Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Summary: As we look at the second half of Paul’s verse about peace, we discover the dangers that confront us and how incredibly important the peace of God is.
When Paul says “your hearts and your minds,” he is talking to you and me. Anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ is entitled to this peace that Paul talks about.
Continue reading “Philippians 4:7b – Safe Haven”
Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.
Summary: This verse provides an excellent example of how the original Greek can help clear up questions about seeming contradictions in the Bible.
This verse provides the opportunity to clarify something that could be important to some.
The word Paul used when writing his letter was “alypos.” The NIV translation uses the English word “anxiety” here, but that is not a direct translation. Most English translations use a different word.
Continue reading “Philippians 2:28 – Paul’s Relief”
… without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.
Summary: Paul’s words in this passage touch on a nerve that everyone has experience with: fear.
To get the context for this passage, let’s step back and take a look at Paul’s entire thought:
“… I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”
Continue reading “Philippians 1:26a – Fighting Fear”
… most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
Summary: Confidence in the Lord is something every true believer desires. In this life, we are engaged in a spiritual battle. Our primary weapon is to proclaim the Gospel without fear.
Paul’s chains were made of iron. They were heavy, they bruised and chaffed the skin, and they could not be ignored. There are other chains in this life that are not as obvious. One of them is fear.
The online dictionary defines “fear” this way:
Continue reading “Philippians 1:14b – Contagion”Put on the full armor of God …
Summary: We live in dangerous times, both physically and spiritually. Only one of these realms is eternal, and that is where the greatest danger lies.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:11a – Fear Can Be Deadly”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life …
Summary: Worry is a word that describes us imagining things that could go wrong. The fear that results from worry causes us to react. Driven by fear, we fall into the temptation to seek false safety.
Continue reading “Matthew 6:25 – The Antidote”Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!
Summary: Why do we fear God? That is a question that will be easily answered when we shed this life and discover what is beyond the grave’s veil.
Continue reading “Revelation 19:5 – Before The King”
You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
As a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to play in the dirt. If there was water nearby, that was even better. When I was about six years old, there was a small creek that ran through the woods at the end of the road by our house. As an adult, I wouldn’t look twice at this “creek.” It was just a trickle of ditch water that meandered away from the road under the trees. As a kid, though, it was a world unto itself.
In the mind of a six-year-old boy, the woods and the creek took on mythic dimensions. Lit only by the soft green light of the sun filtering through the trees, shadows added another dimension of mystery. Sticks, rocks, and mud all transformed from the mundane into magical building materials. Within the space of an eye blink (time did not exist in this place), the trickle of water had transformed into a lake behind a large dam. There were roads, causeways, canals, and rivers. It was a peaceful and idyllic miniature world — until disaster struck!
Continue reading “1 Peter 3:6 (b) — Displaced Fear”
Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
The word “slave” has become a kind of dirty word these days. It is a word like any other. The condition it describes is not pleasant nor is it desirable, but slavery has existed for thousands of years. Even God’s own people, when they lived in Egypt for 400 years were slaves to the Egyptians for most of that time.
Do not misunderstand me. I am not condoning slavery. Yet, look around. How much of the world is free? If people are not free, aren’t they the same as a slave? Slavery still exists and always will until Jesus Himself comes to rule the earth.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:18 — Modern Slaves”
… fear God …
Are you afraid of God? Should you be? Peter seems to think so.
It seems to me that if God can create and sustain the universe if he created life as we know it, and if he became man and died for our sins, he is a bit beyond our comprehension. We can’t outthink God. We shouldn’t even try.
And let’s talk about power. How much power does God have?
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:17 (c) — An Appropriate Kind of Fear”