Scary Future

We leave in unsettling times. No one is sure of what the future will bring. People are worried about their safety and that of their family all due to the recent referendum.

Political parties and Leaders are fighting for positions, the pound is at an all-time low, prices of goods are beginning to go up

Terrorist attack are on the increase nobody feels safe. In times like these what should we as Christians do?

I am reminded of the when the disciples too, faced an unsettling future. They had first hand knowledge of being with Jesus and knew what he can do, but now they are not so sure.

Jesus the promise one was taken violently in front of them and he did nothing, they were staggered at his response. Their future s didn't look so bright now.

What about Hannah, what future did she have of bearing her husband a child? Night and day she had cried to God to answer her plea for a child, yet nothing seem to be happening, what future did she have without kids? She wondered.

Joseph did not see his bright future when his wife to be became pregnant with a child who wasn't his. What future does he have, and who would believe this tale of an angel visiting them? Surely he should have done the honourable thing and left her privately, saving his family this disgrace.

David faced an uncertain future, time and time again. Everyone was after his life, Saul, his son and other kings. How can a King be living in caves and in hiding?

Of a truth man born of man, his days are filled with troubles. Though at present, it appears nothing good will come out of the future we can be assured that as we walk with our Lord he will turn around every bleak future for our good.

Presently the future certainly doesn’t seem good, what good is there to look forward to?

It’s either there is too many bad news or too much reporting of it.

I have resolved not to look at the future with trepidation, but to God, because:

He who looks at the future and fret is not one who looks to God.

Jesus did not stay dead, his life brought back hope to the disciples and the world.

Hanna later sang a song of victory because the God who works all things for the good of those who feared him, showed up with her request.

Joseph saw the demonstration of God’s power when the baby born by Mary became the resurrected king.

And David became the greatest king in Israel when God conquered all his enemies before him.

Uncertain times are times to be certain about the power of God to turn things around for our good. Trust in him at all times, for he owns your future.

Related post:

The fear factor

Someone describe fear as false evidence appearing real. 

They are right. Fear begins in the mind and develops into a thought, which when not nipped, develops into something bigger.   

I remembered waiting for an exam results, after the exams I was confident about my grades. But as I waited for the results, a thought began to develop in my mind, “what if I fail”? I couldn't shake off this thought.The mistake I made was that I gave it room to fester.

Each time the thought came, I would analyse all possible scenario, what if I do not make the expected grades? 

What if I actually failed the course? 

What if, what if? 

I kept analysing the worse case possible and the more I did that, the more fearful I became. Days before the results, I decided to do something, I wanted to be free from fear but felt powerless against it. 

By the time the results came I had worked myself into a state where I was so drained by fear I couldn't be bothered to celebrate my success. 

Here are 5 I ways I learnt to deal with fear 

Go to the word: When fear shows up: go to the word. Remind yourself of God’s word. Do not forget it. Write it in the middle of your heart. He has promised to strengthen you. Ask him for strength to overcome fear. Ask him to help you wait if you are waiting for something specific. And to show you what to do while you are waiting. 

Resist it: resisting fear is one of the ways we can control our thought. You can resist it by speaking out loud, “I am not afraid”.  “God has not given me the spirit of fear”, ‘but of a sound mind’. Say it as often as fear shows up and soon you will be begin to experience freedom from fear. 

I wrote it down, I found this scripture encouraging so much so that I wrote it down, somewhere I can see it. I read it loud first thing  in the morning until it became a of me. 

I meditated on it and other scriptures which reminded me of God’s great deliverance from fear. This helped me imagined a different outcome as I began to meditate on the word, a new picture of success started to develop in my mind’s eyes. 

I prayed about it: part of resisting fear involves writing scriptures down and meditating on it, this often leads to prayer, I became bold enough to come to my father in heaven and ask him for strength to deal with fear, I reminded him of his word “Fear not” I am with you, Be not dismay, I am your God I will strengthen you,  I will help you ,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”

In what areas of your life have you allowed fear to paralyze you? 

Maybe you are waiting for the news of that interview, or waiting to receive a medical report or just uncertain about your life in general. Has fear been your constant companion while you wait? Have you come to a point in your life where you feel helpless against fear? 

Go to the word

Resist fear with the word

Write the word down, read it daily to become a part of you

Meditate on the word: so whenever fear show’s up, you can refer it to the word, and imagine a different picture from what fear is showing you. 

Pray. 

Employ this five ways and watch fear’s grip on you loosen, and soon you will be harmed to deal with every fiery thought of fear.

“Fear not”” has become my slogan”

Now whenever I feel fear, I call on the word. His word is love and he said perfect love cast out fear. So I speak in the word and fear is displaced For each worry I have a scripture. 

I encourage you to immerse yourself in the word and draw from its well when fear rears its ugly head. 

Relevant scriptures reading 

John 14.27

Isaiah 35:4, 41:10

Matthew 6:34

Psalm34:4, 27:1,

LOVE

Vendors are usually in high spirits this time of the year, lovers, children, daughters, sons, all looking

to get something special for their loved one. Something of worth, something that demonstrates their love.

There's no greater love than this, to know that you are loved, truly and really loved.

It is a beautiful thing to treat those in our lives, on a day set aside to express love.
Love's Language is beautiful, and enticing.
Love in its truest form is purer than gold.
Love given without restrain frees the receiver to reciprocate.
Love’s barrier is the restraint placed on it by those who have refused to allow themselves to experience the true essence and worth of loving and being loved in return.

Love's place is in the eyes, eyes given to us to behold the wonders of our beloved.
Love conquest is the heart, in-prisoning us in its grip, drowning us in its sweetness.

Love defiles meaning,

surpasses understanding,

embraces fear,

releases faith

and gives freedom.

The world still needs love, love for the unborn, the lonely, the unworthy, the downtrodden, the unwanted.

Though we may be different in our spoken language, life experiences, ethical disposition, geographical location, cultural preferences and beliefs, our love is the same. At one point or another we all have experience the joys of love.
If your heart has ever beat for someone, if you have experience the delight of being loved and loving in return, if you have looked upon another with the eyes of love, you are a carrier of love.

Beloved, let us love one another for God is love, anyone that love is born of a God and knows God...
How can you say you love God whom you have not seen and hate your brother whom you have seen. I don’t get this, it is impossible.

Truly, love is the first emotion we experienced, because we were beheld with the eyes of love at birth. Love caressed us at our mother’s bosom, love nurtured us to health, love made us love others.

My beloved brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

Love Knows No Fear

What's your custom

I have a routine every morning, this involves saying a prayer of thanksgiving, reading and meditation.

I start the day off like this, however I do not stick strictly to this routine, because sometimes I get up later than usual or have to attend to the kids. On such days my routine is disturbed.

When this happens, I find myself rushing into the day while muttering a thank you Lord here and there. Like me most of us live by routine, a set way of doing things, routines we have become accustom to.
Daniel lived by a set routine, one he stuck to regardless of what was happening around and within him. His routine was to pray 3 times a day, no matter what was happening, he stuck to this routine.

So it was when the decree was passed for no one to pray to any other god, Daniel was not bordered he knew this was just another.
I don't think Daniel went into prayer that day crying and wailing, asking God to save him from his plotters or for God to stop the lion's mouth. I think he was praying as usual about the things he always prayed about, he may have mentioned to God the current state of affairs, but
his devotion was not about the decrees because it was his custom to pray anyway.

Daniel was not the kind of man to cry and be afraid. The fact that he went home to business as usual after witnessing the king signed the decree, suggests to me that he was not a pushover, nor was he one to be bullied into doing or not doing something. Daniel went about his business as usual and prayed with boldness.

I imagined he prayed fervently, as was his custom but not with fear or out of desperation. He did all these because his life was of constant devotion to God.

To me Daniel's actions were almost as if he dared them to carry out their threat, as if he was thinking - these guys know nothing about the God I serve.
Daniel seems to be thinking, “what's the worst that can happen”? Be thrown in the Lion's den, so what? Death doesn't end my relationship with my God; if anything it begins a new life for me in the presence of my Lord. If he was going to die let be for doing what he love to do, pray.

Many times we are faced with life threatening situations which cause us to quaver with fear, or run and hide. We lose our faith in The All Powerful God, we abandon our custom and hope the storm will pass.  

Here’s what Daniel did in during this trying times

He carried on his business as usual

He involved God in his business

He had faith and resolute trust in God

He was bold in the face of dire circumstances

He was not afraid of death

Be inspired by Daniel's faith and boldness and audacious hope in God.

He was faithful to God and God honored him
He was involved in politics, and his integrity held up
He was judged by his peers to be the best at what he does
He was friends with the ruler of the land which Led to envy envied by others.

When trying times come as they certainly will, let your faith hold up, do not run scare, as much as possible keep your routine going.  We serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever, if he came through for Daniel he will come through for you. 

All you have to do is anchor your hopes on him and carry on as is your custom, he will honor your faith in Him.

Strength from the Past

Tales of sadness echoes across the land
Weep! Man’s deeds has cause us woes
Wail! The future of the unborn is doom
Fear! There is no end in sight.
Misery is cast over the land
Man’s hold on sanity is shattered
Fear grips
As the ill wind of bad news
Streams through each air waves
Heralding tales of loss, death, depression, gloom
Fear takes a tighter hold.

Does this sound familiar? Do you see yourself in the picture? As the constant stream of financially depress news rings through the air waves, the heart of many faint from fear. Even those who have no reason to fear are afraid.

Why? Why the sudden dread? The world is in turmoil. This is not new, we have seen financial institutions collapsed before, and businesses go bankrupt, job losses and government inefficiencies have all happened before. This time things are much worse but they will still take their natural course.

We have seen it before and we’ve pulled through, countries, individuals, and institutions alike.

Doesn’t this tell us something? Life is a circle - what we are experiencing now will end some day. Why can’t we just wait it out?
Why can’t we be hopeful that we will pull through? Why can’t we believe that because we came out before we will come out again?

The media hasn’t made it easy, not a day passes without the grim tale of another victim. If watching and listening to the news causes you to fear, you can stop filling your heart with tales of doom and gloom, rather read and watch stuff that will enrich you positively.
This may not change the outlook of the world but it will make a difference to how you think and feel. (What you think determines how you feel). I am not suggesting that you run and hid simply choose what you watch.

I watch the news simply out of curiosity to find out the latest victim of man’s greed. It amazes me the extend humans sunk, just to amass wealth at the expense of millions of innocent people.

No wonder we fear!
As with most situations in our lives
We fear when we feel we have no control over what is happening in and around us.

We fear when we look ahead and glimpse a bleak future.
We fear when we use the present as a guide to the future.
We fear when we think we are about to loose all that we hold dear.

Our fears are not unreal, some are valid, but I think we can control them, yes we can. Maybe we can’t control what is happening around us, if your company goes bust there’s nothing you can do about that.
But you can choose to see being laid off work as an opportunity to start again or see it as the end of your working live, sign on and be unhappy.

As the saying goes “every disappointment is a blessing” the bible echoes that clearly Romans 8.28 “for we know that ALL things works together for good”

We can hold on to the hope that things will get better again. If there’s a time to look to the past, it is now, because we can look back and draw strength from the truth that we can come through individually and collectively:

Fear not
When the rough winds of adversity blow
And the scourging heat of the sun burns
The cold touch of winter grips,
But amidst the rocky planes of loss
One thing is sure
This too will pass!

© Deboo February 2009.

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