Have You Ever Been Afraid?

“(God speaking) Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to abey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1: 7 - 9

Have you ever been afraid? Almost 2,000 years ago, when Jesus had been crucified, His followers were afraid. The Apostle Peter even denied three times that he knew Jesus.

Yet only a few weeks later, Peter was bold enough to preach the gospel publicly in front of thousands of people and not be afraid. What had changed? What had changed was that Peter had been filled with God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God Himself, invisible, here on earth. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we ask to be filled and controlled and empowered by God’s Holy Spirit, God Himself in our lives can give us the power to overcome our fears.

Over and over in the Bible, God tells us to fear not. We can overcome through being filled with His Holy Spirit and by the Word of God. The Bible has supernatural authority. You do not need to bow down to fears, and to worries, and to anxiety. Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit and stand strong in His Word. You can have power over fear and anxiety because Jesus Christ is Lord.

So, this week, let us pray that

• God will help you — and each of us — to be bold and strong in His Holy Spirit
• God will help us at Global Media Outreach to preach the gospel to millions of people
• God will protect your family and our families in His great love and power