Joshua 1:9 ‘Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’

DAILY READING – John 20:1-18; 2 Chronicles 31; Psalm 87

In post war Russia, food shortages existed and so there was an introduction of food rationing in most Russian industrial centres. Small pieces of paper of different colours were given to workers on a monthly basis to be used to buy various food items. In 1947 Vladimir Zenchenkov, a government accounting clerk in Russia, was given about 400 of these ration cards by his boss for safe keeping.
However, one night, he returned home from a drinking spree to discover that he had misplaced these cards. The consequence could be imprisonment as Ration cards were a prized commodity in postwar Russia. His wife therefore advised him to hide himself so as to avoid being arrested. And so he hid himself in his house. The next day she told his coworkers that he had run off with another woman. And so for the next 22 years, according to the newspaper reports, the terrified Zenchenkov never once left his house.
However, in 1969 when his wife died, Zenchenkov was forced to go to the local police station to turn himself in. There, he was then told that the ration cards he thought he had lost had turned up in his office desk drawer the day after he disappeared in 1947.

Proverbs 29:25 says ‘The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.’
It is amazing how fear kept this man in bondage. Out of fear he had imprisoned himself and wasted years of his life. Indeed most defeats in life are traceable to the spirit of fear.
Especially in the world now, we are at a time when men’s hearts are failing them for fear. However as believers we must learn to conquer fear through faith in God.
When you are faced with any intimidating situation always remember that the greater One lives in you.
In Isaiah 41:10 God says ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’
God’s Presence is the answer to fear. When God is with us there will be no room for fear, rather our heart will be constantly filled with praise and joy, confident that our God is ever available to deliver us.
This is why it is important that we invest quality time to fellowship with God, through study of the Word, prayers and worship.
An intimate walk and constant fellowship with God, will keep us ever conscious of His Presence. And it is those that know their God that can be strong and do exploits. When we are in an intimate love relationship with God, it will give us confidence and remove fear from us. Perfect love indeed casts out fear.
Psalms 34:4 says ‘I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.’
When we genuinely seek God, we will be delivered from all fears. The more you know God, the bolder you become. The righteous are as bold as a lion.
In those times fear tries to attack our heart we must learn to turn to God.
Psalms 56:3-4 says ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.’.
And we trust in God by building up faith in our heart through study of His Word.
When we constantly eat the Word, it will become the joy and rejoicing of our soul. Study of The Word will inoculate your heart with strength and fill you with boldness. And it is only when we can say, “The Lord is the strength of my life” that we can be able to say “Of whom shall I be afraid?”
Indeed when we are truly full of God, then we are truly free from fear!

PRAYER: Father by Your grace enable me to study Your Word with renewed zeal so that I can be full of faith. For I know that when I am full of faith there will be no room for fear in my heart in Jesus Name.

QUOTE :
For you to enjoy victory in The Kingdom of God, you need to develop a kingdom mind, that thinks in line with The Word of God. – WORDBITE 222