Fear not....
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So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
This is not the post I wanted to write. All day long I had planned on writing comforting scriptures for those impacted by the loss of the four college students at University of Georgia. Then, I realized, we were all impacted.
I did not know the precious girls, or their families, but I know what it is like to be a mother.
The faces of the mother's of those girls I have envisioned countless times today as I prayed for them.
Mothers can relate to each other in a way that transcends culture, language, religion, or time.
The heart of a mother for her children is something that cannot be contained by mere words in a blog post.
The moment I laid eyes on my first born, I felt it. It was something that I had never experienced before. Something in my heart and soul came alive. A new part of my heart burst forth, and wide open.
A different kind of love than that of the love I have for my husband. A protective kind of love, I suppose.
We spend our whole lives trying to protect them, guard them, cover them.
Even as they grow into adults, our instinct is to protect them even from afar.
That's why the story of Abraham baffles us so much. Abraham sacrificed his son in order to obey God. This story captures our hearts and our attention, and God knew it would. We cannot wrap our brains around this kind of sacrifice. It's too much to fathom.
God knew it would take the sacrifice of His Only Son, Jesus, for us to realize the breadth and depth of His love for us.
So, when we hear stories of the loss of children, we are impacted in a gut-wrenching kind of way. We feel it from our head to our toes and every inch in between.
Then, fear can strike our hearts as soon as the devastation of the news wears off.
Fear can destroy us if we are not careful. It can smother every ounce of faith and joy that we once held if we let it.
Fear can turn a sane momma into a splattering mess if we don't rebuke it in the name of the Lord.
Fear can and will drain us from our energy and purpose each day.
Fear can destroy relationships because it saps the peace right out of us.
Fear keeps us up at night begging us to imagine the worst.
Fear taunts us and haunts us until we cave into it and surrender to it's prowess.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
Fear is a thief.
It will steal our hearts and minds and hold them captive if we don't take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
If there was such a thing as a Masters Degree or PHD in Fear, I would sadly be educated enough to teach the class.
Fear is something I know much about and hope to never enter the ring with again.
It will rear it's ugly head in from time to time, but I have my weapon ready now--the Word of God.
I don't mess with fear anymore. I don't dig into things, look up or google things that can trip me up, meditate on worst case scenario situations, or talk extensively to others about a particular fear. The more fear is magnified, the more it will control us.
God teaches us to take each day as it comes. "Give us this day, our daily bread." Matthew 6:11
If we live our lives worrying about tomorrow, we miss the blessings of today.
So, if you are in a place of fear, breathe in the words of Jesus....
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Take heart, precious friend.
Jesus has overcome the world.
and so have we,
jill
Subscribe to receive SHINE by email: Go here.
Say hello: shinegirlsshine@gmail.com
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
This is not the post I wanted to write. All day long I had planned on writing comforting scriptures for those impacted by the loss of the four college students at University of Georgia. Then, I realized, we were all impacted.
I did not know the precious girls, or their families, but I know what it is like to be a mother.
The faces of the mother's of those girls I have envisioned countless times today as I prayed for them.
Mothers can relate to each other in a way that transcends culture, language, religion, or time.
The heart of a mother for her children is something that cannot be contained by mere words in a blog post.
The moment I laid eyes on my first born, I felt it. It was something that I had never experienced before. Something in my heart and soul came alive. A new part of my heart burst forth, and wide open.
A different kind of love than that of the love I have for my husband. A protective kind of love, I suppose.
We spend our whole lives trying to protect them, guard them, cover them.
Even as they grow into adults, our instinct is to protect them even from afar.
That's why the story of Abraham baffles us so much. Abraham sacrificed his son in order to obey God. This story captures our hearts and our attention, and God knew it would. We cannot wrap our brains around this kind of sacrifice. It's too much to fathom.
God knew it would take the sacrifice of His Only Son, Jesus, for us to realize the breadth and depth of His love for us.
So, when we hear stories of the loss of children, we are impacted in a gut-wrenching kind of way. We feel it from our head to our toes and every inch in between.
Then, fear can strike our hearts as soon as the devastation of the news wears off.
Fear can destroy us if we are not careful. It can smother every ounce of faith and joy that we once held if we let it.
Fear can turn a sane momma into a splattering mess if we don't rebuke it in the name of the Lord.
Fear can and will drain us from our energy and purpose each day.
Fear can destroy relationships because it saps the peace right out of us.
Fear keeps us up at night begging us to imagine the worst.
Fear taunts us and haunts us until we cave into it and surrender to it's prowess.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
Fear is a thief.
It will steal our hearts and minds and hold them captive if we don't take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
If there was such a thing as a Masters Degree or PHD in Fear, I would sadly be educated enough to teach the class.
Fear is something I know much about and hope to never enter the ring with again.
It will rear it's ugly head in from time to time, but I have my weapon ready now--the Word of God.
I don't mess with fear anymore. I don't dig into things, look up or google things that can trip me up, meditate on worst case scenario situations, or talk extensively to others about a particular fear. The more fear is magnified, the more it will control us.
God teaches us to take each day as it comes. "Give us this day, our daily bread." Matthew 6:11
If we live our lives worrying about tomorrow, we miss the blessings of today.
So, if you are in a place of fear, breathe in the words of Jesus....
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Take heart, precious friend.
Jesus has overcome the world.
and so have we,
jill
