What are some practical ways that we can firmly stand on faith, crushing our fears – right now? Follow me here, because I will help you see a new picture of hope.
We all need hope. It is what guides us and gets us through the most difficult situations.
We have a promised hope in Jesus. Hebrews chapter 6 speaks of Jesus as an anchor for the soul, firm, and secure. It is like an anchor holding a ship safely in position, our hope in Christ guarantees our safety.
A commentary I read explains it like this, “Whereas the ship’s anchor goes down to the ocean bed, the Christian’s anchor goes up into the true, heavenly sanctuary, where it is moored to God himself.” Can you picture it?
Bright Morning Star
I love word pictures! I don’t know about you, but I need to “see” things. One of my favorites is when Jesus calls himself the “Bright Morning Star” in Revelation 22:16.
The morning star appears at the darkest time of the night, around 3am. It begins faint and tiny, but it’s shining ushers in the dawn – the light of day. I found this description, “The morning star pulls the morning behind it just as certainly as Jesus pulls the kingdom in behind him.”
When Jesus says, “I will give you the morning star,” he is saying that he’ll especially encourage those who remain loyal to him. If we just keep our eyes on him, the bright morning star, we will remember that the struggle is almost over and we will have the courage to keep following even when it seems costly to do so.
Consider: How do we live in faith and not fear, in a practical sense?
Let’s remind ourselves of these truths:
* We are in Christ. Remember who we belong to, and focus on truth. We are children of God, redeemed, forgiven, loved, made righteous, and set apart. We have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven, an eternal home forever in the perfect presence of our loving God.
*Trust God. Set our hearts and minds in a state of reverence and awe of Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. Know His character and trust that nothing will snatch you away from his hands.
* We have the privilege of prayer. God hears our concerns and our cries for help. He knows our hearts, and seeks an intimate relationship with us. The prayers of the saints are powerful.
*Read God’s Word Daily. Studying and knowing the Bible, gives us a foundation of strength, purpose, wisdom, truth, hope, and peace; knowing who God is, and who He calls us to be.
In the Psalms, David declares his confident faith in the Lord and affirms the Lord as his light and salvation. God’s presence provides the inner resources to overcome fear. David was on the run for his life from Saul, who intended to kill him. Yet, he was able to trust God and chose faith over fear, and he wrote Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom should I be afraid?” The last verse 14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.”
May you live in faith and not fear, shining the light of Jesus into this dark and fear-filled world.
What is your favorite Scripture passage that reminds you to keep the faith and not give into fear? Please share in the comments below…
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