Devotional #16 No Fear!

It’s time to rise up and believe what God has said “No Fear!” We don’t have to choose fear we can have freedom. It’s time for us to wage war on the devil and all he tries to scare us about. “No fear!” needs to become our battle cry. 2 Timothy 1:7 “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” That scripture mentions 3 things God has given us. But sometimes we need His help to activate them. •Power- the Holy Spirit dwells in us and gives us power and authority. •Love- “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear” 1 John 4:18 • Sound mind- when we meditate on scripture and spend time with the Lord, it calms anxiety, washes away fear, and gives us more of a sound mind. Fear is not logical. So when we start making decisions in fear, they are not always wise or thought out. Looking to the Lord to give us a sound mind will give us the wisdom to make good decisions based on facts not on fear., In 2 Timothy 1:7 some translations say God has not given us a “spirit of timidity.” The word Paul used when he wrote “spirit” was the Greek word “Pneuma” and is used here to refer to the Holy Spirit in us. The Holy Spirit does not give us fear/timidity. Yet some Christians act like being timid is Christ like. It’s not. They convince themselves of this lie when they are afraid and don’t want to stand up for what’s right. They think it’s kind to be timid and passive. That’s false. We are called to be meek and bold. When I was 9 years old my family were missionaries in India. A government branch that were radical Hindus had come into power and they were furious that Christians were running an orphanage in their land. I remember the day we were at the orphanage and 50 government and police cars showed up to take the kids away. Loads of cops and government officials came into the orphanage yelling and screaming at my parents. Their hatred for Christians was evident. They threatened to arrest all of us Americans there, which included my 4 siblings and I. I remember the boldness of the Holy Spirit rose up in me. I felt like “Take me to prison. I’ll gladly go for my Savior.” I was aware I could go hungry, be beaten, or other horrors could happen. But I was not afraid. I trusted God would be with me. I was willing to sacrifice anything for my Jesus. God protected us that night and not one of us was arrested. I think if, we trust God will be with us, then we are willing to sacrifice anything for Christ. These two things enable the power, love, and sound mind of the Holy Spirit to rise up in us and guide us. I realize now that my thought process as a 9-year-old was not normal. It was the Holy Spirit in me that gave me this courage. We don’t have to be afraid when bad things hit us because that same spirit that rose up within a 9-year-old child, the same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead lives in us. If we are willing to trust Him, and sacrifice for Him, His spirit will guide us no matter what trouble comes our way. So again let us say, “No Fear!” as our battle cry and agree with what the Lord says, “Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10