The Word To Live By: 5-24-26
Phil Waggoner
The fear of man will prove to be a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be kept safe. Proverbs 29: 25
The Word To Live By: There’s no bigger faith deluder than fear. Fear that stops you, that is. That’s why the Word says in multiple places, “Fear not, take courage.” Courage isn’t the absence of the feeling of fear it’s moving forward even though it exists. I’m not talking about tempting God by doing something stupid. He hasn’t given you a spirit of fear but a sound mind. I’m talking about when God tells you something in His word to go ahead and act on it even if you don’t feel like it. (Unconditional love, joy, patience, kindness, self-control for instance.) The fear of people is no different. When you are a Christian working in a secular job you can be afraid of offending someone or getting shunned from the “A group,” because of your belief. There are many ways in which we might live in fear of others. But the result is always the same; striving for people’s approval leaves us anxious, exhausted, distracted, and disappointed. When we fail to trust God, it shows. You cannot trust God if you are living in a constant state of fear, because fear is the opposite of a faith-fueled trust. God’s approval, after all, is the only approval that matters. Pleasing God matters more than pleasing people. Being accepted by God matters more than being accepted by people. The great news is, we don’t have to earn His acceptance! We don’t have to prove that we are worthy of His time, attention, or love. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection did this for us. We are now considered worthy because He is worthy! When we belong to Jesus, the Holy Spirit helps us to become more like Him. Acceptance and inclusion from others will never give us the true safety and security we desire. But God’s acceptance of us is unconditional, and it transforms us from the inside out. We simply need to receive Him- allowing His love to change the way we think and act. As the knowledge of God’s love increases in our lives, the fear of people decreases. When we trust in God, we can rest in the assurance that we are secure for eternity. We are loved by our gracious Savior. He alone has the power to change the course of our lives. Think of some small ways you can trust the Word of God and build on those to bigger things.
Read through the Bible in a year: Acts 28:17-31; 1 Samuel 6-7; Psalms 53;
Read through the New Testament and Proverbs: Proverbs 24, John 4:1-27, 1 John 3
No weapon fashioned against you will succeed, and you may condemn every tongue that disputes with you. This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants, whose righteousness comes from me, says the Lord. Isaiah 54:17
The sum of Thy Word is Truth Psalm 119:160