Do Not Be Troubled

Do Not Be Troubled

Genesis 45: ²¹ Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. ²² He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. ²³ And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. ²⁴ So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”

 

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Joseph’s brothers got prepared to go home. Joseph gave them an overwhelming amount of food and other items to take back to Israel. He gave Benjamin multiple times more than his brothers. He sent them away and told them to “not become troubled along the way.”

 

My Observations:

• Joseph had to reassure his brothers that there would be no tricks like he did when he had his silver cup hidden in Benjamin’s sack.
• Joseph listened to Pharaoh and gave them the finest provisions of Egypt.
• Joseph’s brothers were probably overwhelmed with seeing him and receiving so many provisions.

 

So much had happened to the brothers, that they needed some assurance. Simeon had been thrown in prison and they were accused of being spies by Joseph. When they got the overwhelming favor, they may have hesitated. Same with us. We may hesitate praising GOD too soon or too loudly because we have been through so much.

 

GOD cleared the way for the sons of Israel to move to Egypt without worry. Joseph remembered his father by sending gifts. Female donkeys would be used to breed. The family received an overwhelming amount of gifts without deserving anything.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the gifts Joseph sent?
• Have you ever received a blessing but hesitated in your praise?
• Will you listen to GOD when HE says “Do not be troubled” so you won’t second guess HIS blessings?

Prepared for You

Prepared for You

Acts 18: ⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

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“But I’m not a pastor” I said to the group. They were asking me to speak to a group of people in the country we were in at the time. One person said to me “I walked twenty miles to hear you speak.” I was thoroughly intimidated by those words. I spoke and many gave their life to CHRIST.

• There have been times when I was afraid to speak.
• There have been times when I felt overwhelmed by the crowd.
• There have been times when I saw a large crowd that I had to speak to and got nervous.

Paul had faced turmoil in many cities. One night the LORD spoke to him saying “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” This was a relief to Paul, so he stayed longer.

• GOD wants me to hear HIM say “Do not be afraid.”
• GOD wants me to hear HIM say “Keep on speaking.”
• GOD wants me to hear HIM say “Do not be silent.”

Sometimes GOD’s plan can seem quite intimidating, especially when I have tried and seemed to fail over and over. BUT GOD says different. HE sends me to places where there are plenty of hungry people willing to listen to HIS word. I will keep on speaking, thanks to the LORD’s encouragement.

• Are you stuck?
• Are you too scared or intimidated to speak about JESUS?
• Will you allow the HOLY SPIRIT to open your heart and your mouth so you can speak about HIM today?

Today’s Plan

Today’s Plan

John 12: Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. ² There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. ³ Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

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Ask, “What are you going to do today?”, to your team so they can become more productive. I thought this was a great question so I not only asked them, I asked myself. The answers I got were highly ambitious, yet productive. “I am going to get more done using this simple question” I thought to myself.

• Some days I filled the hours with “being productive.”
• Some days I woke up working all the way until I went to bed.
• Some days I had no time for anything else but work.

JESUS went back to see Lazarus. Martha served JESUS as this was one of her gifts. Lazarus, being GOD’s example, sat with HIM. Mary saw JESUS’s dirty feet again. She remembered HIS reaction to the Pharisee who did not offer any water. I supposed she said, “Not in this house” as she used expensive oil and her hair to wipe away the mud.

• JESUS wants my attention.
• JESUS wants me to serve HIM.
• JESUS wants my highest honor.

Since I am not omnipresent, I can only be in one place at one time. When I plan my day so full of “being productive” I sometimes miss out on doing what GOD called me to do. HE allows me to be busy, but there are times when HE wants me to quiet down and just be with HIM. I am glad part of GOD’s work is simply just being with HIM.

• What are you going to do today?
• Are you going to fill your day up so full that you cannot hear GOD?
• Will you add GOD to your plan today and quiet down to listen to what HE wants to say?

Partying and Worrying

Luke 21: ³⁴ ‘Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.’

³⁷ Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, ³⁸ and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.

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Worried about my future, I decided to go on a trip with friends. We all piled into a hotel room dreaming of the clubs we would hit that night. Although the distraction of having ”fun” was welcome, I still had a ton of worries on my mind. The party lifestyle was not a remedy.

• There have been times when I sought out worldly “fun” to ease my pain.
• There have been times when I was going through problems, so I sought out something to distract me from those problems.
• There have been times when I felt so low that I needed something to pick me up.

JESUS gives HIS final warning to HIS followers not to fill their hearts with the partying lifestyle nor with worries of life. Both would distract HIS followers from seeking HIM daily.

• GOD wants me to look for HIM to guide me daily.
• GOD wants me to seek HIS solutions to my problems.
• GOD wants me to pray that I may be ready for HIS return every day so that I may be ready to stand in front of HIM.

Being prepared for the return of CHRIST seems antiquated in some folk’s mind. I mean HE has been gone for thousands of years, why would HE return today. JESUS wants me to live my life as if HE was going to return tomorrow. Since I do not know what preparation HE is doing or why HE delays HIS return, I still have the obligation to seek HIM.

GOD wants me to act like the world is about to be on fire and HE wants me to diligently seek those who choose to reject everything HE has already told us. I can now fill my heart with prayer.

• Are you worried so much that you want the party lifestyle?
• Are you so distracted with life that you have not thought about GOD at all during your day?
• Will you set your mind on GOD just a little today so you can see what HE has in store for you?

Coming out of Hiding

Luke 1: ²³ So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. ²⁴ Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵ “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

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“How’s the job search coming?” were the innocent yet increasingly annoying words from the community. Wanting to express their concern and solidarity was nice, but there were no jobs to be had in this extreme period of unemployment. “I just want to hide” were my thoughts.

• There were times when I just wanted to hide.
• There were times when I was ashamed and frustrated.
• There were times when I wanted everything to be as everyone expected but they were not.

Whether it was traditional or not, Elizabeth hid herself differently than others. She may have had years and years of innocent people asking “Do you have kids?” as their first question. She may have had mixed emotions about this miracle baby as she moved herself away from the community for the last five months of her pregnancy. She could have been delighted and nervous, but for years prior, she carried herself with GOD’s peace.

• GOD says to me “I will take care of you.”
• GOD says to me “Do not be afraid of humans, but fear the LORD your GOD.”
• GOD says to me “Do not be anxious for I have many promises for you.”

Walking in a spirit of peace is not always easy when those around me are anxious. BUT GOD gives me something to handle them and me, namely peace. GOD tells me to calm people down in the middle of storms and when I do, I in turn get calmed down.

HE wants me to show people that what is more important than their anxious question is my relationship with the living GOD. The peace that comes from HIM draws others to HIM and that is the mission HE gives me when I am in a trial.

• Are people asking you their anxious questions?
• Are you getting frustrated with their nervousness and disbelief?
• Will you stop trying to gain their approval and seek to calm them down by telling them you are related to the all-powerful GOD who takes care of you everyday?

Bright Future

Luke 1: ⁸ So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, ⁹ according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ¹⁴ And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

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“You will never grow in this industry” said my professor as he was prepared to give me a failing grade. “Maybe his words would come true” I thought to myself. “Maybe the words of the teacher who believed in me were just a fantasy and I could never amount to anything” I added.

• There were times when I doubted my future.
• There were times when I did not believe amazing things could happen to me.
• There were times when I believed what the negative people said.

Zacharias met an angel and feared for his life. The angel rested his mind by telling him the future of his one and only son to be. The angel did not speak of the hurt John would face, rather he said John would be “Great in the sight of the LORD.”

• GOD wants me to believe I have a special purpose in life.
• GOD wants me to use my special purpose to turn many people to the LORD their GOD.
• GOD wants me to make ready HIS people for HIS return.

By human measures my future sometimes seems bleak. I have tried and failed at numerous things in my life. BUT GOD sees something different in me. HE fills me with HIS SPIRIT and gives me the ability to tell people that JESUS is the CHRIST who is my LORD and SAVIOR.

• Do you feel awkward and left out?
• Do you think you are not special?
• Can you stop measuring yourself by the world’s standards and allow GOD to use the powerful gifts and talents HE has given you for HIS purpose today?

Left Alone

Matthew 27: ⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

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With a huge task at hand and no one around to help I cried out “LORD what!?” I meant to say to HIM, “Why did you bring me to this point only to drop me off in the middle of nowhere, alone!?”

• Sometimes I feel alone.
• Sometimes I feel forsaken.
• Sometimes I feel by myself only with onlookers instead of participants.

Even when I asked for help the onlookers would offer me something I did not need or they did not know how to help. Others, stood there and wanted to see if I would fall all the way down or if something truly amazing was going to happen.

JESUS faced the same thing. HE was on public display and blamed for every sin of every human that ever existed. Gawkers wanted to see more parlor tricks as they stared at a dying man. JESUS felt left alone.

• JESUS understands my loneliness so HE sent a comforter.
• JESUS knows how I feel when I cry out to HIM.
• JESUS cares tremendously when I feel left alone.

Sometimes I even go as far as JESUS did and blame the FATHER for leaving me alone. HE said “MY GOD, MY GOD, why have YOU forsaken ME?” I asked GOD the same question, especially when the pressures of the world are creeping around me.

GOD says to me “I will never leave you nor forsake you” and that gives me peace. The problems of the world melt away and I look for HIS deliverance in HIS time, HIS way.

• Do you feel alone?
• Do you feel like you have no one helping you?
• Can you turn to GOD and ask HIM to fill you up with HIS comfort today?

Silver and Gold

Matthew 26: ¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

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Desperate and tired of the job search, I started applying for positions I had no experience in. “Hmm, Deep Sea Diver… I went in the ocean a few times maybe I qualify for that!”

• There have been times when I was desperate for money.
• There have been times when I was only focused on my bank account.
• There have been times when I was so focused on money that I would do almost anything to get it.

Stretching my moral boundaries was a thought as I considered positions I was not qualified for. In other words I could lie a little because I figured I would be a hard worker and eventually be the best at whatever “it” was. BUT GOD wanted me to be different.

• GOD says to me “Be anxious for nothing” even when times look difficult.
• GOD says to me “The love of money it the root of all kinds of evil” so my desperation could make me go places I may not return from.
• GOD says to me “I AM your dwelling place” so HE has a right to guide me in difficult times and in peaceful times.

Looking back I can see it was not the lack of employment that caused my desperation, it was my love of money. One would say I was justified in my actions, but I was the same even when I was employed. Judas was the same way.

He saw an opportunity to put a man in jail for money. He probably never considered they would kill JESUS. He would do anything to please the rich so he would have his slice of the pie. GOD wants me to grab my desperation and give it to HIM. HE wants to be my guide.

• Are you desperate for money?
• Are you on the path to doing “anything” for money even outside of your moral boundaries?
• Can you stop focusing on your bills and ask GOD “How do YOU want me to serve YOU?” today?

No Surprise

Matthew 24: ³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

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Walking down the crowded hallway, I felt excited. I was finally at my next school and this time things would be better. I was finally away from the thugs at my old school. When the day was over we were given warnings about the travel path home. “Take only these specific safe routes when walking through the neighborhood” they told us. “Aw man! This sounds worse than my old school!”

• At one time I panicked when I heard warnings.
• At one time I got nervous when I heard something could go wrong.
• At one time I was frightened at the mere sound of danger.

JESUS told HIS disciples what was to come and the future did not sound bright at all. There would be wars, famine and lying claims of the Messiah. Then HE said “such things must happen.”

• GOD wants me to know things will go wrong in my life but HE is there.
• GOD wants me to expect trouble so I will know to pray instead of falling apart.
• GOD wants me to be aware of my surroundings so I can rely on HIM instead of freezing out of fright.

Understanding that something could go wrong made me more prepared as I walked through the shadows of thugs. “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” enables me to go without fear through troubled times, not around them.

• Are you going through troubled times?
• Are you filled with fear?
• Can you ask GOD to lead you through the times, knowing these things have to happen?

Worry

Matthew 6: ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

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³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

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“Oh no, my life is ruined!” I thought to myself. I started calculating what would happen to my life now that I failed the class. “If  I don’t graduate in this particular major, then I won’t get good paying job, then I will be stuck being a janitor the rest of my life!” was my dramatic line of thinking.

• When I worry I think the worst will happen.
• When I worry I think of all kinds of bad things that could happen.
• When I worry I take it a step further and turn it into panic and start reacting to those who are worried around me.

Worry is an evil incessant foe. It rears its ugly head to distract, not only me, but many around me. It invites its friends “panic” and “fear” to join in on the party and soon I found myself blaming GOD for all my ills. “If YOU would have just given me the answers to the test, then I would not be in this mess!” was my immature thought after not studying.

• GOD says to me “You are more valuable than all the animals I feed daily.”
• GOD says to me “Seek MY kingdom first on a daily basis and MY righteousness and I will feed and clothe you.”
• GOD says to me “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”

Tomorrow is GOD’s domain and I have not right to be in it at all. GOD wants me to stay in “today” where have an opportunity to praise HIM, serve HIM and be guided by HIM. A sigh of relief comes out of my mouth as I do not have to think about “tomorrow” for today I seek GOD.

• Are you worried?
• Do you think your worry can change things?
• Can you stop worrying for a few moments and praise GOD so HE can help you think straight?

Peace and Security

Jeremiah 46: ²⁷ “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;
    do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
    and no one will make him afraid.

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Waiting on the decision, I could hardly sleep. I interviewed for the top position and they dragged their feet towards telling me if I got it or not. A couple of weeks later I realized the worst. I did not get the position. I did not have peace.

• Every once in a while I lose my peace.
• Every now and then I do not feel secure.
• Every so often I feel threatened.

I felt that getting this position would enable me to get away from those who “opposed” me; instead, I had to remain right under them. This made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I could not help feeling this group did not want me around and I did not know what to do. BUT GOD made a difference.

• GOD gives me peace that surpasses all understanding.
• GOD is my security so I do not have to worry about humans.
• GOD says to me “Do not be afraid” because HE is with me.

After I settled down I realized that I was working for the wrong person. I was working for humans who constantly change their minds and have egos as large as an ocean. GOD wants me to do everything unto HIM so I can feel at peace. HE guides me and protects me. GOD gives me peace and security.

• Where are you putting your peace?
• Do you place security in money?
• Can you change you thinking and allow GOD to give you HIS peace?
• Will you put your trust in HIM and HIM alone?

Being Called “Names”

Isaiah 51: ⁷ “Hear me, you who know what is right,
    you people who have taken my instruction to heart:
Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals
    or be terrified by their insults.
⁸ For the moth will eat them up like a garment;
    the worm will devour them like wool.
But my righteousness will last forever,
    my salvation through all generations.”

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“Skinny Minnie, Captain Naps, and Floods” were some of the hurtful words people threw at me during one stage of my life. I tried to adjust. “Slow Poke, Weak, and Pitiful” were other words given to me by jocks. So, I tried to adjust again. Even more sinister words were given to me as labels as I grew up, some by those I thought I could trust. “Hmmm.”

• There have been people who have hurled insults at me.
• There have been people who have placed me in a box and stuck a label on it.
• There have been people who decided in their mind that I am not a “good fit” for whatever.

When I received the insult, at first I would try to brush it off but then after a number of people said the same insult, I wondered, “What is wrong with me?” I mean I was skinny, so what? I was born into this culture, what am I to do?

• GOD says to me “I made you and I AM pleased.”
• GOD says to me “I have given you MY words, love those who insult you.”
• GOD says to me “Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults, for I AM the everlasting GOD who loves you and has given you a purpose.”

Fearing what someone thinks of me can lead to losing my identity. I try so hard to please the crowd that I wind up looking like them and acting like them. Soon I am off the track that GOD has me on. BUT GOD sees me and says to me “You are fine.” No need for many other words, no need for a long pep talk. GOD says “MY righteousness will last forever, MY salvation through all generations.”

GOD surpasses those who hurl insults or wield their power over me in an effort to keep me down. HE says “Keep going” in spite of their attempts. GOD is my rock.

• Are you being held back by someone?
• Do you replay their insults in your mind over and over?
• Can you look past their attempt to control you and let GOD have your life?
• Will you look to HIM for your salvation in this situation and eternally?

Overcoming Fear

Isaiah 21: ⁴ My heart falters,
    fear makes me tremble;
the twilight I longed for
    has become a horror to me.

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Do not be afraid are words I dread to hear. It makes me think of all the things I need to be afraid of. When faced with jumping off the high dive in my swim class the instructor said “do not be afraid” and I was terrified. When problems hit and I see the words in the Bible “Do not be afraid”, I am calm for about three seconds then I panic. What is the problem?

• Sometimes I get scared.
• Sometimes I have fear.
• Sometimes I am filled with nervousness.

Fear happens when my mind takes the extra step. I mean when I start thinking about something bad happening as an outcome to the situation then I panic. What should I do?

• GOD says to me “Hold every thought captive” which means I should not step too far into the future with my thoughts.
• GOD says to me “I am with you always” which means that I am not alone.
• GOD says to me “You are wonderfully made” which means I am in the most powerful family.

Trusting in GOD means taking life a little at a time. No ultimate solutions to problems. GOD wants me to see HIM daily. HE wants me to understand that when HE says “Do not be afraid” He is giving me a weapon versus scolding me. GOD is handing me the shield of protection as if saying “Do not be afraid, your HEAVENLY FATHER who loves you is right here.”

• Are you afraid?
• Are you tired of people telling you to trust more?
• Can you give just a little fear to GOD by telling HIM what you are afraid of?
• Will you face your fears instead of having HIM remove them so you can grow beyond them?
• Can you praise GOD in the middle of your fears?

Waiting Period

Isaiah 8: ¹⁶ Bind up this testimony of warning
    and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.
¹⁷ I will wait for the Lord,
    who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.

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“Will this person ever stop talking” is what I thought to myself as I wanted the meeting to be over with. “Will this person just move over” I thought to myself as they were driving one mile under the speed limit. “Why won’t they just promote me right now” I thought to myself as I rushed to be at the top.

• Sometimes I am impatient.
• Sometimes I want it right now.
• Sometimes I do not want to wait.

Impatience is something I definitely embrace. It is a heralded quality in business and celebrated throughout the world. The success in business can however be a detriment. It is hard to turn on and off patience as money and time seem to be needed more and more. What am I to do?

• GOD says to me “Seal up MY instructions in people” which takes time.
• GOD says to me “Wait on the LORD for your deliverance” so sometimes I have to remain where I am for a little while longer.
• GOD says to me “Put your trust in the LORD” which means I shouldn’t always jump into HIS plans trying to fix the situation.

Patience means I can sit back and “trust” GOD. I can know that HIS plan will unfold just as HE says. HE is the one who delivers me in HIS way and in HIS time. I should not fret over the current circumstance because HIS plan is too marvelous for me.

• Are you stuck in a situation for a long time?
• Are you losing your patience?
• Can you trust that GOD wants you to grow and HE needs you to place your trust in HIM?

Fear of Failure

Psalm 16: ⁵ Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure.
⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.
⁷ I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

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As I made my next move I decided to vet my idea to a few people. One person said I should “go left” another said “go right” another said “wait” and another said “charge.” When it was all said and done I was confused and went nowhere. Shortly after, another person who overheard the idea took it and ran with it, receiving accolades. I was indecisive.

• Unknown trails are scary to me.
• Fear of failing causes me to stay put.
• Impatience causes me to have knee-jerk reactions rather than calculated moves.

One definition of fear is wanting and desiring success or peace, but not taking any steps to get there. Whether it’s under or overthinking, fear cascades through my mind, thinking the worst could happen. Fear gets larger the more responsibility I take on. BUT GOD has some good advice for me.

• GOD says to me “Fear not, for I AM with you.”
• GOD says to me “MY grace is sufficient.”
• GOD says to me “I will wipe away your tears.”

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places and I can see the delightful inheritance of GOD. HE is the only one who can bring peace in the middle of the storm. HE whispers, so I need to quiet down to hear HIM and HIM alone, especially when others around me are confused or panicked. GOD wants me to hear HIM so I will not be shaken.

• Are you shaken?
• Do you have fear?
• Can you put your fear in GOD rather than on the thing you want so badly?
• Will you seek GOD’s comfort by telling HIM, out loud, what is bothering you?
• Can you prepare yourself for GOD to say “No” or “Wait” or “Yes” in HIS time?