Fears....and their hold....

Fears.......and their hold....

I was looking through family pictures recently, looking for ones specifically of my dad through the years...reminiscing through the years, putting my mind into perspective of times     Past and present....

One of the pictures that stood out was our wedding day.  There we stood, all young and fresh, smiling toward the future. ....ready to meet change , ready to meet the future with happiness.  My parents, his parents and us....

Then it hit me, if my father's health doesn't turn around, I will be the only one left in that picture....my in-laws have been gone 20+ years,  my mother and husband 1+ years, and now my dad is ill....I could be the matriarch of our family.....that was daunting, fearful....

For whatever reason, fear swept over me like a blanket....covering me. encompassing me, seeping in around me.......I don't want another change....I want normal,, I want life....not change.....again.....a good cry ensued, cleansing, releasing.....it bring tears to my being when I dwell on it again...but the God of peace was and is there, abiding deep..pushing through those fears...saying.   "Do not be afraid".....do not be afraid....

He says it over and over in His word from the beginning to the end.....and it is still pertinent ..today as it was recorded years ago .....

Thank you.......thank you.....thank you .....

Isaiah 54:4

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Deut.1:29Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

32 In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Genesis 15:1

[ The Lord’s Covenant With Abram ] After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Isaiah 44:8

Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

Jeremiah 1:8

Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Hebrews 13:6

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Revelation 1:17

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.