For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, "Fear not, I will help you.”
Isaiah 41:13

Our world is very complicated, it's a world of up and down, of good and evil. It would be impossible to describe our world with a single word. But if I had to choose one word, I would choose the word "fear."

Fear is causing people to live far below their ability. If we are not careful, a thousand fears will attack us when we awake in the morning. There is a fear of the unknown, fear of the future, fear of ill health, fear of what others will think, fear of being shoved aside, fear of growing old and fear of death, just to mention a few.

Dr. David Livingstone (1813-1873) served as a medical missionary to Africa for 30 years. During those years he suffered hunger, sickness and injuries. He said to a friend one day, “Shall I tell you what sustained me amidst the toils, the hardships, and loneliness of my yielded life? It was the promise from Jesus, 'Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end.' Because of that one promise I never gave into the many fears that tried to haunt me over the years."

I love the words of wisdom from F. B. Meyer, “God incarnate is the end of fear; and the heart that realizes that He is in the midst…will be quiet in the midst of alarm.”

The following great hymn was written in 1787 by John Rippon who was the pastor of Carter Lane Baptist Church in London, England. He wrote "How Firm A Foundation" from years of suffering with years of anxiety. He wrote how he was delivered from a life of crippling fears when he finally took the word of God and studied hundreds of verses on the subject. John finally walked free from the strongholds that were built around his mind by claiming one verse a day and in one year he was set free from fear and anxiety!

What a great challenge for all of us as we start 2022!

Let me just a few stanzas from John Rippon's timeless hymn with you.

“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”

We begin our new series this Sunday @ 10 on this very important topic: "A Year Without Fear". invite a friend!

Happy New Year,

Pastor Dave