Day Nine
Psalm 91:5
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
NKJV
One of the blessings of truth is that in most cases it will kill the power of fear. The fear of the unknown is sometimes the worst kind of fear. Fear of the unknown is the kind of fear the Psalmist addresses in verse 5 -- “...the terror by night.”
When are we most vulnerable? It is definitely while we are sleeping. We surrender total control when we sleep. The “unknown” happens while we sleep.
As a former Youth Pastor I have spent many sleepless nights on retreats and youth activities because I did not trust what might happen when I put myself at the mercy of my youth group. Before I go to bed at our home, the last thing I do is to set the security system so that there will be no surprises as I surrender into sleep. When I stay in a motel I always check the door to make sure it is locked before I turn out the lights and go to sleep. There have been many times when I have been awakened suddenly and found myself experiencing sheer terror!
We have an incredible promise from the Word of God today. “You shall not be afraid...” Wow, that statement is very bold. “You shall not....” gives me great hope because this is a statement of fact – the truth – not an opinion or an option. I have great hope because I know that my feelings are going to follow what I believe. Change your thoughts...change your life!
Consider the truth in Paul’s writing to Timothy. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 – NKJV – emphasis mine) The kind of fear about which the Psalmist is writing is not from God. Knowing the truth about the origin of fear is to begin living in the truth of this statement: “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night...” God has given us a very practical tool by which we can combat the terrors of night. It is simply PRAYER. Each evening as I close my eyes I pray a prayer that goes something like this: “Father, be the Lord of my sleep tonight. Please protect me and my family!” God always honors that prayer. Many times I have fallen asleep peacefully while I am praying. There has not been a single time that I have had a nightmare or terror by night when I have drifted off to sleep in the arms of my Savior! Try this prayer in your own life! God will honor a prayer that shows we trust Him.
God wants us to trust Him. What are you afraid of? Psalm 91 is full of truth. Change your thoughts...change your life!
Psalm 91:5
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
NKJV
One of the blessings of truth is that in most cases it will kill the power of fear. The fear of the unknown is sometimes the worst kind of fear. Fear of the unknown is the kind of fear the Psalmist addresses in verse 5 -- “...the terror by night.”
When are we most vulnerable? It is definitely while we are sleeping. We surrender total control when we sleep. The “unknown” happens while we sleep.
As a former Youth Pastor I have spent many sleepless nights on retreats and youth activities because I did not trust what might happen when I put myself at the mercy of my youth group. Before I go to bed at our home, the last thing I do is to set the security system so that there will be no surprises as I surrender into sleep. When I stay in a motel I always check the door to make sure it is locked before I turn out the lights and go to sleep. There have been many times when I have been awakened suddenly and found myself experiencing sheer terror!
We have an incredible promise from the Word of God today. “You shall not be afraid...” Wow, that statement is very bold. “You shall not....” gives me great hope because this is a statement of fact – the truth – not an opinion or an option. I have great hope because I know that my feelings are going to follow what I believe. Change your thoughts...change your life!
Consider the truth in Paul’s writing to Timothy. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 – NKJV – emphasis mine) The kind of fear about which the Psalmist is writing is not from God. Knowing the truth about the origin of fear is to begin living in the truth of this statement: “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night...” God has given us a very practical tool by which we can combat the terrors of night. It is simply PRAYER. Each evening as I close my eyes I pray a prayer that goes something like this: “Father, be the Lord of my sleep tonight. Please protect me and my family!” God always honors that prayer. Many times I have fallen asleep peacefully while I am praying. There has not been a single time that I have had a nightmare or terror by night when I have drifted off to sleep in the arms of my Savior! Try this prayer in your own life! God will honor a prayer that shows we trust Him.
God wants us to trust Him. What are you afraid of? Psalm 91 is full of truth. Change your thoughts...change your life!
No comments:
Post a Comment