Devotional Song: Go to this link … Please take the time to take in a video of the lyrics with Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing their poignant song, All Is Well, … And ON TO THIS LINK ... with the trailer for the movie from Dreamworks Entertainment, The Croods, with the message of the movie referenced below.
Highlight Passage #1 Luke 12: 7 [NKJV] …
7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
============
Highlight Context - Luke 12: 1-7, 22-32 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … Jesus quells man’s fears with His message of hope from God, His Father
============
Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 6: 25-34 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK - Matthew’s version of Jesus’ “Do not worry” message from The Sermon on the Mount
Reference Passage #2 - 2nd Timothy 1: 7 [NKJV] … …
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. …
Paul teaching a rather timid church leader, Timothy, that fear is unnecessary when he have faith in Christ.
Reference Passage #3 - Hebrews 13: 5-6 [NKJV] …
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” [Deut. 31: 6,8] 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” [Ps. 118: 6] …
The message of “fear not” from the Author of the book of Hebrews …
Reference Passage #4 - 1st John 4: 18 [NKJV] …
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. …
John showing believers why fear is defeated by the love of God. My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread devotional entry, authored by Anne Cetas, uses a rather recent illustration from an animated movie, The Croods as she writes … [see also the attached photo]
... Grug Crood, the dad of a caveman family early in the animated movie, “The Croods,” believes that there’s no safe place beyond their cave. They huddle together at night so he can protect them. He thinks his teenage daughter should give up her adventurous side because it can only lead to danger. His motto for his family is “Never not be afraid.” … In other words, “Always be afraid.”
However, in the ODB entry for today, Cetas, then uses the very words and teachings of Jesus, from His “Sermon on the Mount,” as documented by Luke and Matthew (see passages above), where the Lord tried to show His followers that God, His Father, certainly fed the birds, … so, why wouldn’t God, Who loved mankind so much more than the birds, feed and clothe His beloved ones. Hence, as is documented in the Luke 12 and Matthew 6 passages above, those who have faith in Christ [i.e., God] have no reason to fear anything in this life, … including death.
Christ, Himself, was the personification of the “FEAR NOT!” message which the Bible repeats over and over again. Read above how the author of the book of Hebrews quotes from the Old Testament (passages from Deut. 31: 6,8 and Ps. 118: 6] or John from his 1st John 4: 18 teaching … that God’s love casts out all fear; and the truth that God will never forsake any who believe and reverence (i.e., fear) Him.
So, I take note today, remembering that God’s love for me demolishes any need for me to fear ANYTHING or ANYONE. So, I pray today to walk in the message that Paul taught to a rather timid new Pastor, Timothy, … [see 2nd Timothy 1: 7 above] … “that God has not given me a spirit of fear … but rather of love and power and of a sound mind!”
My Prayer for Today … O Lord, … My faith in You casts out my fear!! Help me to hold onto this confidence in You. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
No comments:
Post a Comment