This topic has been weighing heavily on my mind recently – perhaps it has been preying on your mind as well. Our world is going through a lot of changes. Some see these changes as steps in the right direction; but, many are looking at the path we appear to be taking with fear and trepidation.
With each passing year in America, God’s standards are further shunned and ignored. Even those who claim to know Him and preach His word are being deceived in these times; and, in turn, they deceive others (cf. 2 Timothy 4:3-5). We see evil triumphing all around us and it makes us wonder…
- Is God truly good?
- Is God really in control?
- Are we going to be okay?
Let me be the first to confess… I struggle with these questions as much as anyone, if not more. When I spend little time studying the Bible and much time in front of a screen, I feel more frightened by the future. But thanks be to God, there is help! He did not leave us without instructions.
God is not only the Creator of the world, but the Sustainer. And He wins. If we are in Christ (i.e., born again), that means we win also win (since we are loved by Him).
Is it possible that we will go through some hard times (or even very hard times)? Yes. No matter what some religious leaders and authors tell us, many Christians are destined to suffer (cf. John 15:18, 16:33). God’s Word is clear on that point; but, it is also clear that God is victorious. We cannot know exactly what the future holds, but we can rest knowing that the One who does know the future is holding on to us – and He is not afraid.
Psalm 2 – God Laughs
What a comfort that God is not shaken by the plots of evil men.
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: the LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like fa potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2, ESV)
“He who sits in the heavens laughs.” When I am uneasy about the power ungodly people appear to have, I return to this Psalm. Just as a parent laughs when his toddler tries to assert “power,” God laughs at the plans of evil men. Nothing, absolutely nothing can happen outside of God’s sovereign control and will. In acknowledgement of dependence on God, we must cling to His promises and remember His faithfulness to us – otherwise, we will spiral into fear.
Memorize these Fear Fighting Verses with Your Partner or Friends
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)
There is great power in God’s Word. Jesus used it against Satan when Satan tempted Him. When fear of tomorrow comes flooding in, we have God’s very words to combat it. Below are some of my go to verses when I feel anxiety approaching:
I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. (Psalm 37:25, ESV)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27, ESV)
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33, ESV)
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV)
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3, ESV)
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. (Joshua 1:9, ESV)
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39, ESV)
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10, ESV)
For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. (Psalm 112:6-8, ESV)
Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. (Proverbs 3:25-26, ESV)
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5-7, ESV)
The list of verses above are a longer list than I would normally offer because sometimes, we need additional assurance – especially when it revolves around anxiety for the future.
As I go into 2022, I plan to be intentional about memorizing these verses. Join me!
Take God’s Promises into the New Year
As you and your boyfriend/girlfriend, fiancée/fiancé, or husband/wife plan for the future, you may experience a lot of doubts and questions. You may even find yourself longing for a bygone era through which you never lived (for me, it is America in the 1950s and the simplicity portrayed in movies and pictures of that time.) Such longings are understandable; yet, I want to emphatically encourage you… do not to let what is going on in the world around you discourage you from following God’s blueprint.
Embrace faithful marriage and the God-defined family structure as good even when the world criticizes it. See marriage as the beautiful pictures of God’s covenant with Israel and Christ’s covenant with His church that they are.
Refuse to allow fear to dictate whether you have children in this unstable world. Remember, it is God who opens the womb (Genesis 29:31; 30:22), God who knits us together (Psalm 139:13), and God who declared that children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). God’s truth does not change just because the world has changed – even if it has significantly changed.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8, ESV)
We hope your Christmas celebration was warm and memorable, and we wish you freedom and joy as you enter the new year. We will see you all in 2022!
Never Stop Fighting for Freedom!!!
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1, ESV)
Are you burdened with anxiety about the future?
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