I struggle with fear; fear of people; fear of new situations; fear of the future; fear of heights. But the Bible has a lot to say about fear, so I decided to look into this. And the more I looked into this – and was encouraged and challenged – the more I realized I had to share this with others. So, let’s continue this journey together – week 4!
Day 15 – No Fear Of Giants
Numbers 14:9 “Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
Story (by Hannah Ross): This is a response of Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve spies who were sent into the Promise Land, in contrast to the other ten spies. I’m struck by their faith. The ten other spies reported of the giants’ size and strength (Numb 13:31-33). They didn’t have faith. They saw the land, but wanted to flee because they thought they could not defeat the giants alone. That was very true. Israel could not defeat the people of the Promised Land without God. However, Israel in their fear, forgot about God and panicked instead.
Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who stood firm in their faith. They were bold and unperturbed. I think it was strange that the people of Israel wanted to stone these two leaders after their response. I honestly think the Israelites knew that Joshua and Caleb were right, but didn’t want to face it. Apparently silencing Joshua and Caleb permanently was Israel’s solution. God appears (v. 10) and gives Israel a punishment: none except Joshua and Caleb would enter the Promised Land (v. 28-32). Victory will always go to the people who trust in God, so we need to be strong in our faith in the LORD and not turn away from Him, like the Israelites did.
My Prayer Response: Father, I can never obtain anything good apart from You. I want to, step by step, piece by piece, re-orient my life so that all is under You; so that I fear You in all areas. Then, no matter the obstacles faced, no matter the opposition from others, I will be courageous like Joshua and Caleb. I can go forward to do what You have given me to do!
May the LORD be with you today!
Day 16 – Through Giants Into The Promised Land
Numbers 21:34 But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”
Story: After all these years of leading the people of Israel and after all the challenges he has successfully faced with God’s help, why is Moses afraid? He just defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites (21:23-24). Because the next opponent is a giant. Og, king of Bashan, was placed in a coffin (some Bible versions say bed) that was 13 ½ feet long and 6 feet wide (Deut 3:11)! This king had to be scary huge! No wonder Moses needed these words of reassurance from the LORD; the promise of His protection and victory in battle. Moses obeyed and Moses led Israel into battle. And it wasn’t even close; God gave Israel a total victory with no survivors of Bashan left (v. 35)! And with that, the way to the Promised Land was open!
My Prayer Response: Father, You placed giants in the way of Israel to the Promised Land. That wasn’t an accident. It was Your mercy. So, why do I often expect that You will place flowers and cushions in my way? Forgive me for a few moments ago complaining about the challenges and set backs I’m facing. Give me a contentment in being Your child, knowing that the giants I am facing are Your mercies in disguise!
May the LORD open His way for you through the giants!
Feel free to share this with anyone you know. If you’d like someone to be added to this, please let me know. If you would like to be taken off of this, please replay back with ‘Stop’.
Day 17 – The LORD, Not Info, Overcomes Fear
Deuteronomy 1:21, 29-30 ‘See, the Lord your God has placed the land before you; go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’
“Then I said to you, ‘Do not be shocked, nor fear them. The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
Story: This is a before and after story. Verse 21 is before, as Israel has the potential to enter the Promised Land. But Israel was hesitant. They had spent 400 years as slaves. What did they know about possessing land? So they sent 12 spies to get more information about what the land was like and what they would have to face in obeying God’s command.
Verse 29-30 is the after. The spies come back, and Israel now has more information. But the information makes obeying God’s command more difficult. Giants were in the land. Fortified cities. ‘We’re not ready; we’re not trained. We can’t do this!’ were the thoughts spreading through the people. Moses’ response, like that of Joshua and Caleb on Monday, is to trust in the LORD. The lesson here is that overcoming fear isn’t about getting more information; it’s about trusting in the LORD your God!
My Prayer Response: Father, how often is this true of me? When a problem gets big, when I don’t want to offend someone – do I become afraid? Do I compromise? You had already promised the land to Israel. They didn’t need further validation. For me today, You have already made promises of Your presence, and the enablement of Your Holy Spirit. By faith, Your promises, Your Word is enough for me to obey.
I acknowledge my weakness to You; my times of little faith and thus disobedience. Draw me closer to Yourself, to be so familiar and intimate with You, that I live my days mindful of Your presence and fellowship.
May you trust in and obey the LORD today!
Day 18 – The LORD Is Fighting For You
Deuteronomy 3:22 “Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you.”
Story: Joshua was one of the 12 spies who searched out the Promised Land. He saw first hand the fortified cities and the giants. Now, Moses is turning over command for Joshua to lead Israel into the Promised Land. To lead Israel into battle against the fortified cities and the giants. As the LORD had fought for Israel under Moses, so the LORD will fight for Israel under Joshua. As the LORD gave victory to Israel under Moses in battle against giants, so the LORD will give victory to Israel under Joshua. No secret weapon; no new strategy. Just trusting in the same God who has already won great battles.
My Prayer Response: Father, one of my fears is speaking up to neighbors and others about Jesus. ‘Fight’ isn’t the right word of application in these moments, and yet, the idea is present. You are doing the work, the heavy lifting. All I need to do is show up and trust. By faith, I will speak to someone about Jesus. I want my focus to be on You in these opportunities. Remind me over and over again that greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world.
May the LORD fight for you today!
Day 19 – From Fear To The Greatest Commandment
Deuteronomy 6:2, 4-5 “… so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. …
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Story (by Rebecca Moni): After reviewing the 10 Commandments in the previous chapter, Moses again reminds the Hebrews of just one of the promised rewards for their obedience: that they may be blessed with long lives in the Promised Land. Funnily enough, rather than being reminded to “Fear not,” the Hebrews are actually called to fear. Moses then summarized their call to obedience in what Jesus would later proclaim to be the first and greatest commandment: love the Lord Your God–above anyone else, above anything else. They were called to lay their hearts, souls, and strength at the altar both in fear and in love.
But this is so much more than staying within the boundaries of the 10 “great rules” or any of the hundreds of laws listed throughout the Pentateuch. This is obedience rooted in reverence and relationship, in remembering what God had done and what He promised. None of the Hebrews would ever experience the intimacy of the Holy Spirit residing within them as we current believers do, so God commanded them: “Remember what I’ve done for you, what I’ve called you from, who I’ve defeated for you; if you’ll continue belonging to Me, you will be blessed.”
Rebecca’s Prayer Response: Lord, thank You for Your unending mercy and grace. Thank You for reminding me over and over who You are and why You alone are to be feared. I pray I will continue to learn what it is to balance the astonishment of Your power and the intimacy of Your love, all the while laying down my everything at Your feet.
May you love and fear the LORD today!