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Woman Shocked

Source: Stockblocks Enterprise / Radio One Digital

Fear Not

When I left my home for university in a foreign country, I was overwhelmed by anxiety and asked my mother several questions about the future. I needed some comforting words and reassurance that everything would work out. In response to my questions, she made a statement that stayed with me: “Trust God with your future”. At the time, this statement appeared to be dismissive of my fears. However, in retrospect, it’s evident that only God has the answers to the questions about my future. Rather than allowing me to focus on my concerns for the future, my mother gave me the perfect response. She redirected my heart back to God.

In Numbers 13, God instructed the Israelites to explore the land of Canaan He promised them. When the twelve leaders of Israel returned from their exploration of Canaan, ten of them returned with a report of impossibility and fear. They had taken their eyes off the promise of God and focused on how strong and physically built the Amalekites who occupied the land were. They described themselves as grasshoppers compared to the Amalekites. This is what fear does; it makes you think you are powerless. They forgot that God, who promised them the land, could help them fight for the land. They thought victory could only come from their strength and skill to fight. They eliminated God from their battle plan. They wanted to return to Egypt, how Sad! God brought them this far, but fear took their minds captive. Thankfully, Caleb and Joshua redirected the Israelites back to God. Caleb and Joshua were focused on the promises of God and not the potential challenge posed by the Amalekites.

When we give in to fear and worrisome thoughts about the future, it could signify that we have shifted our focus from God. Many of us fear what the future holds even when God has opened new doors for us. If you have God, your weaknesses or failures have no bearing on your future. The most crucial influence in your future is God. Therefore, if God is on your side, you do not need to be afraid. Fear not!

Prayer

Father Lord, I lay my anxiety and fear at your feet. Help me focus only on your word and promises for my life. Amen.

Scripture:

Spies Sent Out
Numbers 13:1-33  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. 3And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel. 4And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. 5Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori. 6Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 7Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph. 8Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun. 9Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu. 10Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. 11Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi. 12Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli. 13Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael. 14Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. 15Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. 16These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
17And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: 18and see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; 19and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; 20and what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.
21So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. 22And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. 24The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
25And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. 26And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. 27And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
30And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Numbers 14:1-9 1And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 3And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
4And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. 5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: 7and they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 8If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORDis with us: fear them not.
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
About The Author:   MIDOHOABASI ESSIENUBONG For more information, please visit: https://prunedlife.com/