Friday June 17



“Oh, that [we] would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness.”  Ps 107:8 NKJV

Don’t be afraid (2)

When you’ve been through hard times, it can make you want to cut back on trusting God, and start playing it safe. When you’ve been through back-to-back storms, the security of the harbor starts looking good. Now it’s okay to rest and regroup, but don’t settle for safety and miss what God has planned for you. The Bible says: “Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters…see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro…stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness” (vv. 23-31 NKJV). Where do we see God’s wonders? In life’s storms! Jesus issued 125 recorded commandments. Twenty-one of them are “Don’t be afraid” or “Have courage.” The second most common commandment, to love God and your neighbor, appears on only eight occasions. That means the one statement Jesus made more than any other was “Don’t be afraid!” Why? Because He wants you to trust Him more!