Do not fear

"Fear not for I am with you..."~Isaiah 41:10

I can think of so many verses in the Bible that tell me not to fear. The prophet Isaiah has numerous instances. I also recall almost any time there is an angelic visit, the person is told not to fear. God is certainly giving us a message that we should pay attention to. One part of the message is that we will have fears. What are fears? The definition of fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Some fears are real, but many are imagined and create anxiety--another thing we are told to give to God. He knows we will have these feelings is the point, and the second thing is what He does to allow us not to fear. God says in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear not, for I am with you." He is with us! He doesn't say He will be with you, or soon we will be together, or even we have been together--He speaks in the present tense. Further in that verse God gives a promise that comes when we hand over our fears to Him. He says, "...I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Those promises are fulfilled after we stop being fearful. LORD, help us to hand our fears into Your faithful hands in Jesus name.

AMEN

The Garden

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ~1 Corinthians 12:27

Today my dad told me about a new blank slate in the landscape of our entryway. Before he said he wanted to do something different to the space, I had barely noticed it--aside from the fact I knew there was one odd looking plant there that was a horrible combination of sparse and sprawling. He had the gardener remove it a few days ago and this morning we went to the local nursery. I admit I don't have a green thumb, but oddly enough I was asked to design the landscapes for the backyards of two homes I've lived in, and they turned out very nice. The point I'm getting to in this story is that my level of excitement for what is planned to be planted next time the gardener comes is quite high. I have found myself imagining how pretty it will look; I even took pictures of the selected plants.

So what will be different about this space versus the other beautiful garden areas we have? I'm invested in it! I participated, I took effort to go and look at plants, talk about their needs, discuss purpose, plan the space, and hand pick the healthiest and prettiest flowers. This same effort is required in our walk with God! We don't have to go it alone either--we should have teachers, mentors, and friends in the faith just as with my adventure today; I had the staff at the nursery, my dad, and the gardener scheduled to plant them--we even have the plants being delivered. We all have a part in the body of Christ too, and all parts serve a specific function, if they were not needed, God would not have included them in the body! If you don't know what part you are that's okay, begin by living your life for God and He will teach and guide you through the Holy Spirit in His time which is always perfect. Praise be to God!

AMEN

I’m so excited for today!

This is the day the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. -Psalm 118:24

Lately I’ve been giving gratitude for what is happening and what is coming at various times of day—especially before bed, thanking God for what He has prepared even while I sleep. In my work in this practice I’ve gained a realization that each moment can be the start of “today”. The start of a new twenty four hours doesn’t need to begin at midnight or in the morning when I wake up. Bad news, or sudden upset can be the opportunity to start a new day now! It’s 12:34pm and I’m so excited for “today”!