God has not given us a spirit of fear…
Like the three Hebrew children in Daniel – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – God never promised that they wouldn’t go through the fire, but He did meet them in the midst of it.
Where does Fear come from?
The Bible says,
“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of POWER and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND.” (2 Tim 1:7)
God has equipped every believer to be useful and productive in Christian living, and He tells us also that we are more than conquerors when we abide in Him (Rom 8:37).
His Spirit enables us in whatever task God gives, but we must fulfill our responsibility by continually granting His Spirit freedom of expression through us.
In the above verse, Paul is telling Timothy that the spirit of fear does not come from God!
Fear is a tool or weapon which the enemy uses to either paralyze us, or cause us to flee in the opposite direction from where God is leading us.
The Bible teaches us that we NEVER should run away from our fears or avoid them, but we are to face them head on, in the power that Jesus Christ gives us.
A good friend of mine had this quote taped on his refrigerator door, it’s a line from an old John Wayne movie, “In Harm’s Way” (1965), and it says:
“All battles are fought by scared men who’d rather be someplace else!”
I think that kind of sums it up very succinctly. Fear comes as a part of life, but the key point is how do we react to it?
Never let your fears control you, because if you give place to fears in your Life, you’re giving place to the devil.
The Bible teaches us how to face our fears and not run from them.
Paul himself was walking his talk when he was riding this letter to Timothy.
Facing martyrdom himself, Paul takes time out to remind Timothy that God has not given us a spirit of fear or cowardice.
There is no time for fearfulness or timidity.
But God has given us a spirit of POWER.
Unlimited strength is at our disposal.
Through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, the believer can serve valiantly, endure patiently, suffer triumphantly, and, if need be, die gloriously.
God has also given us a spirit of LOVE.
It is our love for God that casts out fear and makes us willing to give ourselves for Christ, whatever the cost may be.
It is our love for our fellow men that makes us willing to endure all kinds of persecutions and repay them with kindness.
Finally, God has given us a spirit of a SOUND MIND, or discipline.
The words a sound mind do not completely convey the thought.
What this verse is teaching is that God has given us a spirit of self-control or self-mastery.
We are to use discretion and not to act emotionally, rashly, hastily, or foolishly.
No matter how adverse our circumstances, we should maintain balanced judgment and act soberly.
This is my go to scripture when everything around me is going to hell in a handbasket:
Psalm 46
God the Refuge of His People and Conqueror of the Nations
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
10 BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM (that I AM is) God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
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Monday, Sept 19
Worthy Brief
DON’T BE SHAKEN!
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
A major earthquake struck Taiwan over the weekend, which triggered a tsunami warning as far away as Japan.
This reminded me of when we first moved to Israel in 2003.
I was in my Hebrew class downtown, and my wife and one-month-old baby were alone in our Jerusalem apartment.
My wife called me immediately, and this is what she told me; I’ll never forget it.
She was sitting in our bedroom with our 1-month-old in her arms when out of nowhere came a sudden loud roaring sound, followed by a shaking of all four walls and all the contents within banging back and forth against them rapidly and with great force.
So many things were going through her mind at that moment as she tried to remember what you’re supposed to do in a scenario like this.
Are you supposed to get under the bed? Or maybe get outside?
Yeah, outside!
But it would be three flights of steps to get outside, and with a newborn baby in her arms — how?!
She just froze in fright, thinking about what could happen next.
But in the midst of it all, Riv looked down at Elianna in her arms.
Would you believe she was perfectly content — happy, smiling, even drifting off to sleep as the whole earth shook all around her. Wow.
Each of us can take a lesson from Elianna.
Even in the midst of all the chaos, distress, or crises beyond our control, we must rest, trusting that we’re safe in the loving arms of the Father.
We shouldn’t have a care in the world.
Is your world being shaken right now?
Know that God is holding you today. No matter what you’re facing, you can trust Him to cover you. Just lay back and enjoy the ride!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, & Obadiah
Baltimore, Maryland
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Come join the Adventure!
Skip 🕊️
SB SALT AND LIGHT MINISTRIES 
Thank you 🙏🏼 Have a blessed day always