“God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” 2 Timothy 1:7.

Some Christians are under the delusion that in order to be gentle (which is a fruit of the Spirit)-
God expects us to be doormats.
They think we have to allow those with stronger personalities to walk all over us.

Christians who believe this are easily intimidated by loud, aggressive, opinionated people.

When someone challenges their faith, they quickly lose their confidence.
When God asks them to do something, they are haunted by their own inadequacy.

Timothy didn’t have to work at being gentle.
That was his nature.
He struggled instead to find enough confidence to address the strong personalities who challenged what God was doing through him.
He was often afraid.

But Paul reminded his young apprentice that there was no need for fear in the Christian’s life.

Timothy had the all-powerful Spirit of God living within him.
Therefore, those who encountered Timothy encountered God himself!

Paul wasn’t asking Timothy to be obnoxious or contentious.
He was simply encouraging him to have the confidence to obey whatever God asked him to do.

Christians should be characterized by power, not by fear.
Zephaniah 3:14-17; Romans 8:12-17.
We should be able to face any situation with confidence-
– because our God is not intimidated by our circumstances.

If you’re struggling with fear, turn it over to God.
Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of his mighty power!

(PR)

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Some days everything seems to go wrong!

Every phone call brings bad news. The mails are demanding… The children come home from school with some kind of injury or a bad report. Work is frustrating. Health is disturbing. Friends are leaving… Foes are threatening… What do you do when you have one of these days?

Here’s a man who was fainting and failing. The psalmist! He was like a wineskin in the smoke. Wherever he walked there was a pit for him to drop into. What did he do? He turned to God!

His source of hope was His Word. “My soul faints for Your salvation…For I have become like a wineskin in smoke, yet I do not forget Your statutes…. The proud have dug pits for me, which is not according to Your law” (Psalm 119:81-83,85).

He told God!! “My eyes fail from searching Your word, saying, ‘When will You comfort me?”

People will fail you, but God never will. The psalmist clung to the comfort, hope and faithfulness of God, and as a result he experienced revival.

“Revive me according to Your lovingkindness” (v 88).

God came with a Breath of fresh, heavenly air –
– the Holy Spirit –
– and revived him.

He trusted in God!!!
“…but I hope in Your word”.

“All Your commandments are faithful” (v 86).

If you hope in circumstances, you will be disappointed, because they change.

The psalmist hoped in the Word and trusted in God’s faithfulness, and God comforted him.

“Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the LORD will be your confidence…” (Proverbs 3:24-25).

Thank God for His faithfulness! If you are having a rough day, remember that you can depend on Him and Him alone!

God is your Confidence! And He will revive you, release you and reward you!

(PR)

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A young woman at a textile mill in a rural area was new on the job.

A flaming red warning sign on her sewing machine read:
“If Your Thread Becomes Tangled, Call the Foreman Immediately.”

After working diligently for an hour or two, suddenly the young worker’s thread became tangled.
Fearing the foreman’s reaction at such an early mistake, she thought, “I’ll just quickly straighten this out myself.”

Though she tried desperately to untangle the thread, the situation only worsened.
Finally she had no choice but to call the foreman.

As soon as he arrived, the foreman could tell that the young worker had tried to do some of her own maneuvering before calling him.

“I did the best I could,” she said.
“No you didn’t,” the foreman replied. “To do the best, you should have called me. Now this sewing machine will need to be repaired. If this happens again, you will be fired.”

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have tried to do something on my own strength.
I exhaust myself trying before becomes clear that I just can’t do it without my Great Foreman.

Thankfully, He hasn’t fired me!
It may sound radical to say but when we rely on our own strength-
– really, it is a form of idol worship.

We exalt our own strength above the Lord’s.
This is unacceptable to a Holy and All-Powerful God.

Even our greatest efforts cannot compare with how much more effectively a job can get done-
– if we would only call upon His Name!

We are weaklings in need of a great God.
We cannot do anything without Him.

Let’s begin putting our trust fully in the Lord today.
And see great things get accomplished!

(PR)

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“I am with you, and no man shall set on you to hurt you” (Acts 18:10). 

So long as the Lord had work for Paul to do in Corinth-
– the fury of the mob was restrained.
The Jews opposed and blasphemed.

But they could neither stop the preaching of the gospel nor the conversion of the hearers.
God has power over the most violent minds.

He makes the wrath of man to praise Him when it breaks forth.
But He still more displays His goodness when He restrains it; and He can restrain it.

“By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased” (Exodus 15:16).

Do not, therefore, feel any fear of man-
– when you know that you are doing your duty.

Go straight on, as Jesus would have done.
And those who oppose shall be as a bruised reed and as smoking flax.

Many a time men have had cause to fear because they were themselves afraid.
But a dauntless faith in God brushes fear aside like the cobwebs in a lion’s path.

No man can harm us unless the Lord permits.
He who makes the devil himself to flee at a word-
– can certainly control the devil’s agents also!

Maybe they are already-
– more afraid of you
– than you are of them.

Where you looked to meet with foes you will find friends!

(PR)

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“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4) 

The One who created the valley is there with you!
He has prepared the way through the valley.

It is not a place of permanence.
It is a place of passage!

He knows every twist and turn,
– every changing shadow,
– every den where danger lurks!

That One is with you!
Focus on the light and not the darkness.

God has made you to walk through shadows.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4).

When the shadow approaches, you must walk through.
The One greater than death is in you!

He is your Jehovah Shamah.
– the Lord ever-present.

His grace is greater.
His peace is purer.
His devotion is dearer.

Where Satan casts a shadow-
– our Sovereign Lord reigns supreme!

This is a day of hope!
Ask God to give you a divine appointment to share this beloved truth with someone today.

(PR)

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“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4) 

The post A Place of Passage appeared first on My Manna.

“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4) 

The post A Place of Passage appeared first on My Manna.

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.

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