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Blessings to you!
Eleanor

August 19, 2008

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18

The following request was submitted via the GottaWearShades.net prayer page:
"Pray GOD brings me my soulmate now. This is all I think about every waking moment for 13 years...TORMENT" Phil

Also, a friend of mine has asked for prayer for protection from the enemy as she begins a new ministry - always a favorite target for Satan!

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one." 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Please include these two petitions in your prayers.

Thursday, July 3

"Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!" 1 Chronicles 16:8

Thanksgiving to God for his protection and provision as I drove through 9 states in 48 hours, chauffeuring 4 people and a dog - 2 days of abundant blessing in not-so-abundant space!
Eleanor

New role for ThySpace

Dear Readers and Friends,
I've been updating and rebuilding my "ministry for moms" website (www.gottawearshades.net) and have revamped its prayer page. My vision is that "GWS" would be a growing umbrella under which various ministries supporting and fostering Godly motherhood and parenting would develop and flourish. Weekly Bible study has been the primary pillar, and that will continue in the fall. In the meantime I wanted to provide a forum by which we can continue to support each other even though many are scattered for the summer. Thus I will now be using this blog as a community prayer journal, listing requests for prayer and praise and asking that you join your voices in "[letting these] requests be made known to God." Requests for prayer should be submitted via email to me or, better yet, via the GWS prayer page, where you can also view the latest blog entries and click on the postings to access them directly. I will keep things moving and current as best I can during my travels, although I will not have a computer available to me everyday.

Remember, all the previous ThySpace entries will still be archived and available, so please review the biblical encouragement regarding "fear" as often as you like.

May God bless you and keep you, and may he bless and grow my feeble efforts by his mighty power.

Eleanor

Matthew 28: 1-10

"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him." Now I have told you.'
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them. 'Greetings,' he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.''' NIV

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Daniel 6:26-27

Here's a passage God gave me during my Bible study homework yesterday. Spoken by the Babylonian King Darius (who, despite ruling a pagan land, recognized God's awesome power) it allays our fears by proclaiming God's eternity, authority and salvation:

"For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."

Psalms 9 & 10

As I read these two psalms consecutively I was stopped in my tracks. The first is a 20-verse praise offering - I can feel the triumph of David and practically see him marching along, shouting for joy, drawing hearty cheers of agreement from the crowds, the pitch and volume of his voice growing higher and louder, swelling in exuberance as he proclaims the victory of the LORD. Fear is driven out by God's truth extolled in this joyous song:

"The LORD reigns forever (v. 7)...He will judge the world in righteousness, he will govern the peoples with justice. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you (v. 8-10)...he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted...The LORD is known by his justice (v. 16)..."

David concludes this celebratory song with this plea for continued justice:

"Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men." (v. 19-20)

Then the first verse of Psalm 10 suddenly brings us crashing down, seemingly bursting the bubble of victory - an "incongruous juxtaposition" to quote one of my favorite uses of "big" words:

"Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?"

Wait a minute. What happened to the glorious victory we were just celebrating? What happened to our forever, just, avenging stronghold who strikes terror in our enemies? David spends the next ten verses uttering a lengthy complaint - a despairing whine about wicked people and their ways. Mighty warrior turned victim. Can you relate? I sure can. Sometimes I feel like Supermom (insert puffed out chest and victory dance here), and the next day or even the next moment I am reduced to inadequacy at every turn. Thankfully, David doesn't end this Psalm on a sour note, but rather he points us toward our true strength and salvation, modeling for us how to lift our heads and call upon the LORD to dispel our fears:

"Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless (v. 12)...But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless." (v.14)

There is indeed inconsistency between Psalm 9 and Psalm 10. But do not be deceived into thinking it is an inconsistency with God or His word. I believe God purposefully placed these two psalms in sequence (in fact, the Life Application Bible notes that they may have been originally a single acrostic poem, and in the Septuagint they constitute one psalm) to show us our own human inconsistencies (circumstantial, emotional et al). God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, let alone in Psalms 9 and 10, and throughout the Bible. By the concluding verses of Psalm 10, David once again is praising our Lord God, perhaps with a slightly different tone than in his previous song, but nevertheless with words of promise and truth and encouragement to those who find themselves fearful of man or circumstance:

"The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. Your hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more."

Thanks be to God! Amen.

Psalm 6: 8-10

This psalm of David reminds us of God's "unfailing love" (v. 4), and assures us that he hears us and responds.

"Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace." NIV

Psalm 5: 1-3, 11-12

"Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield."

Psalm 4

3 "Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him."

6 "Many are asking, 'Who can show us any good?' Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord."

8 "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." NIV

Psalm 3

"O LORD, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, 'There is no deliverance for him in God.' Selah.
But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing {be} upon Your people! Selah."

Searching the Psalms

A few weeks ago, as it was becoming more and more difficult to find "do not fear" verses I hadn't already posted, I started to wonder what on earth I was going to do with this blog. By last Sunday, Day 132, my quiver was empty (except for one verse that I'm saving for Easter). I was considering an examination of God's attributes, posting verses which define God's character and thus confirm the authority behind the exhortations we've been reading for the past four months. But then on Sunday, as I listened to Fr. Jon Robbins preach on Psalm 121, I was led in a different direction, and, having received further confirmation this past week that I'm on the right track, I'll continue this study by searching the Psalms and posting those which, either in part or in entirety, encourage us not to be afraid. While the verses posted to date include a few from the Psalms, I believe that reading them in context will prove to be a source of encouragement, strength and comfort. I'll continue to make an effort to post daily, though I will relax my perfectionist tendencies a little bit and not beat myself up when I miss a day or two.

So let's get right into it with Psalm 121:

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help {comes} from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever. "

Day 132: 2 Kings 25:24

"Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. 'Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,' he said. 'Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.'" NIV

Day 131: Mark 13:7

"When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end."

Day 130: Daniel 4:19

"Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, 'Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.' Belteshazzar answered, 'My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!'" NIV

Day 129: Ezekiel 2:6-7

"And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious." NIV

Day 128: Jeremiah 1:17

"Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them." NIV

Day 127: Jeremiah 10:2-3

"Thus says the LORD, 'Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; For the customs of the peoples are delusion'"

Day 126: Isaiah 31:4-5

"This is what the Lord says to me: 'As a lion growls, a great lion over his prey-- and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against him, he is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor-- so the Lord Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights. Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will "pass over" it and will rescue it.'" NIV

Day 125: Matthew 24:6

"You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end."

Day 124: Joshua 1:7-9

"Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Day 123: John 6:15-21

"So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But He said to them, 'It is I; do not be afraid.' So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going."

Day 122: Luke 12:4-5

"I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!"

Day 121: Luke 8: 49-56

"While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, 'Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.' But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, 'Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.' When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl's father and mother. Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, 'Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.' And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, 'Child, arise!' And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened."

Day 120: Mark 6:47-51

"When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, 'Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.' Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished..."

Day 119: Zephaniah 3:16-17

"In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: 'Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp. The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.'"

Day 118: Matthew 17:1-8

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew:

"Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, 'This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!' When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, 'Get up, and do not be afraid.' And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone."

Day 117: Daniel 10:18-19

"Then {this} one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. He said, 'O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!' Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, 'May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.'"

Day 116: Daniel 10:12

"Then he said to me, 'Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding {this} and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.'"

Day 115: Ezekiel 34: 24-30

"'And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken. I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make {them} afraid. I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,' declares the Lord GOD."

Day 114: Ezekiel 3:9

"Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house."

Day 113: Jeremiah 51:46-47

"Now so that your heart does not grow faint, And you are not afraid at the report that {will be} heard in the land-- For the report will come one year, And after that another report in another year, And violence {will be} in the land With ruler against ruler-- Therefore behold, days are coming When I will punish the idols of Babylon; And her whole land will be put to shame And all her slain will fall in her midst."

Day 112: Jeremiah 40:9

"Then Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men, saying, 'Do not be afraid of serving the Chaldeans; stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, that it may go well with you.'"

Day 111: Jeremiah 23:3-4

"'Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,' declares the LORD."

Day 110: Isaiah 37:6-7

"Isaiah said to them, 'Thus you shall say to your master, "Thus says the LORD, 'Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.'"'"

Day 109: Proverbs 3:25-26

"Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught."

Day 108: Proverbs 3:21-24

"...Keep sound wisdom and discretion, So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."

Day 107: Psalms 56:11

"In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

Day 106: Psalms 49:16-17

"Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him."

Day 105: Job 5:22

"You will laugh at violence and famine, And you will not be afraid of wild beasts."

Day 104: 2 Kings 19:5-7

"So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. Isaiah said to them, 'Thus you shall say to your master, "Thus says the LORD, 'Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.'"'"

Day 103: 2 Kings 1:15

"The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, 'Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.' So he arose and went down with him to the king."

Day 102: John 6: 16-20

"Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But He said to them, 'It is I; do not be afraid.' "

Day 101: 1 Samuel 23: 15-17

"Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. Thus he said to him, 'Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also.' "

Day 100: 1 Samuel 22:23

"Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are safe with me."

Day 99: 1 Samuel 4:19-20

"Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas's wife, was pregnant and about to give birth; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeled down and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, 'Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.' But she did not answer or pay attention"

Day 98: Joshua 11: 5-6

"So all of these kings having agreed to meet, came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. Then the LORD said to Joshua, 'Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.' "

Day 97: Deuteronomy 31:6

"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

Day 96: Deuteronomy 20:3-4

"He shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.' "

Day 95: Deuteronomy 18:22

" When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. "

Day 94: Deuteronomy 7:17-19

"If you should say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?' you shall not be afraid of them; you shall well remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: the great trials which your eyes saw and the signs and the wonders and the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the LORD your God brought you out. So shall the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid."

Day 93: Genesis 50:21

"'So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.' So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."

Day 92: Genesis 50:15-20

"When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!' So they sent {a message} to Joseph, saying, 'Your father charged before he died, saying, "Thus you shall say to Joseph, 'Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.'" And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.' And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, 'Behold, we are your servants.' But Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me, {but} God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.'"

Day 91: Genesis 46:1-4

"So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, 'Jacob, Jacob.' And he said, 'Here I am.' He said, 'I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.'"

Day 90: Genesis 43:19-23

"So they came near to Joseph's house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, and said, 'Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand. We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.' He said, 'Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.' Then he brought Simeon out to them."

Day 89: Matthew 17:5-8

"While [Jesus] was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, 'This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!' When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, 'Get up, and do not be afraid.' And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone."

Day 88: Isaiah 40:9

"O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!" American Standard Version

Day 87: Isaiah 8:12

"Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it." NIV

Day 86: Psalms 118:6

"The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?"

Day 85: Psalms 112:7

"He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD."