2 Chronicles 5-6:11; 1 John 4; Nahum 3; Luke 19

“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:16-19 NLT

This passage brings to mind a book that I was given  years ago when I was letting fear grip my life. I flip through the pages and let the underlined words sink in… “My fear is really loneliness for God. Therefore I will claim His promise to never leave or forsake me. It’s in the secret place of our spirit that we need to receive profound love, the only lasting antidote to fear. And only God can love us as much as we need to be loved. Not just once, but daily, hour by hour, moment by moment” (Living Without Fear, Lloyd Ogilvie).

If I’m not on guard, I can let fear consume me even now…

Fear of what someone might think.
Fear of failure.
Fear of the future.
Fear of the unknown.
Fear of not being enough.
Fear of lack.

The list could go on and on.  But, when I trust in God’s perfect love for me, I have no reason to fear. Because I know that he won’t let me down. God’s love is the only one that’s perfect. He pursues me, like he did Zacchaeus. And my heart is changed.

“Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there names Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Luke 19:1-5 NLT

I am thankful for a God who keeps his promises.

“Praise the Lord, God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father, ‘From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have never chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel as the place where the Temple should be built to honor my name. Nor have I chosen a king to lead my people Israel…”And now the Lord has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.” 2 Chronicles 6:4-10 NLT

Dear Father, thank you for loving me. I praise you for who you are. Help me to surrender my fears to you. Thank you for your faithfulness. Amen.

Amy(amyctanner)

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