Faith over Fear 8-Week Challenge: Day 4

Week One:

“Whenever I am afraid,I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word),In God I have put my trust;I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? ” Psalm 56:3-4 (NKJV). Fear has no place in the lives of believers, therefore, it tries to sneak in at every turn such as your health, your family, your safety and possessions, but it doesn’t belong. Satan knows it, but he’ll always try to get you to take the bait. He’ll use things like bad reports, discouraging thoughts, a negative word from a co-worker or family member, and unpleasant circumstances to get you out of faith and in fear. The good news is, you can defeat fear and experience the peace of God. Fear doesn’t have to be part of your life anymore, but it’s going to take an active fight to keep it from taking hold of your thoughts. Are you ready to take a stand against fear? When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? Fear is a formidable foe of faith. It lurks about, looking for ways to lead us into distrust of our Lord. Fear is subtle with its sneak attacks on our attitude and bold in its frontal barrage on our beliefs. Fear always fights back, even when we extinguish it for a time with our total trust in God. And it doesn’t let up until we get to heaven. Fear is like fire ants. You can eliminate their unholy mound with a powder-like deterrent, but they regroup and rebuild nearby. Trust in the Lord is the terminator of fear, but fear seems to recreate itself with whatever appendage of doubt is left. It grows within the next uncertain circumstance that comes our way. Your mind may be a little murky, but you renew your thinking with the truth that God is ever present.

Faith is listening and trusting beyond what we can see and make sense of. Scripture says God shields the righteous, and to cast our anxieties on Him because He cares for us. Faith over fear is choosing Him every day, following His guidance daily, and walking by faith in the midst of adversity, challenges and struggles throughout this time of great opposition. Especially, during times of when trroubles try to threaten to steal our attention and joy. When it came to living a life in obedience to God, he knew better than to rely on the opinions of men. The source of all community on this earth is God, but be cautious not to put any other relationship above Him. Faith a decision to focus on what He says is true instead of wondering over the “what-ifs” in life. Christ never promised us easy, but He did promise we wouldn’t walk through anything alone. Faith holds on for dear life when the pain is unexplainable, unfair, and seemingly never-ending. To hold fast means to adhere, cling or be devoted, which implies to not only believing God's Word to be true but also doing what it says by applying scriptural truths to every area of life.

​​There are many times when we are in transition from “fear to faith”. It’s in the transition of trust in God that our cares co-mingle with Christ’s care. There is a holy tension that transpires in our transition into trust. It is in this dawn of trust that light gradually overcomes darkness. Faith dissolves doubts as the sun drives away the mist. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NKJV). Your confidence may be crumbling, but you keep your eyes on your Savior. Your prayers may be clumsy, but you still cling to Christ. Your relationships may be reluctant, but you rely on the Lord. Use this transition from fear to faith to grow your mercy and compassion. Indeed, doubting can drive us to God, and grows us into more patient and humble human beings. It strengthens our trust and makes us hold faster to heaven. Hope trusts in this transition from fear to faith; moreover, mortal man has not made a permanent impression on the saints of God. Immortal and Almighty God is your new insignia. Embedded on the coins of your character is the faith-filled inscription, yet followers of Jesus have the eternal seal of their Savior as their newfound identity.“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” Ephesians 4:30 (NKJV). The fears of your proud past have been replaced with faith, love, and hope in your humble here and now. Faith has banished fear.Therefore, you can continually celebrate. Praise points you to Providence. After all, it’s all about Him. This is why faith brings forth praise. When you trust, you can’t help but sing from your soul. Indeed, faith in the Lord facilitates praise and is a product of praise. It is in our praise of God that our fears fade and our faith flourishes. Do not allow the patterns of your old life to feed any fading fears in your new one. “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” Romans 6:6 (NKJV).So praise Him, trust Him, and fear no one. No one can take from you what you have already given to Him. Faith is a fear-killer; it overcomes and overtakes fear, which allows us to be victorious.

There are many times when we are in transition from fear to faith. It’s in the transition of trust in God that our cares co-mingle with Christ’s care. There is a holy tension that transpires in our transition into trust. It is in this dawn of trust that light gradually overcomes darkness. Faith dissolves doubts as the sun drives away the mist. Your mind may be a little murky, but you renew your thinking with the truth that God is ever present. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” Romans 12:2(NKJV). Your confidence may be crumbling, but you keep your eyes on your Savior. Your prayers may be clumsy, but you still cling to Christ. Your relationships may be reluctant, but you rely on the Lord. Use this transition from fear to faith to grow your mercy and compassion. Indeed, doubting can drive us to God, and grows us into more patient and humble human beings. It strengthens our trust and makes us hold faster to heaven. Hope trusts in this transition from fear to faith.Moreover, mortal man has not made a permanent impression on the saints of God. Immortal and Almighty God is your new insignia. Embedded on the memory or thoughts of your character is the faith-filled inscription. The fears of your proud past have been replaced with faith, love, and hope in your humble here and now. Faith has banished fear.Therefore, you can continually celebrate. Praise points you to Providence. After all, it’s all about Him. This is why faith brings forth praise. When you trust, you can’t help but sing from your soul. Indeed, faith in the Lord facilitates praise and is a product of praise. It is in our praise of God that our fears fade and our faith flourishes. So praise Him, trust Him, and fear no one. No one can take from you what you have already given to Him. Faith is a fear-killer; it overcomes. A consistent intake of Scriptures is essential for our spiritual growth, and it enables us to distinguish between truth and error. The Bible is called “the faithful word” because it’s reliable and true. God’s Word is the compass for our life - not something we read only occasionally; it’s nutrition for our spiritual growth, a guide for life, protection from sin and error, and a means of knowing God better.