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Articles from June 2015

Fearful to Fearless: Hide-and-Seek

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“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 6:31, NIV

From Genesis to Revelation, God exhorts believers not to be afraid. Join me this week as we venture to be fearless in a world packed with reasons to fear.

 

Hide-and-Seek

But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Genesis 3:10, NIV

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

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These were the words of the person designated “it” in the game of hide-and-seek―a favorite after-dinner game in the neighborhood where I grew up. After counting to one hundred as fast as he or she could, the seeker would try to find those who were hiding. The goal was to hide so well that you couldn’t be found. The last one found was the winner, and then that person was it.

Being it was fun, but for me, the challenge of stumping the person who was looking for me was more fun. I hated to be found.

Today’s text is the first conversation recorded between God and Adam in the garden of Eden. Adam’s response to God’s “Where are you?” was “I was afraid … so I hid.”

Adam and Eve’s sin created a barrier between them and their Creator. The loving fellowship they’d shared in the garden was now broken. Sin not only brought a sense of shame to their lives, it birthed fear. And humankind has been afraid ever since.

Our sin separates us from our Creator and breaks our fellowship with Him. Just as Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves, we make foolish attempts to hide our sin from an all-knowing, all-seeing God. We strive to justify our sin with human logic, good works, and even silly humor, hoping to make it acceptable. God isn’t swayed by our logic, nor is he impressed by our works. He is not laughing. Instead, He longs to restore us and renew our fellowship with him. No matter how far we stray, God always comes looking for us.

Have you ever played hide-and-seek with a young child and left just enough of yourself visible so that you could be found? Chances are when you were discovered, you responded with laughter and a big bear hug. The fear that has dogged us all our lives is a lie—that God does not want us. Instead, He loves us. We should long to be in His presence, for being found out is not fun, but being found is freeing.

God went to extreme measures to restore fellowship with a fallen world. The blood of His only Son was the ransom that covered our sin.  Are you hiding and afraid? You have no reason to fear the One who loves you and longs to be with you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NIV).

Come out of hiding. Make yourself visible. I once was lost, but now I’m found.

I love it when I’m found.

Starr

Fearful to Fearless: Don’t Enter Fear

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“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 6:31, NIV

From Genesis to Revelation, God exhorts believers not to be afraid. Join me this week as we venture to be fearless in a world packed with reasons to fear.

 

Don’t Enter Fear

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Isaiah 4:10, NIV

theatre-83862_640Our nation was in the throes of the Great Depression when President-Elect Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a message of hope in his 1933 inaugural address: “This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

Roosevelt couldn’t have articulated it better. Fear paralyzes. It keeps us from moving forward regardless of the fact that most of the things we fear never happen.

According to a 2014 study by the National Institute of Mental Health, public speaking remains the long-standing number-one fear on the list of the nation’s top ten phobias. It makes sense: I’ve taken the platform in front of others throughout my life; I’ve acted in school plays, sung in choruses, chaired organizations, delivered keynotes, facilitated Bible studies, led spiritual retreats, participated in dramas, and presented monologues, yet there are still times when I hesitate to step into new speaking opportunities because of my fears.

A few years ago, I was asked to perform a role in our church Christmas drama. In spite of the queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, I accepted. Although I’d acted before, I couldn’t shake my fear. I had nightmares about forgetting my lines and dreaded the two upcoming performances.

The first night, I breezed through my lines in spite of my fear. The second night, despite my previous success, fear plagued me. Listening for my cue, I paced the hall outside the church sanctuary and prayed.  Frustrated with my inability to shake the nerves, I asked God, “What’s the matter with me? You’ve proven yourself faithful. Why can’t I trust you?”

His reply was quick. “You are trusting me.”

“How am I trusting you?” I said. “This doesn’t feel like trust to me.”

“You’re here, aren’t you? You’re doing it. You’re doing it afraid.”

He was right. (Of course He was. He’s God.)  On cue, I stepped out into that auditorium filled with people and delivered my lines. They were flawless. I did it. I did it afraid!

Trust is seldom comfortable. Trusting God doesn’t mean we’ll never be anxious or fearful. Trust is walking in obedience in spite of our fear―believing in God’s ability and relying on His strength when we can’t muster our own.

Does fear hold you hostage? Does it sabotage God’s best for you? God wants to protect us from unwarranted fear. Trust Him, even if you have to do it afraid. He knows what He’s doing. He will lead us to victory.

Starr

Fearful to Fearless: Don’t Interfere

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“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 6:31, NIV

From Genesis to Revelation, God exhorts believers not to be afraid. Join me this week as we venture to be fearless in a world packed with reasons to fear.

 

Don’t Interfere

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

Joshua 1:9, NIV

home-page-and-services-er-er-signI’ll never understand the fascination some people have with scary things such as haunted houses, chilling movies, skydiving, and thrill rides. Aren’t there enough things in life capable of scaring us without seeking more? The days in which we live are volatile enough―simply reading the morning headlines can cause us to shake in our shoes.

Yesterday, I shared the events of a morning when an early-morning phone call alerted me that my sister had been rushed to the hospital.

The results of the tests the hospital ran were encouraging. My sister had experienced some arterial fibrillation but had no other signs of heart issues. The hospital released her after several hours and referred her to a cardiologist for a follow-up visit.  Today, she is doing well. Her irregular heartbeat was possibly related to overexertion, exhaustion, and dehydration.

My heart palpitations, on the other hand, were due to limited information, overreaction, and unfounded fear. My response was a common one, but my fear drove me to jump to irrational conclusions and caused me unwarranted stress. The ER nurse wasn’t blocking my path when I tried to get to my sister because there was something he didn’t want me to see—he was simply trying to protect me and keep me from interfering with the testing process.

Last week, I faced some inconclusive test results of my own and was scheduled for a repeat X-ray. As anxiety began to creep into the corners of my mind, God brought back to me the events and emotions I’d experienced regarding my sister. His words to me were, Don’t interfere with the process. I know what I’m doing. Allow me to do my job. Trust me. Don’t enter fear!

When the information we have is limited, entering into fear is easy to do. We overreact to the bits of knowledge we do have and imagine the worst.  As with Joshua in today’s focal verse, God told me not to fear. He assured me of his presence and instructed me to trust him. In the end, my test results turned out well.

Knowing that God is with us in the midst of our trials helps us put things in proper perspective. Perhaps we experience roadblocks that interfere with our peace because there’s something else He wants us to see. Our trial may be part of His testing process. It may be how He chooses to slow us down so we will grow in our faith. Our interference could cause us to miss His point. Ultimately, it could cause us to miss Him.

If you are facing the unknown and struggling with fear, surrender your fears to God. Trust in Him. He knows what He’s doing. Do Not Enter Fear!

Starr