Lifting
the Fog of Fear
TODAY’S
SCRIPTURE
By day the LORD went ahead
of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a
pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.
Exodus 13:21, NIV.
TODAY’S
WORD
Fear is exaggerated. It can
be overwhelming. It always takes you to the worst-case scenario. Fear is like a
fog. It will always cloud the truth. It tries to make you stumble. It tries to
block your vision and keep you from seeing the good plan God has on the road up
ahead.
So how do you lift the fog
of fear? In the Bible, God led the Israelites toward their Promised Land with a
cloud by day and a cloud of fire by night. It was the cloud of His glory. The
cloud of His glory is where you’ll find joy, strength, peace, love and
protection. It’s where you’ll find vision and direction. It will keep you on
God’s path. Scripture tells us today that when we worship, He inhabits the
praises of His people. He brings His glory into our midst. When God shows up,
the enemy has to flee. When the cloud of His glory is present, it burns up the
fog of fear.
Today, if you feel like
you’re in a fog of fear, stop and get into the cloud of His glory. Put on some
worship music and turn your heart toward the Father. When you praise Him, He
shows up and lifts the fog of fear so you can clearly see the good plan He has
in store for you!
PRAYER
FOR TODAY
Father, thank You for Your
presence which drives fear out of my life. I praise You today because You are
good and worthy. I magnify You and receive Your grace and strength today in
Jesus’ Name. Amen.
***
“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT)
You need more power than just willpower in your life. You need God’s power in your life.
The “fruit of the Spirit” are the qualities that God puts in your life when the Holy Spirit lives through you. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
How does God produce the fruit in your life? Not by willpower. You don’t go out and say, “I’m going to be a more patient person!” That doesn’t work.
The Holy Spirit has to grow it on the inside. You try to say, “I’m going to be more patient. I’m going to be more loving.” It’s like tying some oranges on a eucalyptus tree and calling it an orange tree. It doesn’t work that way. Fruit can only come from the inside — his Spirit living through you.
How does the Holy Spirit work in your life? The answer is gradually: “And the Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT emphasis mine).
When God wants to make a mushroom, he takes six hours. When God wants to make an oak tree, he takes 60 years. The question is: Do you want your life to be a mushroom or an oak tree?
You didn’t collect your hurts, habits, and hang-ups overnight. It took you a long time to get as messed up as you are! Someone approached me once and said, “Pastor Rick, I need you to solve my marriage problem.” I said, “How long have you been married?” Fifteen years. “How long have you had this problem?” Ten years.
And you want a five-second answer? It isn’t going to happen! You’ve got to peel that onion one layer at a time.
The Holy Spirit works within us to become gradually more and more like him. Your character is the sum total of your habits. Your responsibility is to develop new habits to change.
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