purpose is always in our hands. Part of accepting that purpose is choosing to walk fearlessly. We can do it. But it won't happen unless we make it happen.

Day 325: Psalm 111:5

"He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever." ~Psalm 111:5, NIV

'I know, sometimes it's easy to believes God remembers everyone... except for me. He provides for those who need, but what about me? 

'Does He just not care about me? Why do I feel so alone? Was it something I did? My lack of faith? Do I just need to look up, out?'

Deserts are not a fun place to be in. You don't have enough food. You don't have enough water. The heat suffocates you, the night is paralyzing. God had the Israelites wander through the desert for 40 years.

He was still with them. He's still with you. He remembered the Israelites for 400 years of prophetic drought until Jesus came. He remembers His promise to you. And He loves you.

His promise. His love never fails. He'll provide. You can take it.

Day 307: Isaiah 51:7

"Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults." ~Isaiah 51:7, NIV

God's people should know His voice, right? So why is it so hard to listen and obey what is written so clearly in the Bible.

I wish I knew.

What I do know for certain is that here God says to those who want to follow Him not to fear the reproach and/or hate of those around us for following Him, nor are we to be bothered by their insults.

They say that if you have haters, you must be doing something right. In this instance, by God's own word, it's true. So tell me: how many haters do you have?

Day 305: Genesis 35:17

"And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, 'Don't despair, for you have another son.'" ~Genesis 35:17, NIV

Jacob was tricked into marrying two wives, and because his heart was impure, God blessed the one he didn't love with many sons. But Rachel, the wife Jacob did love, only ever had two sons, and this verse describes the birth of her second.

She died after giving birth to him.

The hope of people way back in that day was that someday, their name would live on through their children. That was their immortality, their certainty. Jesus hadn't risen from the dead yet; life was their first and only chance. Having a son was more honorable, because the son carried the father's name, and thus the family "lived on" after death, as it were.

With this cultural background, the midwife told Rachel "don't despair". Today, we have an even stronger hope thanks to Jesus, an even more compelling reason to abandon despair.

Our families will not last forever, but those who believe and serve Jesus shall live forever, serving a loving God.

And remember: every valley has a bottom. And once you've hit the bottom, life climbs on the up and up. So don't let despair control your heart as you sink into a valley. We were not called to live our short lives in anguish. There's hope.

Please don't despair.

Day 302: Deuteronomy 3:2

"The Lord said to me, 'Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.'" ~Deuteronomy 3:2, NIV

When the Israelites left Israel, they had instructions to move into their promised land and take what God had given them through His promise to their ancestor, Abraham. The Israelites had to wait forty years to fulfill this promise, however, because the people were afraid of the natives in the land.

After forty years they were ready to try again, and God reminds them of their past failing, and urges them not to repeat it. He also reminded them of their success, and commanded them to go forth without fear.

We are the same way, I'm sure - haven't you disobeyed once and had to pay for it later? And haven't you succeeded once, and when God tells you to do something similar, can't you call upon that memory?

God doesn't want us to live in fear, He wants us to take His promises and live out His purpose for our lives. Don't be afraid of that.

Day 301: Nehemiah 6:11

"But I said, 'Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!'" ~Nehemiah 6:11, NIV

Nehemiah was faced with a prophesy that told him people were going to come kill him. The prophet told him to go into the temple - God's sacred place - even though he wasn't a priest, for sanctuary.

Nehemiah knew two things: going into the temple would be an act of cowardice (he had been assaulted for doing God's work before, as we may remember from yesterday), and the prophesy could not have been true.

He had been given God's promise, a burden to carry. He could have run - it was the self-preserving thing to do - but it was not God's will for him. And neither is it God's will for his children, us.

God has a purpose for you, and it isn't to run away. He wants you to become His strong child, wise in His ways. There is a time for escape (Paul did it, Jesus did it) and there is always a time to stand for what you know to be true.

Choose your battles wisely, but don't run - just don't fight them all. And know the truth, so that lies don't intimidate you.

Day 270: Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV

The title of Proverbs 3 is "Wisdom Bestows Well-Being". There are a lot of suggestions for wise living within the 35 verses of the chapter, and I would like to emphasize the above two, which you've probably heard before.

So we have instruction, and then the reason why: trust in the Lord, submit to Him, because then He will make your paths straight.

And if we're following in God's path, there's really nothing to be afraid of, unless you're worried about rejection and hatred. But because you're going to face that no matter what path you're on, why not step into God's trail? It won't be easy, but it's His great destiny for you, His chosen hero.

Y'know, save the princess, make yourself into an infinitely better person, and glorify God the whole way? Choose to follow the path of a hero. Take up a challenge - trust in God's ultimate plan for you with all your heart, and watch in awe as He does amazing things through you.

Day 267: Esther 4:14

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" ~Esther 4:14, NIV

The story of Esther is perhaps one of the most incredible stories of courage ever. God brought her to a position of influence where she could save her people when the government of her day decided to crack down and annihilate the Jewish race.

God tasked Esther with the deliverance of her people - but He was with her the whole time. He gave her the wisdom of Mordecai. He gave her the support of her people. He gave her the favor of the king, and wisdom to know how to deal with the situation of potential death.

Esther had to trust God in everything, but she didn't do it off the bat. In fact, she requested that Israel pray and fast for her for 3 days.  We can learn a lesson - go to God with your troubles. Give Him a chance to help you. Ask Him to help you surrender your will.

And then go do it. And if you 'perish', metaphorically speaking? What of it? You were going to someday anyways. Better to do so doing God's will than not.

Day 266: Psalm 40:4

"Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods." ~Psalm 40:4, NIV

There's always going to be a couple of solutions to your fears. Either you can try and fix it up yourself, use the resources you think you have to give yourself security, or you can give up control of the situation and trust God will take care of you.

This verse above suggests that you trust God. In fact, it paints that option as a better alternative. "Blessed are those" who trust in the Lord!

It's God's will to make things turn out for the best. Trusting Him takes all the worry and responsibilities for yourself off of your shoulders. Sure, you have to follow God's purpose for you, but it's not up to you to make things work; all you have to do is obey!

And one step to obedience is by not worrying, but believing that God will use your actions to make things all right in the end.

Day 186: Job 9:33-34

"If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. Maybe he could remove God’s punishment so his terror would no longer frighten me." ~Job 9:33-34, NCV

Here Job is expressing a desire to speak with God face to face. God allowed Satan to test Job, and Job was feeling beaten down, torn apart from his friendship with God. He wanted to cry out in protest, but under the old law he was defiled, unable to speak with God. "If only there were a mediator!" he moans. He feared for his life - Satan had taken everything from him.

I've got some news for you today. Now, there is a mediator. We can be brought close to God despite the fact that we are unclean, sinful. He removed God's punishment for our sins by taking it upon Himself, so we no longer have to fear God's terror. His name is Jesus, He died on a cross to pay for our sinfulness, and then rose again to live in glory in Heaven and to actively reconcile us with God - if we accept Him.

If we accept Him, we no longer have to fear God, we align ourselves on His side, and therefore have nothing to ever fear again. Remember that.

Image: Fotopedia

Day 184: 1 Samuel 30:6

"David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God." ~1 Samuel 30:6, NIV

David had a long and interesting history before he became King. Among other things, he was on the run from Saul and lived outside of Israel with his men for some time, doing bounty work for the kingdoms around Israel - specifically the Philistines. They made their home in the city of Ziklag. In the context of this verse, the Amalekites had raided the city while David and his men were out and about, and had kidnapped the women and the children - all the families of all of David's men, not to mention their loot. David's men were crushed, and "were talking of stoning him".

David was living in the land of his enemies - he had every right to be afraid. Not only that, but now his men were talking about turning against him, and these were people he probably considered his friends! But as bad as it was, David was truly a man after God's heart and shows us what we should do: find our strength in God.

When it falls apart - regardless of whether the feeling in your stomach is of fear or sorrow - seek God. What does that even mean, to seek God? It means to pray, to ask for strength, to praise, to thank Him for what He's done, to ask Him what to do next. Often times people fast when they seek God. Essentially, it means to focus solely on Him.

Why? When you are focused on Him, you can hear Him, He can help you. The problems lose their magnitude in comparison with Him, and you're reminded of how much He loves you and how He's got the whole situation in His hands. With that in mind, it's a simple matter to face your fears and get your act together, like David did in Samuel.

Image: Fotopedia