Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
Fear's Influence
“He was hired for this reason, that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me.” (Nehemiah 6:13)
Fear is a useful warning, but an awful master. When fear makes you aware of a potential danger, like a cliff edge or a poisonous spider, it is useful and wholly justified as a God-given tool. However, when that same fear causes you to lose your head and act the fool, it has turned a good thing into a bad one.
The devil knows this and uses fear as a means by which to get us to sin. In Nehemiah’s case, his enemies tried to scare him into hiding in the temple – a sinful act. Nehemiah was alert, and therefore, averted disaster by keeping his head.
In like manner, we must always be mindful of fear’s influence. Fear of failure, embarrassment, danger, or discomfort are bad guides. We can’t afford to let our convictions be influenced by fear. Instead, we ought to be guided by our love of the Lord – for perfect love casts out such fears. Fear is replaced with boldness in the heart of him who loves the Lord fiercely. We need not be afraid. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites
This Week’s Reading: Nehemiah 6-13; Psalm 51; Proverbs 20
This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament. Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon. If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision
