Days 189-191: "A Rebellious House"

Ezekiel 2:6-7

 

Ezekiel 2:6-7 (ESV) "And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house."

Day 188: "To Your Master"

Isaiah 37:6-7

Isaiah 37:6-7 ESV "Isaiah said to them, 'Say to your master, "Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land."'"

Desire Fulfilled

So disappointment is a thing; A really big thing for me. When someone promises to do something for me and then doesn't, even if it's because they literally can't, it hurts really deeply. Even if it's something small, I can get really emotional and I don't always understand why.  I wondered if everyone felt this way or if there was something that had made me hypersensitive to disappointment and broken promises.

Then I found this verse:

Proverbs 13:12English Standard Version (ESV) 

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

It was refreshing to realize that God agrees with me that disappointment sucks but it also showed me that not hoping for things wasn't the answer, because fulfilled desire is a tree of life. That's so beyond good! I do not want to give that up out of fear of disappointment! 
     So what do I do now? I can't stop looking forward to things but I also can't force people to come through for me every time. As I was thinking about that recently, I thought of this verse:

Psalm 42:11English Standard Version (ESV) 

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

    and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

    my salvation and my God.

Can you relate too? With the Son's of Korah let's speak to our souls:
I know it hurts but you don't have to live in turmoil over disappointment from others people. Hope in God who fulfills the desires of the hearts that are pliable in His hands. I will continue to praise Him despite the distraction of disappointment because He is my savior and He is my God!

-L.

Psalm 37:4-5English Standard Version (ESV)

Delight yourself in the Lord,

    and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the Lord;

    trust in him, and he will act.

P.S. Here is a song that I sing over myself when disappointment stings. It helps me to focus on the faithfulness of God rather than the failures of my fellow humans.

Day 150: "My Spirit Remains"

Haggai 2:4-5

Haggai 2:4-5 ESV "Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not."

Day 149: "It Is I"

Mark 6:49-51

Mark 6:49-51 ESV "But when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.' And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded."

Day 148: "A Great Reward"

Hebrews 10:35

Hebrews 10:35 ESV "Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward."

Day 147: "The Battle is Not Yours"

2 Chronicles 20:15

2 Chronicles 20:15 ESV "And he said, 'Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, "Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's."'"

Day 145: "A Fountain of Life"

Proverbs 14:27

Proverbs 14:27 ESV "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death."

Day 144: "Strong Confidence"

Proverbs 14:26

Proverbs 14:26 ESV "In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge."

Day 143: "By His Name"

Deuteronomy 10:20

Deuteronomy 10:20 ESV "You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear."

Day 142: "In Holiness and Righteousness"

Luke 1:74-75

Luke 1:74-75 ESV "That we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days."

Day 141: "Like A Flock"

Psalm 78:52-53

Psalm 78:52-53 ESV "Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies."

Day 140: "I Have Faith"

 Acts 27:25

This verse is a continuation from Day 139... I encourage you that if God has promised you something, He will enable it to happen! Move forward in that faith.
Acts 27:25 ESV "So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told."

Day 139: "You Must Stand"

Acts 27:23-24 

Acts 27:23-24 ESV "For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.'"

Day 104: "The Due Reward"

Luke 23:40-43

Luke 23:40-43 (ESV) "But the other rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.' And he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' And he said to him, 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.'"  

Happy Good Friday, friends! May we remember where we stand with the Lord if we are without Him - deserving the same condemnation as the thieves on the cross. And we too would receive that justly if not for the high cost Jesus was willing to pay.

Here's a video that I hope will encourage and remind you of the love of Jesus: 

Day 102: "Not as the World Gives"

John 14:27

John 14:27 (ESV) "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Days 81-82: "Enduring Forever"

Psalm 19:7-9

Psalm 19:7-9 (ESV) "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether."

Day 78: "Your Redemption"

  Luke 21:25-28

 

Luke 21:25-28 (ESV) “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Day 76: "Bear Witness"

Luke 21:13-15

Luke 21:13-15 (ESV) "This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict."

Day 75: "Led Astray"

Luke 21:8-9

Luke 21:8-9 (ESV) "And he said, 'See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, "I am he!" and, "The time is at hand!" Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.'" 

* * * * *

There are five different passages in Luke 21 referencing fear/fearlessness/faith. We will be going through them in the next several days! I'd encourage you to read through the whole chapter in context to find the different connections and be encouraged by the words of Jesus.
Have a blessed day!
-M.