Fear…Not!
It is amazing what you can learn from a child’s devotional. Our five-year-old has a Veggie Tales devotional book that we read every morning. I admit that I have cried a time or two when something Bob the Tomato said spoke directly to me. This particular morning, I was struggling with a decision. Should I do this? Should I try? Of course I should, I can do it! But no… I can’t. I have nothing special to offer. Thoughts of self-doubt and fear kept running through my head. We have taught our daughter not to be afraid of anything but that didn’t apply to me, not that morning. "Fear not!" I always say to her, "The LORD thy God is with thee!" And I say it in a really official voice like I’m announcing the arrival of the Queen. "Fear not! God does not give the spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind!” And yet, I did not heed my own heralding voice, I was sitting there fearing, fretting, anxious over everything.
Surely God had some input. I just so happened to be getting our daughter ready that morning and I knew from experience that God likes to place a little jewel for me in her devotional book so I rushed over to the shelf to grab the book. I glanced at the page that was bookmarked… it was something about sharing…"No, no, no!" I mumbled as I leafed through the little book. Sharing? No, God has a message for me and it’s in here somewhere and I am going to find it. I skimmed through several of the messages and nothing…nothing. My brief dependency upon a child’s devotion for some sort of revelation from God sounded pretty pathetic, and it felt even worse. Thank God no one knew what I was doing. Unfortunately, I may have been alone in my thoughts but I had forgotten I wasn't alone in the room. I looked up from the book to find that our daughter had been staring at me the whole time. "That’s not the right page. We are supposed to read that one," she said flipping back to where the bookmark was and giving me the side eye. This child doesn’t let me get away with anything.
Sharing it is. "Share Gods Love," I read quickly trying to get through it, I already felt embarrassed enough. “If you have two shirts share with the person who does not have one. If you have food, share that too, Luke 3:11.” Nothing for me, nothing for me, I maintained as I continued to read… “What can you share with others?” Blah, blah, blah, share your toys, share your clothes, yadda, yadda, yadda. “You may not think you have much to give but even small gifts can make a big difference.” Oh, I thought, wiping the egg off of my face. “Ask God to show you how to share the things you have. He could help you change someone’s life.” Wow, that’s exactly what I needed to hear. I was looking so hard for a tailor-made message somewhere else when the message God had for me was staring me in the face the whole time. There it was and there were the tears welling up in my eyes like they do every time I realize that God has taken the time to speak to me. Even in the midst of my doubt, fear, and foolishness, He is there.
“Thought of the Day,” I read, closing out the devotional, “When you share with others, you share more than just things…you share God’s love.” Go ahead and share what you have, that was the message. I have given you gifts and talents now share them with others, you never know how you could change someone's life.
Moses had just died and left a huge hole in the prophet of Israel industry. Who would take his place? The LORD spoke to Joshua, for years he had been faithfully assisting Moses, devoted to serving God, now it was his turn to lead, but could he do it? God spoke to Joshua and told him to take the people of Israel into the Promised Land. "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you" (Josh. 1:4). Victory belonged to Joshua but there was one condition, Joshua had to "be strong and of good courage, he couldn't be afraid or dismayed and he had to realize that the LORD was with him wherever he should go" (Josh.1:9).
Listen to God’s voice, He's speaking to you. He's telling you to fear not! He's telling you that if you have the spirit of fear, He didn't give it to you. He's telling you that you've got gifts and talents, He wants you to share them, use them for His glory. He's telling you that you've already got the victory. The only caveat…be strong, be of good courage; do not be afraid, and don't be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
