Posts
“Factors
of Fear”
By Susanne
Scheppmann
Key Verse:
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. John 14:27 (NIV)
Devotion:
Have
you ever eaten an African Cave Dwelling Spider? Probably not, neither have
I. Nor do I have any plans to devour a
spider of any type. Recently, on a reality TV show a darling blonde young woman
munched away on these African spiders in an attempt to win a car. She trembled.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She forcefully swallowed four of the strange
morsels. One nasty little critter even nipped her lip with its tweezer like
claw. I watched in fascinated horror.
Fear
can captivate our lives. Sometimes it’s silly fear, like shuddering as we watch
someone else do something we could never do. We actually use this fear as a
source of entertainment.
But,
what about the fear that creeps into our lives in the wee hours of the night?
The kind of terror that engulfs us in anxiety. Maybe we wait anxiously for the
doctor’s report on our health. Or after we lose a job, we worry about making the
next month’s bills. These types of concerns certainly may cause apprehension in
our lives.
However,
many times when the waves of fear wash over us, we cannot even define what we
fear. We lie awake with anxiety rolling in our stomachs over unnamed or unreasonable
fears. We cannot quiet our churning minds.
God
never intended for his children to be fearful.
At least sixteen times in the New Testament the phrase “do not be
afraid” encourages us to trust Jesus. Do you remember the incident in Mark 4,
when Jesus speaks to the raging storm, “Be still!”? Suddenly tranquil weather permeated the
atmosphere. Jesus turned to his disciples and asked, "Why are you so
afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Many
times, Jesus asks me those very questions. Usually, I have no concrete answer. I
know he is faithful to me. Not once in my history with Christ has he ever let
me be swept away and destroyed by life’s circumstances. He always comes to
offer and provide the “peace that passes understanding.” But it is up to me to
accept his offer of peace and let go of my fear.
Are you fearful today? Can you hear him
whispering to your heart? “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.” Christ longs for us to hand-over our factors of fear, so he may
calm our aching anxiety with “Peace! Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm
46:10)
Will you turn over your fears to him, so he can
replace them with his Peace?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I surrender my fears and anxiety to
you. Although, I may have to do this time and time again, I ask you to replace
my fears with your peace. Lord speak to my heart, “Peace, be still.” I thank
you that you are my Prince of Peace.
Application steps: 
List on a card the factors of fear that trouble
your heart today. After listing the fears, take a red pencil and cross them
out. Now write on top of each fear the promise of God, “PEACE.”
List on a card the factors of fear that trouble
your heart today. After listing the fears, take a red pencil and cross them
out. Now write on top of each fear the promise of God, “PEACE.”
Refection points:
What
do I fear most in life?
Are
my fears realistic or just an over anxious mind at work?
Do
I believe God is sovereign in my life?
If
I believe he is sovereign, will I trust his hand in my life?
Power verses:
Mark
4:40, He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have
no faith?” (NIV)
2
Timothy 1:7, For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of
power, of love and of self-discipline. (NIV)
Philippians
4:7, And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
© 2004 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment