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“Hallelujah!  Happy is the person who fears the Lord, taking great delight in His commands.”  Psalm 112:1 CSB

God, commands Joshua to be strong and courageous in the face of his enemies (Joshua 1:9 NIV).  He commands us to do the same thing, knowing, He is with us always, we aren’t facing our fears alone (Deut. 31:6).  When we fear the Lord more than our personal fears, we can look fear in the eye, and watch it disappear. I had the opportunity to do just that when we went on our trip to Colorado.

When Ron and I first started talking about what I wanted to do for my 50th, I decided I wanted to overcome my fear of horses.  I’ve been afraid of them since I was a child. I slipped and fell while feeding a couple of horses apples. They were playing, all I remember seeing is the big hoof come down right beside my head, only inches away.  I’ve been afraid of them ever since. I didn’t know how, I just thought there are plenty of horses out west, surely it’s a good place to start. As the trip progressed, I forgot about my desire to overcome my fear, but God didn’t.  One day, while Ron and I were exploring on our bikes, I found an old windmill, I was trying to take pictures. Ron had ridden ahead of me, I was all alone. I was so engrossed in taking pictures, I didn’t see the big, black stallion in the corner, just a few yards away from me.  He was in a small shelter, drinking water. He turned, walking out towards me, that’s when I heard him. I looked at him, instant fear gripped me, but then his magnificent beauty took my breath away. I forgot to be afraid. Then I realized, he noticed me. As I looked in his eyes, I saw HIS fear of ME.  For the first time, a truth people have tried to tell me all of my life finally took root. Horses really are more afraid of us than we are of them. I looked my fear in the eye and I saw truth.

I’m not saying I’ll be out riding in the fields tomorrow, but I did take a step to overcoming my fear of horses by looking the Big Guy in the eyes.  We have to start somewhere if we are going to overcome our fears. We have to take a step towards our fear, rather than always running away from it. We have to stop hiding from our fear and letting it control us. Bringing our fears into the light is the first step to overcoming them.  When we do, we begin to realize, we never had anything to be afraid of in the first place. God is always with us, with Him, there is no fear, with Him we can stand strong, be courageous and look our fear in the eye.  In Him we can overcome.

“Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; don’t be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced.” Isaiah 54:4a CSB

Webster’s Dictionary of 1828 defines shame as, “ A painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt, or of having done something which injures reputation; or by of that which nature or modesty prompts us to conceal. Shame is particularly excited by the disclosure of actions which, in the view of men, are mean and degrading. Hence it it is often or always manifested by a downcast look or by blushes, called confusion of face.”  Shame is painful, it causes us to conceal, it causes us to look down.  Humiliation does the same thing, but God is telling us to do the exact opposite in this verse.  He’s telling us to hold our head up high, trust in Him, we will not be disgraced. He asking us to believe.

I read a story on the Life is Good blog called Soul Sisters.  The article starts with this quote from Maya Angelou, “Having courage does not mean that we are unafraid.  Having courage means we face our fears. We are able to say, “I have fallen, but I will get up.” -Maya Angelou.   The story the article unfolds is about Berta.  She was 28 years old, skiing in Vermont when she had a tragic accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down.  She was told she would never walk again. She instructed all visitors, “I don’t want anyone coming in sad for me. I need laughs, not tears.”  Berta underwent a risky surgery 6 weeks after her accident which was successful. But she had to relearn everything, from rolling over and crawling to walking. She refused to look down, she kept looking up, no matter what her circumstances.  Berta focused on the good. As a result, she learned to walk again, she learned to bicycle and she got a job working with others who had similar hardships, helping them regain their lives.

Berta’s key to recovery was BELIEF.  Her words describe it better than mine ever could. “I have a lot of setbacks,” she says, “but I try to look at them as things that may ruin my hour, but not my day, or my week. Put ‘em in the rear view mirror and keep looking forward. When that first doctor way back told me I was unlikely to walk, I swore at him in my head. I immediately thought of people who walk and run marathons after they’re told that. You can’t always believe one doctor or one medical report. I always feel like there are options, possibilities, even when you don’t know what they are. You just have to be open to them. I know I’m lucky, but I do believe the first thing you can do for yourself is believe.”

Let’s start today believing with God, all things are possible (Romans 8:28).  God has a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11). No matter what situation you’re facing today, God has the solution.  Don’t let shame, humiliation, or anything else stop you from moving forward with God today. Believe!

“Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff-they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:4 CSB

In the Message translation, the verse reads like this: “Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.”  This verse is one of the most quotable Scriptures you will here, often in this form, “Yae, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou are with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.” (KJV).  Whichever translation you read, they all agree about one thing, you are in a valley. You are at the lowest point between two mountains, and you are not alone. God is with you, He’s walking beside you, He may even be carrying you. One thing is certain, He is with You.

One of my favorite poems I have cross-stitched and given to many people over the years is Footprints in the Sand, the author of which is unknown.  When I’m in the valley, this poem comes to mind, I imagine myself being carried by God, only one set of footprints in the sand, until I gain the strength to walk again.  Read these words from this infamous poem, take time to meditate on them and let them sink into your soul.

One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You’d walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”

He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.”

He’s whispering the same thing to you today, whether you are in a valley or on a mountaintop, He is with you.  He has the strength to carry you if He needs too. He’s carried me many times in my life, I’m sure He’ll carry me many more times.  In Him I trust, and so can you.

“Haven’t I commanded you:  be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9 CSB

I try not to use what I consider “overused” Scripture when I write.  There are so many more wonderful Scriptures than just John 3:16 and the 23rd Psalm.  Often times, those are the only Scripture people know, and that is wonderful, because they are good Scriptures that cover the basics.  But there is so much more wonderfulness beyond them in God’s word that draws you closer to Him as you find them, those are the Scriptures I try to use.  I want to help people go deeper with God, past the introduction, that’s all. I also readily admit, the “overused” Scriptures pack a punch, are easy to remember, and they are overused for a reason.  Joshua 1:9 is what I consider an overused Scripture, you hear it a lot, you see it a lot, it’s easy to use when counseling others. It’s a great Scripture. In fact, I think it is such a wonderful Scripture, there is no way we can do a month on fear and not use it.  Because here is the bottom line, if this is the only Scripture you remember from this entire month of October, it will never steer you wrong. Memorize it, meditate on it, share it with others, it’s easy to do.

The promise in today’s Scripture is to Joshua.  He was the leader of the Israelite’s after Moses died, God wanted him to lead them across the Jordan river.  In the very next verse, Joshua wastes no time and organizes the people to move. He believed God’s promise to him, he wanted to be wherever God wanted him to take him. And as Christ follower’s we should want the same for our lives.  I heard a Pastor recently that defined the substance of salvation as sharing God’s life. Being in a relationship with God means getting pulled into life, not pulled out of it. When bad things happen, God’s using it in your life to mold you into who He created you to be.  When good things happen in your life, He’s doing the same thing. The problem is, we want God to do what we want Him to do, not what He wants for us. If life is messy, God, pull me out of this mess. If things aren’t going the way we want, God give me my way. That’s the type of relationship we want with God, but it’s not the type of relationship He wants with us.  He wants a relationship that grows us into the best version of ourselves, the version He created us to be. Through our life experiences, good or bad, that is how we’ll get there.

Joshua didn’t let fear stop him from doing what God was asking him to do.  We shouldn’t either. Whatever nudge God is giving you to do, don’t let fear stop you.  Don’t let fear stop you from sending the text, writing the note, making the phone call. Whatever it is God is prompting you to do, be like Joshua, just do it.  He’ll take you places you never dreamed you would go. I can vouch for that.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life, whom should I dread?” Psalm 27:1 CSB

When we were heading into Colorado on my birthday trip, we had to climb a mountain.  We had been driving on flat land for the majority of the trip, but as we came out of New Mexico heading north, we started to climb.  The elevation was 7,634 feet, over a mile and a half high, when we crossed the state line. As we were climbing, we started to come across these roads that looked like they ended.  To me, the road ahead looked like we were driving off the edge of a cliff. I am not lying when I said I was gripped with panic. We were on the interstate, bright, sunny day, blue skies, dry road, the safest driving conditions you could get, yet I’m freaking out.  Out of nowhere, this fear overcame me, I did not want to see what was on the other side of the hill, yet I could do nothing to stop it. I told my husband to slow down, I wanted to enjoy my last few minutes on earth. Do you know what was on the other side of that hill, nothing, just more road.  My irrational fears gripped me, but God shed His light on them and revealed His truth.

Often our fears are irrational, a great article I found by Dr. Samantha Rodman talks about them. According to her, some people know their fears are irrational, like I did with the car ride, others don’t.   The way to combat irrational fears is to think out what would happen if these thoughts came to fruition, and the likelihood they would actually happen.  For instance, I knew the likelihood that we were driving off a cliff was very, very unlikely, yet I still panicked. The next step, according to Dr. Rodman is to face the irrational fear.  I did because I had no other choice, I was a passenger, I wasn’t driving. Just like, when we give our lives to God and trust Him, we’re no longer driving, we’re the passenger. The part Dr. Rodman doesn’t address is the light God shines on our irrational fears.  I also knew in that moment, I asked God that morning, as I do most, to take me where He wants me to go, have me meet who He wants me to meet. If we were driving off the edge of a cliff, that just meant that is where God wanted us to go. My faith in Him has reached that level.  Dr. Rodman’s suggestions, with His peace, equals light on my fears.

We all have irrational fears. But they don’t have to control us, we can overcome them.  If you’re not sure what your irrational fears are, ask God to reveal them to you. Once you identify them, think rationally about the reality and probability of whatever your fear is actually happening.  Then shed God’s light on it as you face whatever fear it is. Ask Him for the strength to face it, ask Him to shed his light on it. When you do, you will be able to climb mountains, scale impossible distances and overcome any fear.

“Therefore we do not give up; even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 CSB

Tomorrow is my fiftieth birthday, although by the time you read this I’ll already be a month into my new year on earth.  Decade birthdays are always milestones…10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th…they represent a period of time in your life that is easy to identify.   When we turned 10 we hit the “double digits” in age. Our 20’s are the mark of adulthood, by our 30’s we’re starting to reap the benefits or repercussions of our 20’s.  My 40’s were a period of drastic life changes for me in every possible way, I don’t know that it’s true for everyone. I have fear of my fifties because I’m older and wiser.  I know more than ever how life can change in 10 years, but I don’t have to be fearful. God knows our physical bodies will break down, but our spirit never will. He will renew our spirit daily for us if we allow Him.  When our Spirit is strong, it doesn’t matter how weak our outer bodies are, nothing can stop us.

Joni Eareckson Tada always comes to mind when I think of someone who had a body that was frail, but a spirit that is unstoppable.  On July 30, 1967 she dived into the Chesapeake Bay, not realizing it was shallow water. She fractured her spine and was instantly a quadripalegic.  After two years of intense rehabilitation, she was able to write and paint by holding the pen or brush in her teeth. Joni has a faith in Jesus like rarely seen.  She has taken her disability and used it to change the world. She has written over 50 books, a movie has been made about her life and she runs a non-profit, Joni and Friends.  Her non profit is how Joni shares the gospel with others impacted with disabilities.  And she did all of that from a wheelchair, writing with a pen grasped between her teeth.  Joni has not let the accident that so drastically changed her life at 17 keep her from accomplishing God’s will.  Her faith in God is what renews her every day for the battle ahead. And He can do the same for us.

If we’re to face our fears of aging, or our bodies betraying us physically, we have to do it with God.  We have to let Him be the One to renew our spirit in ways only He can. When we let God do the leading, and renewing, we find ourselves on exciting adventures.  I find myself on a vacation of a lifetime, celebrating my birthday in a place I’ve longed to visit. The journey that led me here didn’t start today, or two weeks ago, it’s a journey that has been happening over the course of a lifetime as I chose to place one foot after the other and follow Jesus.  As Paul told the Corinthians so long ago, he says the same to us today. Don’t give up, even though your outer body may fail you, your spirit never will. Each day, God is waiting to renew you and strengthen you for the day ahead. All you have to do is let Him.

“The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid.  What can a mere mortal do to me?” Psalm 118:6 CSB

I found this short story, called Dope on a Rope: Motivation to Overcome Fear when I was looking for an example of overcoming fear:

There once was this criminal who had committed a crime.  He was sent to the king for his punishment. The king told him he had a choice of two punishments.  He could be hung by a rope. Or take what’s behind the big, dark, scary, mysterious iron door. The criminal quickly decided on the rope. As the noose was being slipped on him, he turned to the king and asked: “By the way, out of curiosity, what’s behind that door?”  The king laughed and said: “You know, it’s funny, I offer everyone the same choice, and nearly everyone picks the rope.” “So,” said the criminal, “Tell me. What’s behind the door? I mean, obviously, I won’t tell anyone,” he said, pointing to the noose around his neck.  The king paused then answered: “Freedom, but it seems most people are so afraid of the unknown that they immediately take the rope.”

How true this story is, we go with what we know and are sure of, instead of what we do not know.  Our big, dark, scary, mysterious iron door may be a new job, a new relationship, a new place to live.  People stay in jobs they hate because they are too afraid to look for a new one. People remain in toxic relationships because it’s what they know, they’re afraid of a healthy one because it’s unknown.  People stay in the same place all of their lives, because they are too afraid to explore the world. But these moments in life where fear of the unknown stops us is where faith intersects our lives. When we have faith that God is with us, we can let go of the rope and choose the mystery of the door.  We can open the door with confidence, knowing God is with us, no matter what lies behind it. We can move out of the known into the adventure of the unknown, because even if we fall, God will catch us.  

We’re driving along I-40 in Oklahoma as I’m writing this.  I’ve never been to Oklahoma before. When we left on this trip, I was afraid to be so far from home.  I was afraid of what we would find, the people we would meet, the things that “might” happen to us. I had to capture my thoughts and step out in faith that all would be well.  All is well, God is with me, and Oklahoma is flat. The people are people, just like back home, living their lives day by day, just like everyone else. What “might” happen is life.  Living the life God has given us, one day at a time. Going where He leads us, meeting who He puts in front of us, all of it done without fear, because He is the one driving. If I had grabbed the rope, I wouldn’t be in Oklahoma writing a devotional.  I needed courage to choose the door, God gave it to me. Whatever door you’re in front of today, choose it. Let go of the rope, follow God into the mystery of life.

“The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves.  He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.”  Zephanian 3:17 CSB

One of the greatest fears I have faced was the loss of Cody.  As I’ve said before, he was like a son to me. When he was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 7, I had no idea the struggle it would be in his life.  As I learned more about diabetes and its effects on the body, my prayers for Cody became more fervent. I have a friend now who is 41 and has battled diabetes since she was 16.  As she says, she never gets a day off from thinking about it. Neither did Cody. I knew diabetes shortened life spans, I prayed fervently it wouldn’t shorten his. But it did, and I had to face the fear of losing him.

Here is the truth I now know.  I didn’t lose Cody. He is with me in everything I do.  In ways I feel closer to him now than I did before he died. I do miss him terribly.  I miss his hugs, I miss his wit, I miss his smile. I miss the sarcastic way he would say “Aunt Beth” when he was irritated with me. I miss him. But I never lost him, you can’t lose someone who lives in your heart.  My fear of losing Cody was a wasted fear. All of the time I spent worrying about it did nothing to prolong his life. As my therapist says, when it’s your time, it’s your time. As she said, you can be in the middle of a battle, bullets flying all around you and if it’s not your time, you won’t get hit.  On the other hand, you could be sitting at your kitchen table eating dinner and a car could run into the house and kill you (which by the way, did happen in my neighborhood  6 years ago).  When it’s your time, it’s your time and only God knows when that is.  Job, a man who experienced a lot of death puts it this way, “A man’s days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set” (Job 14:5 NLV).  

God was my Warrior as I faced my greatest fear.  He was with me every step of the way. He knew the last time I would see Cody alive, He made sure the hug we shared that day would last until we meet again.  He placed people in mine and my families lives that have carried us through those first few days, as well as the years since. I’ve felt His presence in ways I never would have if Cody hadn’t been called home.  He is your Warrior too. Whatever you are facing, He’s facing it with you. You can say the same thing David said to Goliath: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45 NIV).  You’re never alone in battle, as impossible as that may be to believe, God is always with you. He is your Warrior, He will fight your fears with You if you let Him. The choice is yours.

“Don’t be afraid little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32 CSB

In the verse that follows the one above, Jesus tells us to “Make money bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven” (Luke 12:33 CSB).  According to The Bindery Blog, the average man keeps his wallet for 7 years.  In that period of time, they grow very attached.  I know, with my own husband, he takes his wallets very seriously.  Yet, inevitably wallets wear out and need to be replaced. Men have even been known to have back problems because they sit crooked on their wallets; they sit unbalanced.  But Jesus is talking about a different type of wallet, a spiritual wallet that will never grow old, never wear out, always be available. The money bag Jesus is referring to will never cause us harm, our attachment to it will last forever.  We have nothing to fear because we are storing our treasures in a wallet that won’t let us down, the kingdom of heaven.

We are a flock, we are the sheep, God is the Shepherd.  He so badly wants us to delight in the riches of heaven, even here on earth.  When I think of God’s riches, I think of the peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7 NIV).  I think of His wisdom and discernment (Psalm 111:10 NIV). I think about His love, His grace (John 3:16 NIV).  But when we let our fears control us, we miss out on those riches which we can have right now, today. We become so focused on our fear, we can’t see or hear anything else.  In the same way a man gets attached to his wallet, we get attached to our fears. We become comfortable with them, they live with us. We have a pocket we store our fears in and they make us off balance.  As tired as we get of caring our fears with us, like a man parting with an old wallet, we don’t want to let them go. We hold onto them for dear life. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so we would live our lives in fear, He died on the cross so we could have life, and have it to the fullest (John 10:10 NIV).

What fear are you holding on to today that you need to let go?  One just popped into your mind, whatever it is, let it go. Take your fears to God in prayer, tell Him you’re tired of carrying them around.  Ask Him to help you let them go, you don’t have to do it alone. Ask Him for His strength, His power, His riches. Change in the money bag of fear for a money bag of eternal riches that you can start enjoying today, right here on earth.  Let your fears be replaced by God’s peace, His wisdom, His love, His grace. Today is the day your fears no longer keep you off balance, today is the day you find balance in Jesus. All you have to do is follow the Shepherd, no one cares for His flock like He does.

“Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

We are to have one fear, fear of the Lord.  Proverbs 1:7 defines it like this: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…” (CSB).  We’ve talked about this before, but fear in this sense means reverential awe. In other words, deep respect for God is the beginning of knowledge.  When we have a healthy fear of the Lord, we understand that God is all powerful, all knowing, eternal, there is nothing He can or can’t do. He is our Creator, our Sustainer and our Savior.  God is our all in all, we should understand and respect that. That is the type of fear Solomon means we should have for God. We understand the deep need we have for God and are obedient to what His will is for our lives.  That is the one type of fear we should have, fear of the Lord.

We are not to fear people, people can be easily feared, especially those whose lives are different from ours.  My husband and I visited Nashville recently. I had never been before and didn’t know what to expect. We headed immediately to Broadway where all the music is, a five block area lined with bars, several stories high.  Live music can be heard coming from all levels of the buildings. Music city is a bustling place, full of all kinds of people. What I noticed the most was all of the homeless people sitting on the streets. As soon as we got out of the Uber, I saw a young girl strumming her guitar, filthy, unkempt, her back propped up against the building.  I was shocked, I hadn’t anticipated this and my immediate reaction was fearful. I wanted to get back in the Uber and head back. But I had prayed, God take us where you want us to go, have us meet who you want us to meet. The Lord wanted me to meet that girl. She was the first one we saw, and the last one I gave money too as we left Broadway that evening.  God used our Scatter cards to get me out of my comfort zone.

During our month of Scattering Kindness, I challenged myself to give at least one card a day away.  That simple challenge pushed me in ways I didn’t expect. How could I ask all of you to scatter kindness if I wasn’t doing it myself?  As we walked down the street that day, that was the prevailing thought. I have to lead the way, walking the walk is more important than talking the talk.  The first band we listened too was my first opportunity. I was so afraid to walk up to the stage and tip them with a Scatter card attached, I begged my husband to do it for me.  He refused and forced me to do it. I’m so glad he did. By the time we left Broadway that day, I had given away all of my Scatter cards and all of my money. I had been obedient to God and I came one step closer to overcoming my fear of people.  As I handed that young girl the last money I had, I felt God’s peace. I’d much rather fear Him than people. In Him, I can’t go wrong and neither can you.