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Seed Thoughts

Seed Thoughts by Lynette Hagin//Lynette Hagin

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a
sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be Like
a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
-Isaiah 58:11 (NIV 1984)

A lady once approached evangelist D.L. Moody and told him she had found a wonderful promise in the Bible that helped her overcome fear. Her verse was Psalm 56:3: "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." Mr. Moody replied, "Why, I have a better promise than that!" And he quoted Isaiah 12:2: "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid."

It would be easy to be overcome with fear in our world today. Violent crimes are escalating, and natural disasters are occurring in many areas. Certainly we are living in the last days. I am so thankful that in the midst of perilous times, the Word of God gives us assurance that if we have made God the center of our lives, we do not have to fear. I often heard my father-in-law say, "Fear and faith cannot reside together. If you are in fear, you are out of faith."

It is so important to conquer fear. Fear will paralyze and enslave you. It will cause you constant worry and turmoil. God never intended for us to be enslaved by fear. In fact, when writing to Timothy, Paul said, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7).

So often our fears are unfounded. My husband relates how as a young boy he was trying to go to sleep when suddenly outside his window he saw a shadow resembling a man's hand. He immediately became frightened and thought someone was trying to break in. After several minutes of shaking from fright, he decided to conquer that fear by opening the door and looking outside. When he did, he saw that the shadow was caused by a mimosa tree limb blowing in the wind. The enemy always brings the worst thoughts to your mind.

We must allow faith in God to replace fear. The Lord said many times in the Bible, "Fear Not." In Mark chapter 4 we read of a time when Jesus and His disciples got into a boat and He said to them, "Let us pass over unto the other side" (v. 35). Jesus went to sleep and suddenly a great storm arose. The wind and waves began to beat on the ship. Afraid, the disciples woke Jesus up and said, "Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" (vv. 38–40).

The secret to victory over fear is faith in God. He is there to solve any problem in your life. Psalm 46:1–2 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."

From the time our children were young, my husband and I taught them the 91st Psalm. Let me share some verses with you.

PSALM 91:1–2; 14–16 (NLT)
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

This psalm continues with many great promises of protection. Then at the end, the Lord speaks.

14 . . . "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation."

I encourage you to find scriptures in the Word of God concerning fear. Read them every day. Make them such a part of your routine that when a fearful situation arises, your immediate response is the same as D.L. Moody's: "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid."