Put aside the fear

"Faith is the Victory that overcomes the World". Faith is the answer - but our part is to trust Him. We need to always hunger and thirst after more of the things of the Lord! He has all the resources we need to live a life that please Him.

Vs 31 in today's reading kinda sums it up, it says "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name"

I think one way we can "push fear and uncertainty aside and draw on the Lord for enthusiasm, encouragement and strength to help us through" is to follow the disciples' example.

In today's scripture reading we find the disciples were gathered together. If we spend time with other Christians, especially in a small, intimate group, we can find the strength, support and encouragement we need to help get us through rough times.

I think we need to BELEIVE!!! Beleive that He is able, when we are not; believe He is there, when we can't see Him; believe He cares for us, even when we can't feel it; believe He hears us, even when all we hear is silence - and this can be so hard to do! Often I need to pray, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!" As much as I truly want to believe, it is impossible to do it of my own accord. Through reading this passage, I saw three ways the Lord helps us to beleive ~ 1.) By showing us Jesus. We may not be able to see Him like the disciples did that day, but He can still reveal Himself to us. 2.) By sending us the Holy Spirit, our Helper 3.) By sometimes letting us do what we ask, to help us believe, as in the case of Thomas. He didn't believe the other disciples, he wanted to not only see for himself, but to actually put his finger in the holes of His hands, and thrust his hand in His side! God let him sit and wonder for a week, and then Jesus came to him and let him do just what he asked to do. By that time I think he must have been ashamed of wanting to do this, especially when he saw Jesus. Yet Jesus lovingly did what Thomas wanted to do, to help him believe.

Excellent comments. I agree with Ed that we have to have faith faith. I also think our personal testimony is an excellent way to share the good news to others. I am sure we have quite a few for things that have happened to us because it is only God that made them happen. So let's share more of these testimonies.

This is a daily struggle for me. Although mentally I comprehend all of the wonders that the Lord has performed since the beginning of time, it is overwhelmingly difficult to understand and believe. Keeping my mind on His word daily helps me to know that my God is bigger than anything I face. 1 John 4:4 is a verse I often reference.

Interestingly enough, I often wondered how the Israelites could complain during the exodus, for example. They seemed to turn away from God over and over again. I always assumed that seeing the miracles, such as the parting of the sea, would be more than enough to cement faith. But doubt is such a tempting friend. Today, I have the Bible, which spans generation after generation of wonders. Still, doubt threatens. A daily dose of His word is my antidote. After all, if my mind is filled with higher thoughts, there isn't enough room for doubt.

This is my favorite part of the Bible that I use for witnessing about faith and the resarection. Three days prior these guys were scared to death, in fear that the powers that be would kill them. Then all the sudden they're out in the town square preaching the gosspil, why? Because they know that they know that Jesus was everything he said he was. Now they know that when they are dead in the body, they'll be alive with Christ. Sometimes when this world or the Prince of this world shakes my faith a little, I remind myself of this passage so that I can stand srtong. Walking by faith and not by sight is the hardest thing anyone will ever do in this life. We control with the flesh, yet our Lord controls with the spirit. So if we walk in the spirit, we know we are in God's will in all things. Studies, prayer, praise and worship, and realization that we are not of this world; but mearly in for a glimps.

Personally speaking I sometimes feel as though God is not with me but I remember His words stating that He will forsake or leave me and that gives me great hope. When I was first saved I followed my heart to Christ and was " on fire " for Him and the things that He had for me and " felt " as though I was on a cloud. Then the time came when I didn't feel as though He was with me therefore I began to question my faith and belief then it came to me as if by the Lord that God was standing some distant in front of me asking for me to come along just come along waving His hand say " follow me, lead your heart now and follow Me." God will never forsake us He may just be out front asking us to come along and lead our hearts to Him not merely follow our hearts but to lead them to His unending grace.

Faith certainly is the theme, it seems. I also think that we have to pray that our eyes will be open to see what God wants us to see. Cleopas and his partner did not see who they were walking and talking with until God opened their eyes. Then we have to believe what we are seeing. After that, I believe it is easier to walk in faith - in the Spirit.
Side note - we often don't realize who is watching us, but we know whom we should be watching!

How to "push fear and uncertainty aside". Wow - what a task. Yet the first thing Jesus did when He appeared before His disciples was to calm their fears. He knew the fear and uncertainty that they were feeling. Three times in this reading Jesus says "peace be with you" to His diciples. He also speaks His Peace to us, for He knows our anxious thoughts. He desires for us to dwell in His Peace. The Peace that surpasses all human comprehension.

I have signed up to be a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I was told I would have to have a face-to-face interview with a BBBS representative as part of the acceptance process and the interview would last for approximately 1.5 hours. I had the interview yesterday. Before the interview, I was alittle nervous; I was anxious that I might not answer the questions correctly. Then I prayed. I told God that I trusted Him to determine if He wanted me to be in this program, and I believed the Holy Spirit would provide the answers to the questions that I would be asked. The interview did indeed last 1.5 hours. When I was asked the question of why I wanted to be a Big Sister, I answered, "To glorify God." I don't know if I passed the interview or not. Either way, I believe the outcome is what God wants, not what I want.

Thanks to everyone for your great comments. I enjoyed reading all of them. Rachel, I admire you strength and faith. God will open that door to be a Big Sister if he wants you there. AGKAT, hang close to Jesus. To have a relationship that's strong and vibrant, you have to spend time with that person. You're absolutely right. God will never forsake you.

The Lord has everything that we need! To be enthusiastic, encouraged, renewed and strengthened all we need to do is call on Him. I type like I got it together, but I too sometimes fall into self-pity, discouragement, weak and saddened. Then I turn to His might word. Sometimes it may be something as little as reading the daily passage on P4 or maybe from my beautiful BTTB calendar and sometimes The Holy Spirit will lead me to a particular Scripture and I remember Whose I am and What is important. Everything else is seems small.

I gain my daily strength from reading His word and trying to do His will. I am encouraged when I can help someone who has lost their way. I am renewed when I spend time praying, just talking to God. I am enthusiastic about spending time in the Scriptures and when I miss my quiet time (like this morning), I make it happen as soon as I can. It is easy to say “Stay focused on God”, but truth be told, there are other things going on that are set to distract us. Don’t fall for the trap. He is the Master, Savior and He is deserving of our best.

Thank God for another way to communicate with His believers. I am new to Powered by 4 and so this is my lst comment.

Isn't it amazing that once the Lord showed Himself to Thomas, Thomas no longer needed to actually touch the Lord's wounds to believe. Thomas could only cry out "My Lord and my God"

God is so good. When you trust and serve the Lord with all your heart and earnestly, well He will show up. My husband got a notice two weeks ago that he will be lay-off March 31. By the way we are in a process of adopting a baby girl. Well we didn't tell many people about he lay-off notice only selected few. We share with other believers that when we told them they all said the same thing "Don't worry just trust in God" and that they would be praying for us. Well March 30, my husband manager called in the evening to say his position was extended. So I want to thank God and really say to others, that He is soooo real, just trust and don't worry. And Rachel Gob bless you for wanting to make a difference in a young person life (BBBS program).

I think putting Christ first and His word strengthens us to stand in him and not be afraid. I have to confess, gosh 6 years ago now I was confronted by a lady kind of accusingly. Your not a Christian now are you. And I thought I wasn't worthy enough to be and I turned the Christian station I was listening too and said no. I felt so bad about it that I had failed the LORD. And I wrote a letter with my Christmas card to the volunteers including her and said I turned my life back to the LORD. I pray I am better at giving my testimony!

I think for me it beckons me to confess to Jesus my struggles and the things that keep me from loving him with my whole heart which frees Him through the Holy Spirit to restore me and enable me to serve him in the capacity he is calling me. It is just a great reminder to also seek HIm as to where we are being called to love and serve. Jesus sought Peter out. Because of his love for us he seeks you and me out, too not matter what we have done and desires us to be restored and to make ourselves useful to His purposes.

I think that we all feel like the disciples at one point or another. Some people have to see something to believe it is true. We believe in Jesus even though we have not seen him. We have faith in his word and what he did for us. That helps us a great deal. It helps us because Jesus intercedes for us with the Father and the Holy Spirit was sent to help us and take care of us.