From The Crucible (by Pastor Linda Pugsley)

You might think God is pretty brazen to say, “Fear not”, in a fear-filled world. He is not brazen in saying that…He’s right in saying that! When fearful things come upon you, He’s not telling you to hide your head in the sand, or pretend the situation is not happening. Living in a fantasy world about your circumstances is probably as bad as living fearfully about them!

God is telling us not to let these fears throw away everything you know about that big, oh yeah, very big God you serve. In the midst of your mess…trust Him. In the midst of your mess…call on His peace to rise up in you. In the midst of your mess…stand strong on His promises, detach yourself from the hold the details have on you. In your most stressful times, don’t even try to maintain control and order. In calling out on Him, and His peace rising up in you, you will have the peace that surpasses all understanding!

John 16:33 tells you that God revealed His wisdom to you so you could have peace when the world’s troubles surround you. He also reminds you to take heart because He has overcome the world! Duh—I guess it’s easy to forget that, huh? Try not to forget and remember that God can be brazen in speaking to all of us because He is right and powerful and in control. So, “…don’t let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27). Now that’s what I call a smack down, Satan. Yeah!   Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

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