Day 38 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Greetings on Day 38! Our verses today contain two Do Not Fears, and are from Isaiah 41:13-14:

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand;

it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel!

I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;

your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Such wonderful verses! Listen in to the video for more:

And here's a wonderful song entitled Goodness of God by Jenn Johnson:

Day 37 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today's verse is from the wonderful 40th chapter of Isaiah.  I read verses 1-11 in this devotion, but you might want to read at least those verses before listening.  Our verse for today is 40:9:

Get you up to a high mountain,

o Zion, herald of good tidings;

lift up your voice and strength,

O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,

lift it up, do not fear;

say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!"

And here's the devotion:

And here's the song - Waymaker by Leeland.  It's one of the most recent popular Christian music song now, so I think it's important to know!

Day 36 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today's Do Not Fear is from a wonderful group of verses of promise from Isaiah 12:1-6, which reads like this:

You will say in that day:  I I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.  And you will say in that day:  "Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people, proclaim that his name is exalted.  Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.  Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

What wonderful verses!  Listen in to the video:

And here's a great older song that you probably know, which means that you can sing along with it!

Day 35 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Greetings for Day 35!  Today's verse is from Isaiah 35:3-4:

Say to those of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear!  

Here is your God - He will come and save you." 

And today's devotion is a reading from a devotional book I use about starting fresh every day.  If we are going to be strong and not fear, we need to start every day fresh.  It's a challenging time for all of us.  But be strong, do not fear!

Here's today's devotion:

And the song - No Longer Slaves reminds us that I Am a Child of God!

Day 34 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

For our last Do Not Fear from the Gospel of Matthew we continue the story of the resurrected Jesus in Mathew 28:9-10 when he says, 

Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!"  

And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.  

Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; 

go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

It's so fascinating that the fearful women disciples fell and worshiped Jesus - even though no good Jewish man or woman would worship anyone other than God alone!  But they saw God in Jesus, believed in him now that they knew he was resurrected, and they worshiped him.  

And interestingly, worship leads to mission.  Listen in:

Here's our song for today - a familiar song of Mighty To Save sung by Laura Story.

Day 33 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Our Do Not Fear today comes to us today from Matthew 28, when the women went to the tomb to anoint the dead body of Jesus for burial.  But surprise!  Jesus wasn't who or what they expected!  That's because God (and Jesus!) are Masters of Surprise!

Here's our text for today:

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.  Come, see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.'  

This is my message for you."

Put yourself in the place of the women!  What a surprise!  And then listen in to the video:

And listen to this wonderful song by Kari Jobe called, "I Am Not Alone."  We are not alone.  We never are!

Day 32 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today's verses are from Matthew 17:1-6; the story of the Transfiguration.  I read it at the beginning of the devotion, but our pertinent verses are these:

When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 

And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

Today let's talk about Jesus as Savior AND Lord - not just one or the other, but the importance of Jesus as Savior AND Lord of our lives.  Listen in:

And here's a wonderful mountain top version of In Christ Alone - I hadn't heard of these guys before, but I want to listen to more of their music!  They're the Living Stones Quartet.

Day 31 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today's Do Not Fear is from Matthew 14 - actually it happens to be the same Do Not Fear that I preached on yesterday from the story of Peter walking on the water.  Here's the verse:

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.  

"It's a ghost," the said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them:  "Take courage!  It is I.  Don't be afraid."

Today's video is a little shorter because I covered a lot of this amazing story in the sermon yesterday, but listen in!

And here's a great song called Blessings by Laura Story.  Enjoy and sing along!

Day 30 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!I

Today's Do Not Fear is again from Matthew 10 with Jesus' instruction to his disciples.  In today's verses Jesus says, 

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?

Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

I'm wondering if Jesus brought up the analogy of sparrows because the disciples had Sparrow Brain Syndrome.  Hmmmm....it seems to fit their thinking of themselves as being too inconsequential to do much of anything.  But Jesus says otherwise.  Listen in:  

And for some reason today I just can't get You Raise Me Up out of my head!  Jesus raises us up to be more than sparrows.  Rise and soar today!

Day 29 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day! 

Today's Do Not Fear is again from Matthew 10 with Jesus sending out his disciples with instructions.  And Jesus says, 

So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, 

and nothing secret that will not become known.  

What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; 

and what you have whispered, proclaim from the house-tops.  

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; 

rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Amazing words from Jesus!  Here's a short, but I hope helpful Do Not Fear video:

And in honor of Juneteenth, here is Lift Every Voice and Sing, often called the Black National Anthem.

Day 28 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today's verse is from Matthew 10; the chapter where Jesus sends out his disciples to be witnesses for him.  And he says in the verses I read Jesus says,

But when they arrest you, do not worry (do not fear) about what to say or how to say it.  

At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, 

but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Interesting!  Have you ever wondered about what to say when you really want to talk about church or faith, or (gulp!) Jesus?  When you see how ordinary the disciples were, you might get some encouragement to do so, or at least that's what I suggest in the video!

Here it is:

And here's a great new song - Jesus, Son of God by Chris Tomlin and Kristy Nockels:

Day 27 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today we turn to the Gospel of Matthew for a series of Do Not Fear statements.  Our verses today begin in chapter 6 verse 25 and 33 where Jesus says, 

Therefore I tell you, do not worry (do not fear) about your life,

what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear...

But seek first the kingdom of God and it righteousness,

and all these things will be yours as well.

It's all a matter of perspective; what do we focus on?  If we don't choose what weer focus on we can be drawn away so easily!  Seek first the kingdom, and all else falls into proper perspective.  Here's the video:

A proper perspective means remember that For the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth!  Here's a wonderful Flash Mob performance of the Hallelujah Chorus for an unsuspecting crowd!

Day 26 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today's Do Not Fear verse is John 16:33:

I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace.

In the world you face persecution.

But take courage; I have conquered the world!

Now, the Do Not Fear is the "But take courage..."  It's not exactly the words, but it expresses the same thing.

So we'll talk about peace again, and contrast the peace that Jesus gives to the peace we try to find in the world.  Jesus, the Prince of Peace, wins easily, hands down!  Look to him for the peace that you (and we) need!

Here's the video:

And here's a beautiful song that I know you know, so it's not with the words, but sing along anyway!  It's When Peace Like a River, by Anthem Lights.

Day 25 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today's Do Not Fear verse is one of the most wonderful verses in the Bible, where Jesus says, 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

So what kind of peace it is that the world gives?  And how is that different from the peace that Jesus has already given to you, meaning that Jesus says, "My peace I give to you."  Peace is a present possession that you already have, not because of anything you do, but because of what Jesus has already given you.

So why don't you feel peace at this time?  Well, listen in to the video!

And then listen to the song that I'll bet you know, and be sure to sing along!

Day 24 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

We're in John 12 today, with another Do Not Fear.  We'll focus on verses 12-16, which are the traditional Palm Sunday texts in a story that is told in each of the four Gospels.  In John 12:15 we have our Do Not Fear:  "Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.  Look, your king is coming sitting on a donkey's colt."  

Part of the whole witness of the Gospel of John is the simply message that God's got the whole world in his hands.  Do not be afraid, because the King is coming on a donkey's colt to usher in a while new way of relating to God, and Jesus will not let anything get in the way of loving and caring for us.

Here's the video:

And here's a new song, with the lyrics included that I think is beautifully appropriate for today.  It's My Prayer for You by Alisa Turner.  I hope you enjoy it!

Day 23 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today we're in the Gospel of John!  I thought we'd move to Isaiah, but for the next 6 days we'll be in John instead.

And today's Do Not Fear is from John 6:16-21.  Read through John's account of Jesus walking on the water before you listen to the devotion, and note to yourself what's different from the other stories of Jesus walking on the water - what details are there that you didn't remember?  

"It is I; do not be afraid" is what Jesus said to the disciples as they faced their storm.  As we face our storms today, those words still hold true!

Here's the video:

And here's a great song by Casting Crowns - Praise you in this storm.

Day 22 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today is our last time in the Psalms before we turn to Isaiah and the many Do Not Fears in Isaiah.  But for today our Psalm is 118:1-6.  It's quite an amazing Psalm that begins with the words, "O give thanks for the Lord, for he is good his steadfast love endures forever!"  And our Do Not Fear verse is verse 6:  "With the Lord on my side I do not fear!"

And in the video I think there will likely be two things that you didn't know about this Psalm, one connected to Luther and the second connected to Jesus!

Here's the video:

And here is a great older song that you can sing along with - His Love Endures Forever!

Day 21 - Do Not Fear:  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today our psalm is Psalm 91:1-6.  It's a wonderful psalm - you'll recognize the words from the psalm that are the basis for "Eagle's Wings."  And our Do Not Fear from this psalm is in verse 6.  You will not fear the terror of the night.  Amazing.  Think of that.  You will not fear the terror of the night.

Have you ever had those - night terrors?  Hamster wheel brain in the middle of the night when you can't get catastrophic thoughts out of your head, thinking that your worst imaginative thought will definitely come true?

Psalm 91:6:  You will not fear the terror of the night.  Amazing.

Here's the video.  And remember to read the whole of Psalm 91 the next time you have the terror of the night.

And here the great Eagle's Wings that was written from this Psalm.

Day 20 - Do Not Fear!  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today our Do Not Fear is from Psalm 78.  If you open your Bible to Psalm 78 you'll see in the subscription that it's a Maskil of Asaph.  Asaph is a composer, song write, and poet from King David's court, and wrote about 12 of the psalms!

Today we're looking at some verses from Psalm 78, starting at verse 42, which includes the words from verse 53:  "He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid."

Here's the video:

And here's a great older song that is just wonderful - Nicole Mullen - My Redeemer Lives!

Sing along, except for the high parts!  I'll see you tomorrow!

Day 19 - Do Not Fear!  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today, Day 19, we're looking at Psalm 56, which is in the category of an Individual Lament psalm.  So, before we begin, read through Psalm 56, as it not only contains a Do Not Fear reference, but it also is illustrative of the four parts of a Lament Psalm, which we'll talk about.  You also might want to have a piece of paper or post-it note to remember the four parts of a Lament Psalm, which are very helpful for us to remember!

You'll hear more on the video:

And here's a wonderful song that we sing at church, Lord, I Need You that I think is so helpful for us to sing together today!

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Day 18 - Do Not Fear!  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today's Do Not Fear comes to us from the wonderful Psalm 46, the psalm that Martin Luther used when he wrote A Mighty Fortress!

Here are the first verses of Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

though its waters roar and form,

though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

Keep your Bibles out and read this wonderful psalm several times today.  There's also the wonderful verse 10 which reads, "Be still, and know that I am God!"

Doesn't get much better than that!

Here's the video:

And here's a wonderful song that we sing in worship, along with the lyrics for you to sing along!

Day 17 - Do Not Fear!  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today's psalm is Psalm 27:1-3 - a wonderful testimony from a Psalm of David:

The Lord in my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

That's two Do Not Fears right next to each other!

Here's the video:

And here's a wonderful song called "I Will Fear No More."  It's a new one to me, but after I listened to it a couple times, I really like it!  I hope you do, too!

Day 16 - Do Not Fear!  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today's Do Not Fear verse from the psalms comes to us from Psalm 23!  Here is Psalm 23 in the familiar King James version:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

It's such a familiar, wonderful psalm, and let's get some insights into some of the meaning behind "fearing not" in the valley of the shadow of death.  Here's the video:

And here's a wonderful version of Psalm 23 (I am not alone) from the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  And again, there are words to sing along!

Day 15 - Do Not Fear!  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!e's

Today we continue with our Do Not Fears from the Psalms - today is Psalm 16!

Read through it before the devotions begins, though I do read it a couple minutes in.  This is another psalm of David, and offers some wonderful insights into his situation in life and how he relies on God to not fear, despite his circumstances!

Listen in to the video:

And here's a great song that Deanna sang at church two weeks ago - it's called Redeemed!  Deanna sang it better than Big Daddy Weave, but since he wrote it, we might as well give him some credit.  Again, it has words so you can sing along!

Day 14 - Do Not Fear!  God's Word of Hope for Every Day!

Today we turn our attention to the Psalms after being in the Gospel of Luke for the last several days!  There are quite a few Do Not Fears in the Psalms, and today we focus on Psalm 3 - a Psalm of David who is on the run after his son, Absalom, is trying to take his life!

Read Psalm 3 before you begin the video, even though I read it at the beginning anyway!

Here's the video:

And here's a great Benediction song, sung by a group of people from churches in San Francisco.  It's called Bay Area Blessing.  It's beautiful - and reminds us of God's love that overcomes fear!