Day 30 - Josh10:25 & Lev 19:32

Do Not Fear
Jos 10:25 - And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

This verse is a bit different, because it is Joshua talking and not the Lord. But I included it because the message is finally sticking and the courage that Joshua shows is word for word what the Lord has been telling Him. When we listen to the Lord and trust Him, we can begin to encourage others in this journey of learning to not fear.

Fear God

Leviticus 19:32 -“You shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

We need this message to stick with us. Simple. To the point. Life-changing, awe-inspiring, God enabling...

Day 29 - Joshua 10:8 & Ex 34:10

Do not Fear
Joshua 10:8 - And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”

After walking all through the night to get to this city, Joshua gets this message from the Lord. God's track record is pretty good, that when He says you win, they win. And, God does two miracles in this routing of this next city, including sending down huge hailstones which destroyed more soldiers than Israel's sword and Joshua also prayed that the sun would stop for a period of time and it did. Where God leads you, go with confidence and courage. Don't be afraid to pray big prayers.

Fear God

Ex 34:10 - Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.

I am not sure what I can comment on this verse that will add to it... God is, will, does awesome works that cannot be matched and are worthy to be feared.

Day 28 - Josh 8:1-2 & Ex 20:18

Do not Fear
Joshua 8:1-2 - 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. 2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.”

This command to not be afraid comes at an important time for Joshua. A few chapters earlier, Joshua had sent a small band of his army to defeat the city of Ai, but was routed and 36 Israelites died. This was the first time the Israelites had been defeated and Joshua threw himself before the Lord in grief and confusion. The Lord responded to Joshua by telling him to get up and that the reason they were defeated was because someone had sinned. After letting God lead them to the right person, Aachan admitted that he had taken some precious jewelry when he was commanded not to. The consequence of his coveting was huge. But, as a result, with the Israelites now forgiven and holy, they are having a second chance at this city. So, the Lord reminds Joshua to not be afraid or dismayed and literally gives him the brilliant battle plan. Joshua did exactly what the Lord told him to do and it worked well. Sin destroys lives, leads to failure and defeat and causes grief for everyone. The only requirement by God here was to be holy and obedient. What a great encouragement to us this morning that holiness can lead to fearlessness. If we are holy before the Lord, we have nothing to fear.

Fear God
Ex 20:18 - When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance

If only we had this respect for God in every decision and every temptation. Someday we will see with eyes wide open the glory of God and we will fall down before him and worship like the angels in Heaven do, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty who was, who is and is to come..."

Day 27 - Josh 1:9

Do not Fear and Fear God
Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

When we think of a verse that will comfort us in our fears, most people come to this one. It again strikes me that all we are commanded to do is to either BE or not to BE... BE strong. BE courageous. Do Not BE frigthened. Do not BE dismayed. It isn't a matter of war or strategy or innovativeness or ingenuity. Joshua is to be strong and he is not to be frightened. That is the extent of the commandment of God. The reason I believe He says this is because when we fear, we are unable to carry out the will of God. Fear paralyzes and gives someone or something more power than God. And the reason, again, that we are to be or not to be is because the LORD (the God of all Gods, the creator, the sustainer, the judge, the most powerful and righteous and Holy one) who is also YOUR God, is with you wherever you go. Again, the character of God is our foundation, our cause and effect, for our well-being. If you are going to fear anything, fear displeasing him, disobeying him, not trusting him or forgetting Him. That should be your biggest concern.

Day 26 - Deut 31:8

Do not Fear and Fear God
Deuteronomy 31:7-8 - 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Moses summons Joshua and encourages Him in the sight of all Israel to be strong and courageous. His strength and his courage is found in the Lord who goes before you, he will be with you and he will never leave you... There is no time that God will not be with Joshua, ever. This is just another reason for us to study the character of God. There more we know about him, the more we know Him, the greater our ability to rest in his care, his power and his Will for our life. If we are in fear, we are saying that which we fear has more power that God. The more we consistently mediate on the character of God, the greater our ability to overcome fears in our life. Fear God only and everything else will be rightsized.

Day 25 - Deut 31:6

Do not Fear and Fear God

Deuteronomy 31:6 - 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

This was Moses challenge to the people on the occasion of Moses' 120th birthday. He saw that his end was near, and he was giving the challenge to the next generation who would conquer the promised land. If you read this passage in context, you get the basis for why they are not supposed to fear. Moses said that the Lord will go over the Jordan before them, that He will destroy the nations before them, and that He will give them (the nations) to them. The only thing that the Israelites had to do was to be strong and courageous (not do strong and courageous, just BE) and do not fear them... Again, he reminds them the reason for no fear is because it is the Lord your personal and loving God who goes with you. And, he will not leave or forsake you. I am not sure if we could ask for any greater assurances or promises in these verses. He could just say, "Don't fear!" but instead he gives us Himself as the reason for not fearing. Fear Him as the protector, the powerful one, and the faithful one . I find this comforting and encouraging.

Day 24 - Deut 28:58-60

Do Not Fear and Fear God
Deuteronomy 28:58-60 - 58 “If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, 59 then the Lord will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting. 60 And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you.

This verse rings with a powerful warning that if we do not fear God by His obeying His word, that which we fear, the diseases, shall cling to us. It is almost as if what we are afraid of will happen if we don't fear God and obey His word. It is not to be taken literally like this but it was for the Israelites and it is not a stretch to believe that. If something is consuming us with fear in such away that we do not obey or trust God and His will for our lives, it may not be that which we fear, but we will experience his discipline to correct us so that we have our fears rearranged for our own good. What a great reminder to fear God only, to trust in His Word and to obey and love and cherish His book. And I think the word careful is a word that I haven't seen much in our generation and in our culture. It is more about our desires and plans and feelings and thoughts and hence, fears, than it is about His will, His plans and His desires. When we disobey, our hearts become hard and we will not fear God.