August 16, 2017 … Fear or Faith?

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 228 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Mia Fieldes singing her song … Fearless … a song repeated from my journal entry yesterday, poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, much choose where we are going to let God lead us forward or retreat in fear to the enemy.

=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Numbers 14:9 [NLT] … 
9 Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” 
… God’s people had a choice to follow their faith or retreat in fear. We have the same choice everyday as Christians.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Numbers 13:25-14:9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Before entering God’s promised land, His people rebelled and balked at Moses’ leadership, choosing to follow fear rather than yielding to their faith in God.
=============

Reference Passage #1 [NLT] : … Joshua 24:15 [NLT] … 
15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” 
 … Joshua had a choice as to Whom he and his family would serve. We have the same choice today!

Reference Passage #2 [NLT] : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Faith is always a measure of our trust in God, … fear, almost always, shows our faith in following our spiritual enemies.

Reference Passage #3 [NLT] : … 2 Timothy 1:7 [NLT] … 
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 
… Any time we FEEL fearful at a choice that seems right in our faith, that CANNOT be from God, … but rather from Satan.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, used a personal story to illustrate how we can often let feelings of fear lead us in the wrong direction. The ODB author wrote: “My husband was offered a promotion in another country, but I feared leaving our home, so he reluctantly declined the offer,” my friend shared with me. She explained how apprehension over such a big change kept her from embracing a new adventure, and that she sometimes wondered what they missed in not moving. 

I’m not a betting man, but I would almost wager that any/all of us have been in places, as Christians, as pictured in the photo, where we’re faced with a choice of following our fears or our faith. I’m sure any reader here with me has a personal example, maybe even one we’re facing today.

The Israelites, in today’s highlight passage, had such a choice just before entering God’s promised land of milk and honey; but they balked and wanted to go back to Egypt and slavery. Certainly we can see that they were being led by fear rather than faith. Later, when Joshua was leading God’s people in the promised land, he told the people [see Joshua 24:15] they were going to have to choose the God (or gods) they would follow; but he stated clearly that He would follow his faith in God.

And we read from Paul, mentoring the new preacher/leader, Timothy, telling him (and us) that when we have feelings (i.e., a spirit) of fear, … that this ALWAYS comes from something other than our God, Who would NEVER give us a spirit of fear.

So, many days, … perhaps today, … we’re going to be faced with a fear verses faith challenge; and we’re going to have to decide which road we’re going to follow. I pray it will be the road of faith we follow ... and become, as Mia Fieldes again sings [link above repeated from my blog yesterday], … FEARLESS.

My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Help me to follow my faith in You and avoid responding to my feelings of fear. … 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.