shadow

fear

FOR THE SAKE OF THE CALL: BACK UP OR MOVE FORWARD

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Jesus is calling us…issuing a special invitation. Will you accept?

 

BACK UP OR MOVE FORWARD

“Faithful is He who calls you and He will do it!” 

I Thessalonians 5:24, NLT”

“I don’t know how I’m going to do all this Lord. So much is happening in the ministry, good things, in so many different places. You know I’m not equipped to handle it! It’s way above my head God. I see the giants all around us. What do I do?”

The room was dark and Tom slept soundly beside me, muffled snores the only thing breaking the silence. And, of course, my thoughts were whirling as I lay beside him, wide awake at 3:00 a.m. Getting up for the third time, I decided to start reading Deuteronomy, hoping I’d fall asleep within seven verses.

Instead of making me fall asleep, God used what I call “the Reminder Book,” Deuteronomy, to remind me again of His faithful leading since the time He called me to this mission of Zookeepers Ministries. He reminded me He was the One who has done it, and will continue to do it. My calling is simply to obey, to speak the truth of His Word in love, and to follow His lead.

And to do it at His speed: baby step by baby step, or running with Him, however He chooses.

And He reminded me not to be afraid of the giants that try to stand in the way of the mission. They will fall as He commands.

That is God’s promise to us. He has a mission, a plan, for all our lives. When we let Him, He will do it in and through us.

Back in bed, I finally fell asleep sometime after 4:30 a.m.  Upon awakening a mere three hours later, I read Tami Carr’s Daily Dose of Encouragement, (September 19). I quote, “If there is one thing perfectly clear in this passage, it is that God takes responsibility for the success of the mission while Samuel’s response to God’s instructions is obedience …God is faithful to do what He says He will do. He is responsible for keeping His Word. We, like Samuel, must be obedient and trust Him to accomplish His plan in and through us.”

Confirmation. It’s like a breath of fresh air when you need it most. Yes, the mission He started twelve years ago will move forward as He leads. We will not stop because of giants in the land.

Dear Sister, has God called you a mission, and you’ve been afraid to move forward? Are the giants, the enemies of God’s plan, plaguing you with doubt? Don’t listen! Join us on mission, because God has a plan for you!

Ponder these things as you go about life today, and listen to this song as you begin the pondering.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JI4CPfuLW0

Until tomorrow,

Your Traveling Companion,

Brenda

 

Glorious Gumption: Esther

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You don’t hear the word gumption used very often. I like the sound of it. It makes me think of courage. It involves wisdom, discernment, spirit, ability, and judgment, among other things. It also requires good old-fashioned get-up-and go! When gumption is utilized in a godly way, I call it glorious. Join me this week as we look at some women who displayed glorious gumption in their lives and understand how we can do something similar!

 

Esther

“…though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”  

Esther 4:16, NLT

Monday_Day_One_Pic-Fear-Courage_SignHave you been reluctant to ask for help from someone in authority for fear something awful would happen to you?  For example, in a work situation, you may need to bring a matter to the boss’s attention. He may be the only one who can take the required action. Yet you fear he won’t listen to you, or worse, not believe you. You may ask, “What’s going to happen to me if I approach him?”  Perhaps the better question is what’s going to happen to others if I don’t?

Queen Esther experienced a similar, even more serious, predicament. She needed help from the king but had to get past the king’s evil top official, Haman. Haman had plotted to get rid of the Jewish people, Esther’s people, through directly targeting her uncle, Mordecai. Mordecai told her she needed to speak to the king on behalf of her people and herself (Esther 4:5-15).

Initially, Esther didn’t want to face the reality of Haman’s order to kill the Jews. She was preoccupied with her own fear that she could be killed for coming before the king without being invited. This very real fear prevented her from considering the long range results should she refuse to do the right thing in a timely manner.

Read today’s Dose verse. Esther eventually agreed to assist her people by going before King Xerxes, despite the uncertainty of whether she’d be welcomed or harmed. This action took great courage, glorious gumption! (Esther 5: 1-3)

Esther also prayed, fasted, and asked her people do the same (Esther 4: 15-17). She displayed godly wisdom in seeking God first and selecting the right time and atmosphere to present her requests to the king (after a couple of feasts, where he’d be relaxed and more receptive to a favorable answer. See Esther 5:4-8 and chapter 7.)

Sometimes the only thing blocking us from receiving the help we so desperately need is our own fear. When we trust God to move us through our fear to appropriate action we can act with glorious gumption, even against the threat of death, as Esther did!

Dear one, are you failing to act today due to your fear? Ask God for help and surround yourself with godly believers to pray with you.

Glorious gumption over fear,

Rita

[Read all of Esther for more of this story]

Fearful to Fearless: Things That Go Thump in the Night

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“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 6:31, NIV

From Genesis to Revelation, God exhorts believers not to be afraid. Join me this week as we venture to be fearless in a world packed with reasons to fear.

 

Things That Go Thump in the Night

“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” 

Proverbs 3:24, NIV

“Burglary! Burglary! You have violated a protected area! Leave the premises immediately!”

child-666133_640Our alarm split the stillness of the early morning air. All too familiar with the drill, my husband grabbed the gun and checked the area indicated by the motion detector. I groggily gave our password to the voice on the line at Central Station. The good news―it was another false alarm. Forever a mystery. The bad news―it wasn’t even 5 a.m., and I was wide awake again. I surrendered to the adrenaline pumping through my veins, hit the switch on the coffeemaker, and reluctantly conceded defeat.

Clutching my coffee mug, I sank into the couch on the landing―my favorite place to greet the day―and noticed that our daughter’s bedroom door was still shut. Her room was dark and quiet. Had she even flinched as the 120-decibel alarm screamed overhead? If she had been awakened, she remained unrattled by the morning’s chaos. Her composure was the epitome of trust in us, her parents, the ones responsible for her protection.

Do I exhibit this same level of trust in my heavenly Father, who is sovereign over all that threatens to harm me? Do you? I’ve never thought of myself as a person plagued by fear, but as I become increasingly aware of the evil that prevails in this world, I can sense an uneasiness hovering just beneath the surface of my thoughts. Fear of the unknown. Fear of threats. Across our nation, we are growing more and more apprehensive concerning terrorist attacks, the economy, unemployment, retirement, health care, and the upcoming elections. If we dwell on catastrophic events, our vulnerability as a nation, or persecution worldwide, we can conjure up an incredible amount of fear―fear that will hold us hostage even when the alarms are false.

As responsible parents and citizens, it’s wise to invest in measures to secure the safety of our homes and our loved ones. But what about those things over which we have no control? Do we react to them with fear and anxiety? In life, it’s impossible to know all we’ll need to overcome, but it is possible to know the Overcomer. Scripture tells us that the God who watches over us neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:3). If we have a relationship with our heavenly Father and trust in His love and protection, we’ll be less disturbed by the alarms from without or within. As we rest in His care, our Father can be trusted to handle whatever threatens to invade our positions of peace.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety”

(Psalm 4:8, NIV).

Sleep tight!

Starr