Do Not Be Afraid; Do Not be Discouraged

I MYSELF GO BEFORE YOU—OPENING UP THE WAY.

I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Therefore, you need not be afraid or discouraged.

I realize, though, that feelings often fail to submit to logic.

So don't be surprised when your emotions rebel against your will.

David—who was both a mighty warrior and a gifted poet—expressed fearfulness, trembling, and even overwhelming horror in one of his psalms.

Yet his trust in Me was genuine and deep.

His life and his writing demonstrate that fear does not "trump" trust:

They can coexist.

This is why David could proclaim,

"When I am afraid, I will trust in You."

Trust is a relational word.

It's one of the prime ways you can draw near Me.

When you are afraid, don't blame yourself for having that very human emotion.

Instead, acknowledge what you are feeling; then affirm your trust in Me—out loud or in a whisper.

This affirmation protects you from the lie that feeling fearful means you don't trust Me.

Even better, it brings you consciously into My Presence, where you can find comfort and hope.

The Light of My Presence illuminates the vast dimensions of My Love for you—empowering you to grasp how wide and long and high and deep My Love is, and to know this Love that surpasses knowledge.

From " Jesus Lives " by Sarah Young

Stay Strong!

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
DEUTERONOMY 31:8

"Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me."
PSALM 55:5 NKJV

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you." PSALM 56:3

"[I pray that you] may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
EPHESIANS 3:18–19