Day 9 :: Fighting Fear {part 1}: Begin at the Root

Most of us have something that we fear.  It could be an object, a situation, a person, or a feeling.

We don't always seek it out, sometimes it just creeps in, unwelcome and takes over our minds.

How do we fight it?

David, in Psalm 56:3-4, said,

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust."

If the remedy for fear is trust in God, then we must first examine our fears to see what it is about God that we are failing to trust.

Fear is rooted in some sort of disbelief about God.

What am I failing to believe about God that is causing this issue of fear in my life?  

I'll let you answer the question and tomorrow we will talk some more about fear.

Day 8 :: Will you Ask?

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My children come to me countless times throughout the day asking me for things.

"Mama, will you put this on my baby doll?"
"Mama, will you get me something to eat?"
"Mama, will you read me some books?"

They don't hesitate.  When they want something they ask.

I want a truth driven heart.  I desire to be changed by God's truth every day.

I can't make it happen on my own.

"Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long." Psalm 25:4-5

"Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me..." Psalm 43:3

"Lead me in the path or your commandments..." Psalm 119:35

The Psalmist knew who could make it happen, and he asked.

If I want a truth driven heart and desire to be changed by God's truth, I need to ask.


Will you ask Him today to teach you, lead you, and make you to know His ways?

Day 7 :: Avenue to Meet God

My children spent some time visiting with their Great Grandmother yesterday.  I've always been fascinated by her life.  She spent the majority of it serving the Lord in Africa as a missionary.  She's experienced joys and sorrows in life.  And, at 86 years of age, she has much wisdom to offer.

As she bounced Mason on her knee, she looked at me and said,

"How are you doing accepting this new situation in your life?"

I summarized as best I could, and shared how God is using it and how He is changing me, giving me a desire to know Jesus better.

She kept bouncing Mason, and smiling said,

"It's just an avenue to meet God."

We visited a bit longer, catching up, laughing, and remembering God's faithfulness.  I couldn't stop thinking about what she had said.

When we got home I looked up the definition of avenue.  Of course it is a type of street in a city. There were some other definitions that caught my attention:

- a means of access or attainment-

-a channel for pursuing a desired object-

Yes.  This is what is happening.   This journey we're on with our son, although hard, has given us a new way of meeting God.

How do we meet God?  We meet Him in His Word.  We meet Him in prayer.  We meet Him in worship.  

Do I look at the twists and turns in my life as roadblocks or as avenues?  Can I use the hard stuff to pursue God?  Certainly.  It's a choice I must make every day.

Day 6 :: Never Leave the Rock

The faint heart finds the Rock.

And guess what?  It should never leave.

We need that Rock in the weary times and the times of great victory.  Nothing can be achieved apart from Him.

"He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.  On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God."  - Psalm 62:6-7 -

Be you faint or think you are strong, don't come out from the refuge of the Rock.

Day 5 :: Faint Hearts find the Rock

Sitting in the waiting room at the eye doctor, I see them.  A middle-aged mom walking with her adult son.  He wears glasses, velcro shoes, baggy pants.  I can't turn my eyes away.

That's going to be me one day.  I don't want that to be me.  Oh, please, God, NO!

The tears flow later, violently.  My heart is faint, overwhelmed.

How will I ever survive this pain?  Will I ever feel normal again?  How can I keep going?

I can't answer these questions because the pain is so real, so vivid, so powerful.

I read the Psalms and there I find an answer:

"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint..."

Keep calling out.  This I can do.  I can call to God in my pain and ask Him to listen.

"Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy."  -Psalm 61-

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He can take me to a resting place, a rock, a refuge.  I don't know what's going to happen after I get there.  But, I know the rock brings protection, shelter, something to lean on.  The pain is still there, but I'm safe.

A truth driven heart knows where to go to rest in the midst of pain.

We go to the Rock.

Please, take your faint heart to the Rock, and find refuge in our Great God.

Day 4 :: The Truth and our Time

Source: via Lindsay on Pinterest

If we're going to talk about a truth driven heart, we have to talk about our time.

Time is precious.  There are countless things that pull us each day, stealing those minutes we hold so dear.  Seasons of life bring changes in the way our time looks in a given day.

Regardless of the season of life, every day will always have 24 hours.

Having a heart driven by the truth means that some of those 24 hours must be spent in the truth.  This means opening up the Word of God and reading it.

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In the Old Testament, the kings of Israel were required to write a copy of the law of God, and then Deuteronomy goes on to say,

"And it [the law] shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left."  {Deuteronomy 17:19-20}.

I'm pretty sure the Kings of Israel were busy.  But, God gave them a command, even in the midst of their busyness, that gave priority to His Word.  He knew that by reading the law, the heart of the king would be driven in God's ways.

Devotional books are helpful, Christian living books have a lot to offer, blog posts centered on the Word of God talk about truth.  However, nothing should take the place of actually opening up the Bible and spending time reading what God has to say.  {In fact, I don't want you to read this series if you haven't first spent time reading God's Word}.

The days following Mason's birth were rough.  Sleep was hit or miss, as it always is with a newborn, and emotionally I was worn out.  But, I found that the most important thing for me to do to walk through all of that was to spend time in the truth.  As the truth flooded my heart my faith increased and I was able to face a hard time with confidence and peace in God.

Let's not be deceived into thinking that somehow we can put aside God's Word during busy seasons of life.  Make it a priority.  For me, that means getting up a lot earlier than the rest of my family so that I have time in the Word.  It might look differently for you, but it must happen in every season of life if we want to have a truth driven heart.


My friend Mary Beth touched on this same issue yesterday during her 31 Days series.

Day 3 :: Dealing with the Hard Stuff

Hard stuff happens.   

The Bible addresses hard stuff countless times.  James calls hard stuff trials, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds" {James 1:2}.

Count it joy.  This is a tough one!  It's easy to count that good stuff joy, but trials?  What would make me crazy enough to think that is a good idea?  I really have to count it joy that my son has Down Syndrome?  It was a challenge for me to find any joy in this.  I sure didn't feel like rejoicing.  I only felt like crying.  

But, the verse doesn't end at this.  We're given a reason for why we can count it joy.  

"...for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" {James 1:3-4}

We can count hard stuff joy because going through hard stuff, with Jesus, is meant to make us more like Him.  

As I walked through the days and weeks after Mason was born.  I began to see that my faith was tested.  I came to realize that I was okay with Down Syndrome.  I learned that I wasn't given a bad thing.  And, as I grew in these ways, I began to see that God was changing my heart.  

The testing was producing and I knew that God was using this to bring me closer to Him.  

That is joy.  HE is joy.  

You have hard stuff, too.  How are you going to deal with it?  

Go here for a great article about choosing joy and a free printable.