Fearless Friday

This morning I read a couple of articles from MultipleSclerosis.net. In My Muddy Multiple Sclerosis Devin Garlit said  “trying to move through thick, gooey, oozing cloudy, sloppy mud seems like a pretty accurate comparison to me.”

The featured story was called Resilience–Effectively Coping with Adversity by Ruth Geller. Ruth talks about being consumed by a disease that has changed her life. She goes on to discuss how she can get out of her comfort zone and develop resilience.

One of the devotional I read in the morning, which I’ve mentioned before, is from Ravi Zachariah international ministries. This morning the writer chose from Isaiah 9 for her text. Even though this is typically quoted at Christmas, it is a timeless message.

Isaiah 9:2 New King James Version (NKJV)

The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.

Isaiah 9:6-7 New King James Version (NKJV)

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

How does all this fit together? Well in spite of moving through sloppy mud on a daily basis, I have learned resilience and how to cope with this crazy disease by relying on God’s strength and not mine.  He is Light.  He is Wonderful.  He is Counselor. He is Mighty God.  He is Everlasting Father.  He is Prince of Peace.

And His word is vital to this process.  Why do I believe in the Bible? First of all, because the Holy Spirit in me testifies that it is the truth. It was written over a period of sixteen hundred years, it was written by forty different men, over 168,000 copies are sold or given away every day, and it has been translated into more that twelve hundred languages. There are seven hundred prophecies in the Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled in the New Testament, and it does not contradict itself from beginning to end. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, the Bible can be summed up by, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”[i]

I believe that praying God’s Word is a way to pray in line with His will. Jesus told His disciples, “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done.”[ii] He also says: “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.”[iii] In other words, seek the Scriptures (doctrine) to find out what God’s will is.  [i] John 3:16-17, [ii] Matthew 6:9-10, [iii] John 7:17

So I can say:

I am fearless because I am “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”[i]I have the world by the tail because “He that is in me is stronger than he that is in the world.”[ii] I know what I want and go after it because I “seek first His kingdom”[iii] and I “know the voice of my Shepherd.”[iv] I am successful and feel good about my life because “the battle is the Lord’s”[v] and I am “more than a conqueror through Him who loves me.”[vi]   [i] Ephesians 6:10. [ii] 1 John 4:4, [iii] Matthew 6:33, [iv] John 10:16, [v] 1 Samuel 17:47, [vi] Romans 8:37

Praise God! Enjoy these beautiful love songs from Isaiah 9.

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