verseoftheday

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  ... The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Psalms 118:1, 6 NIV Well, people can do a lot of damage, a lot that can (rightly) make us afraid. However. The psalmist only had the law, God's work in history to reflect on, and his personal experience. So what can't people do? Change God's character Shift God's redemptive pans Destroy God's covenant promises. Defeat God's justice. We get the advantage of looking back on the New Testament too. No one can separate us from God's love. We are chosen and adopted into God's family with an inheritance sealed by the Holy Spirit. No one can change that. We have the Bread of Life, the Living Water, treasure being stored in heaven untouchable by people. Yes this world & the poeole in it can hurt. But they cannot steal our joy and the Living Hope that we have. Step into today secure in that....

I am reminded of your sincere faith... For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God... for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:5-7 ESV What is this spirit that God gives? Power: "Dynamis" the ability to get things done, might, strength Love: "Agape"  the love that puts the other person first Self-control: "sophronismos" self control, self discipline Imagine a perfect melding together of the power to get things done, the self discipline to get on and do, and the love that directs towards others! This spirit Paul says to Timothy is found in fanning into flame your gifting...why wouldn't we want that!?! Maybe because the person who perfectly demonstrated that ended up in pain, humiliation and failure, crucified on a Roman cross. Out of that power, love and self control came resurrection and hope. The Living Hope! As you fan into flame, step into your gifting, may you know a...

I am reminded of your sincere faith... For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God... for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:5-7 ESV Paul is writing to Tim, someone he loves & knows really well, & speaks into his life... I know you're a Christian. God has given you a gift. But something is holding you back. This spirit of fear, of timidity. What's with that? See that fire that's just embers, blow on it, and it will spark to life. Step into your gift. Don't wait. What are, or would, those who love you and know you well say to you today? Do you need to step into your gifting? Is something holding you back? The word for fear here is only used once in the Bible. Fear, timidity, reticence. I'm holding back, keeping God at bay in this area If we blew on the embers, something ticking quietly, something from God in your life, in your heart, what would spark up? Blowing on the e...

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. Psalms 34:4-5 NLT Is this David reflecting on his own actions? Looking forward to Jesus in the garden contemplating what was ahead? Inspired words that speak to us today? All of the above? Can you and I imagine living a life where there is not even a shadow of shame? Joy here is painted as the opposite of shame. And the way to get there? It seems less about looking in, looking at me, and more about seeking God, knowing Jesus, walking with His Spirit...which causes me to live out my faith in service of others...and in that purpose is (re) discovered, shame burns away like a shadow at noon, and joy is found. #seekHim #loveGod #lovepeople #nofear #shameisburned #joydiscovered #psalms #psalm34

For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God's message without fear. Philippians 1:13-14 NLT Who was really in chains? Most likely Paul was chained up to a guard who was rotated 24/7. Every 8 to 10 hours Paul had another captive audience to hear the good news of Jesus! His heart and his actions gave others confidence too. People generally are interested in faith, life's purpose, God's love, & sometimes it just takes one bold person...we don't need to be afraid to talk about what's really important... Maybe there's a Paul where you live, study, work, or play, who's example gives confidence to share, or maybe that can be us? #goodnews #nofear

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders... John 20:19 NIV We know what's coming next. But the disciples didn't. They had not really listened to what Jesus was  all about, were too caught up in who was going to be running the new kingdom, and had missed Jesus... his mission & purpose. Defeat. Three years of following, and now loss and disappointment. And fear. Fear of the powerful, the religious. Defeated. Lost. Hope less. Caught in the in-between of Jesus death & ressurection. Saturday. In-between day. We know what's next... the victory of Sunday, but they didn't. We're in the in-between. Between Jesus and his coming again, between knowing the victory of Easter Sunday and it being fully realised, in a world that is broken and will one day be made new. And we know how it ends! So on Saturday, we don't need to hide away behind locked doors, we don...

Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Mark 6:50 NIV Don't be afraid. The word here is "phobeos". The things that debilitate us with fear. The thing that stops us in our tracks. Our phobia. My phobia. It might not bother you, but it scares me...stops me. Jesus says I can see you, I'm with you, have courage. I Am is with you, for you. So don't be afraid. Don't be bound up, held back, stopped in your tracks, I Am is on your team. #thingstorememberinthestorm #wordsofJesus #IAm #takecourage #nofear

Immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid." Mark 6:50 NIV It is I ego eimi I Am. In the storm, in the darkest part of the night, when the disciples are at their limit Jesus says "I Am" is here. The eternal I Am is here. The creator I Am is here. The covenant making, covenant keeping I Am is here. In the storm Jesus wants us to know Who He Is. When we know who he is, we take courage, and there is no need to be afraid... #storms #stormsoflife #IAm #takecourage #nofear

"We will give it back," they said. "And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say." Nehemiah 5:12 NIV Nehe had given them a sermon, reminded them of what God said, showed them how they're behaviour and choices were hurting others, & showed the way forward. And they immediately saw he was right and agreed to  put things right and change going forward. I wonder how many sermons I've heard, even ones I've agreed with, & yet never changed. Never put things right. I think I'm afraid to lose something...afraid to lose what the world says is important to gain what Jesus says is important... #nofear #loveGod #lovepeople

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid... Nehemiah 2:1-2 NIV The cup bearer was not supposed to be unhappy. Just being in the presence of the king you should be happy. As his heart condition was  showing on his face he was afraid of the king's reaction... We however can approach the King of Kings with any hurt or fear or request in any state because we are not employees of the King,  we're not judged on our performance, what we've done, whether we're good enough... we're children of the King - we come with no fear of rejection, no fear of being turned away or loss of status or anything... #childrenofGod #dearlyloved #nofear

But now thus says the Lord... "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine..." Isaiah 43:1 ESV Redeem. gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment. We're now in God's possession. Nothing can snatch us away...so we have no reason to fear. We can't be rejected. We can't be lost. Failure is not fatal or final because we have been accepted by God. His heart is for us. And the payment? The cross. Jesus was rejected so we won't be. Jesus was lost so that we can't be In what seemed to be the most epic fail of all time... the price for our redemption was paid. Once and for all. For all time. Because He loves. He knows your name... #dearlyloved #childrenofGod #itsalovestory #redeemed #nofear

When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately He spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!" Matthew 14:26-27AMP Take Courage! It's me! Jesus! Out of the dark in the middle of the storm...Jesus is there...with courage to spare. When we think we're at the  end of our resources, when our courage has all gone... Jesus appears. Sometimes we don't recognise him in the message from a friend, a touch, a word, a sermon, a song... the quiet voice It's gonna be OK I've already won the big battle for you In the end...there's nothing to fear... #nofear #onedayallwillbemadenew #outofthestorm #courage #hopehascome

This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it' Jeremiah 6:16 NIV The sting in the tail. Just when we thought we had a nice formula to fix everything...to find that rest for our souls, we can't do it. All the time. It won't save us. Won't make us right with God Just like Eve & Adam at their unexpected crossroads in the garden, rather than look up, look into the God who they'd walked with, chose their own path. The only thing that saves is Grace. The unmerited favour of our loving God who made a way for us, became the way, so that we now can apply these things at the crossroads of our lives confident that we've already been redeemed, already made right, and we can press on secure in His love & grace #dearlyloved #childrenofGod #free #nofear

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged..." Joshua 8:1 NIV Why did Josh need to hear this? In Ch 7 Achan had let him down - one of his team  disobeyed God - and paid the consequences... The very next thing God says to Joshua is not to be afraid or discouraged. People will let us down. They make poor choices and sometimes the consequences are massive...impacting families and generations... but if this is your experience then perhaps what God says to Josh applies. Don't be afraid. I'm still here. I'm still constant and rock solid even when people aren't. Don't be discouraged. Yes it hurts, but don't chuck in your faith in Me over this. I'm gonna walk with you today and for all days... #nofear #faith #faithinthedark

Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the Lord , the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them..." Joshua 7:20-21 NIV Achan got caught up with the things of this world. For him it was clothing and money. And he paid for his disobedience with his life. I'm just like Achan. So easily enamoured with the shiny things of this world...the measures of success... Achan paid with his life, but Jesus paid for us with His. So we can stand with our wobbly faith and our hearts that so often let us down...but stand redeemed by a loving God who made a way, The Way, for us. How good is that! We don't live in fear of the law, of being good enough, it's not our cleanliness or our performance, but Jesus. #free #redeemed #redeemedforapurpose #nofear

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: " Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you" Jonah 3:1-2 NLT It's easy to diss Jonah for running. But he was asked to go to the most hostile people on earth (think ISIS) & tell them they're wrong and it's time to love Jesus (by the way walk 1000km to get there) Not sure I'd be that keen. If you were God and had your choice of prophets for this important project, you'd choose the best. Someone you knew could do this. Even if they didn't. Is God calling you somewhere hard? Are you facing a Nineveh sized challenge? We've all got stuff that God has for us that we'd rather not do...rather run from. Whatever that is for you today, take God's hand and head towards it... #with #nofear #lessonsfromJonah

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." Romans 1:17 NLT It's so tempting to think that good people are OK with God  It's tempting to think that my standing with God improves when I'm good. But no. Paul is clear it's faith from start to finish that makes us right with God...it's not my performance, my goodness, but faith in the good news of Jesus. So we can live without fear that God is judging our performance, we can live without fear of losing our right standing before God because we're not good enough...because we gained it thru faith. Alone. Society's measures of wealth fame beauty strength health ability gender ethnicity age...they don't make any difference...it's faith. Alone. #Romans #faith #nofear #inthistogether

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes... Romans 1:16 NIV Peter said that he would never deny Jesus, but then went on to do it 3 times. At least once today someone will ask me what I did on the weekend or how my weekend was. Am I going to say that the highlight was going to church on Sunday? And what I learned? Easiest thing to do...yet sometimes the hardest. Am I ashamed? Actually I agree with Paul. The gospel is the answer to the spiritual hunger in the world and is freely available to all who ask... And we have all been called to represent that gospel, that good news in some way...big or small, in the world we live in. How was your weekend? #Romans #faith #nofear #noreasontohide #lovepeople

...Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven" Matthew 9:1-3 NLT Paralyzed. What paralyzes us? What stops us, holds us back? Keeps us in our comfort zone? Lord use me...but I'm too afraid to introduce myself to someone new at church...or help because it might get difficult... or...or... Jesus gently says Be Encouraged. In the big picture you're forgiven, you're OK with God, there's nothing to be afraid of...so don't let fear hold you back In this case the paralyzed guy had a team. Having people on your side and being there for others is important...who's team are you on? #forgiven #dearlyloved #nofear #inthistogether #onyourteam

Romans 1.2-7.msg ...Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus... How visible is my faith - in the work place...study place...play space? What is my answer going to be to the "what did you do on the weekend?" question? Will it include church, God, faith? Have I lost all sense of urgency (or importance) of passing on to others the opportunity to know the gift of life that I have? #somethingtochewon #nofear