The Soul Sower

“How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure. That He should give His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss, The Father turns His face away. As wounds which mar the Chosen One, bring many sons to glory.” 
Excerpt from Hymn – How deep the Father’s Love for Us

Just as the father ran to embrace his prodigal son when he returned home and lavished upon him great gifts, love, and a celebration that he had returned. So also, your Heavenly Father waits for you, will run to you, embrace you, and celebrate when you humble yourself and return to Him.

When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him:

Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. Luke 15:17-24

His love is so great that God will not delay, He will not refuse, He will not even just walk to your rescue, to wrap you in His loving embrace, but He will run! He will rejoice with great joy that His dearly beloved child has come home.

Know this, believe this because it is true! His love for you is so very deep, so very wide, and so very high. No one can fathom just how great His love is for you. So much so that Jesus sacrificed Himself for you. Taking your punishment for you, and endured the entire wrath of God on your account. 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

No greater love is there than this, that a man lays down their life for a friend. So then Jesus laid down His life for you, and now He wants you to do the same for others, to show this same love that He has achieved for you.

Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:12-14

There is no end to His great love for you. There is no distance too far, no height too high, no depth too deep that He would ever forsake His beloved children. Nothing will separate you from His love. Nothing will stop what He has planned for you.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

The Lord is mighty in power and majesty, your God is magnificent, radiant, and He all together overwhelms His adversaries. He rules over all things and is in all things. No one or nothing can ever stand against Him, but every creature, everything He has created will bow at His feet. No matter who they are big or small, weak, or mighty, all will bow and declare He is king.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 1 Chronicles 29:11

For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” Romans 14:11

The Lord is your rock and fortress, He is your sure strength and deliverer. With Him on your side, you have nothing to fear. Always, is He with you, surrounding you, defending you, and protecting you with His mighty hand. He strengthens your arms, emboldens your heart, straightens your knees, and sharpens our mind, that no matter what comes against you, you will not fall or fail.

All those who are true to the Lord, stand up, and speak the truth of Jesus Christ without hesitation or shame will not only not be shamed but they will be declared and affirmed to the Father by Jesus Christ Himself. 

Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:31-33

You will be like a light set up on a hilltop that all may see, to shine down, and brighten the landscape that has been covered by darkness. The people that the devil desired to take as captives will be set free.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

We will praise Him forever for He is worthy. We will rejoice for all of the wonderful works He has accomplished and for all the mighty things He is about to do. We lift His name up on high for He is God! Awesome, glorious, righteous, holy, and all-powerful is He! 

May you always rest in His strength, not fearing anything for He is with you always. He will keep you and will not let you be put to shame. Those who stand boldly and declare who Jesus is, the King of kings, Lord of lords, ruler over all the nations, and forever to reign over all peoples and lands, will be praised and lifted high in the presence of the Lord. 

I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. Psalm 145:1-13

Though you have to live and walk on this earth, among the people and the governing authorities God has established. You are just a traveler in a foreign land. You are only passing through. Trying to declare the truth of the Gospel to all those who will listen, to the lost in this dying world. 

You strain to declare the truth of their sins, the punishment to come if they do not repent, and believe in Jesus. But this is not your home, neither anything in it is truly yours, neither will it last. But it is given to you that you may use it for the building up of the Kingdom of Heaven.

You have already been seated in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus. The things of this world are not what matters, but Heavenly riches and saving souls is what really matters.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

This is why Jesus told the young rich man to sell everything he owned, give to the poor, and then follow Him. It is of much greater value to give away all your worldly wealth for the sake of Christ and gain eternal and heavenly riches. It is more valuable to follow and obey the Lord Jesus Christ in everything than to gain much wealth and lose it all in the end. 

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 2 Timothy 6:6-8

You must walk this road the Lord has laid out for you alone, in a spiritual sense, no one can walk it for you. You will be held responsible for each and every decision, thought, and action you make. But remember that you are never alone for the Lord God Almighty is with you always. His Spirit leads, guides, and directs your every step and never leaves you. Along with many angels the Lord has assigned to you.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17

Consider each time you do something for the Lord you are building up treasure in heaven, you may be saving a lost soul. You can’t even imagine just how wonderful, amazing, and mind-blowing Heaven will be. Everything that is good and nothing that is evil. Everything that is joyous and pleasant and nothing that is sad or sorrowful. No evil thing will ever enter there. 

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived of what Lord God is preparing for all of us for all eternity. Put everything into this perspective. 

That Kingdoms come and Kingdoms go, but through the Word of God I know, when all in life is done and past, only what’s done for Christ will last. Carman Licciardello

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

What is the difference between someone who only knows about God and the one who truly walks with God and is known by God? The difference between the one who has an intellectual understanding that Jesus died for their sins and the one that not only believes but actually follows and obeys Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, even if they have to walk alone.

We don’t need to look at those who are false to know this. But we look at the genuine article to know those who are truly servants of the Lord. 

The one who is genuine obeys His commandments, loves God, loves others, walks in absolute faith, trusts Him for everything, leans not on their own understanding, doesn’t trust the wisdom of this world, but only leans on the Spirit of the Lord. They are willing to walk alone on the path God has placed before them, yet they are never alone.

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. John 14:21

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

The true follower and servant of the Lord is a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. They obey when the Lord instructs them to go or to stay, to speak or be silent, to hold tight, or to give all. 

They see themselves in the mirror of the Law, they know they are sinners and that every moment they must keep close to the Lord confessing and repenting of their sins. They forsake the wickedness of the world and their own flesh to walk in the holiness and the purity of the Lord.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.

For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:22-25

They are so determined to walk with the Lord that they will go it alone. Walking by themselves in the middle of a wilderness of sinners to obey Him. Leaving those behind that doubt their call and do not believe what the Lord has commanded them to do. They will not let anyone hold them back or hold them down but will forge forward toward the prize and the upward call on their life.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:13-14

They are different. They are like David going out against the giant alone. They are like Joseph alone in a foreign land willing to sacrifice everything to do what is right. They are like Job who walked in righteousness even in the middle of great suffering, mockery, and false accusation.

They are like Jesus Christ Himself willing to give it every drop of blood, sweat, and tears to fulfill the call and destiny placed on their life by God Himself. They know there is a reward waiting for them for their devotion and service.

They may seem like they are alone to the human eye and understanding, but I tell you the truth they are followed by the Armies of Heaven, the Angels of Glory, and they are surrounded and hastened along by the power and Spirit of the Lord Himself. 

When their faith is founded on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ there is no man, no world system, no demon, or devil that can stand against them with that kind of power on their side. They will move mountains!

Whatever they put their hand to accomplish, wherever they speak the Word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ it will succeed, and it will accomplish whatever the Lord wills for it to do. It will go out with power and come back to God profitable according to His perfect plan and purpose. They will shed their tears in pain and struggle but come back rejoicing with joy unimaginable.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:10-12

The Lord has set aside each one of us for a distinctive position, a particular job to be done. Each of us has been given different assignments according to the will of the Father, separate paths and journeys. Different terrain and levels of difficulty that requires diverse talents, gifts, and skills to accomplish the unique tasks given to each of us. 

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: Romans 12:4-6

You may be required to merely live a godly and upright life, speaking the truth in love right where you are, in homes, jobs, on the street, and places of business. In this way, you may be an example and a witness of Jesus Christ to those around you. Living godly and upright lives as representatives of the Lord.

Others are called to an active ministry working in churches or away to foreign countries to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, feed the poor, clothing the destitute, or helping others in whatever manner God has placed on their hearts.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2:11-13

But some have been given very important and extremely difficult assignments. Where much is given much is required in return. 

Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. Luke 12:48

Those who have been given a higher call will have to suffer greatly to fulfill the task the Lord has given. They will have to suffer and give up everything, endure soul-crushing pressures, constant abuse, and extremely demanding circumstances just as the Apostle Paul was destined to suffer and endure. Many will not understand or comprehend just to the degree of their sacrifice.

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” Acts 9:15-16

But one thing is the same for all of us, even though some have been called to suffer greater or have been given a more difficult or greater task, the Holy Spirit is your guide. He is your compass to know where, how, and what the Lord wants you to do. 

He is the light that will shine for you and point out the path you need to go. He is your guide and direction. He is your strength that will enable you to climb to great heights to make it to the top of the mountain. You must depend on Him to climb and fulfill your mission. No one else can show you the way, no one else can keep you on the right path, and get you safely to the end of the race.

So seek His guidance and ask Him where and what you should do. He will tell you. Believe and obey, even if it frightens you. He knows what is ahead and He knows what is best at any given moment. He is the compass that points directly to God’s finish line. He is the one that will bring you through the darkness when you can not see the hand that is in front of your own face.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:12-17, 26

The Lord knows your every need, each pain, hardship, and suffering. He sees you in the middle of your struggle and heartache. He sees far ahead of you knowing the trouble that lies in wait for you upon the trail ahead and knows how He will comfort, protect, and keep you through the best and worst of times.

He also searches hearts and souls upon the earth, testing and trying them to see if they are worthy of Him. He sees into the very heart and soul of every man and woman, looking at the condition and orientation of the inner workings of their very being, the truth of who they really are in their hearts.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain it. Psalms 139:1-6

When you have come to the end of your rope and you have humbled yourself before Him to seek His help, comfort, and deliverance, He hears your cry. He listens to the cry of the righteous and the lowly in heart. He knows the request before it is present on your lips and He has a plan to carry you through, protecting you on all sides.

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and His ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:15-18

He is the one who allowed the struggle and pain. He is the one who instituted the test and the refinement of your faith. Through many hardships and struggles, you will have to endure, you must go through them to reach maturity, to be prepared, and to acquire the strength to climb the hills of adversity He has lied ahead. The Lord is getting you ready for the work He has ordained for you to accomplish.

Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.  Acts 14:22

Be strong and courageous, your God is with you. He doesn’t allow anything to come into your life that He doesn’t have a plan and purpose for. Though it will be painful and pressing to a degree that no one else could understand, He will perform His great work within you to bring you out of it better, stronger, and more faithful to Him than you ever were before.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. Psalm 34:19-22

There are so many things in this world that will distract you from what is most important. Noise, noise, and more noise, there is always a distraction waiting to pull you away from the Lord at every turn. 

Constantly there is something going on, places to go, people to see, business to attend to, something to watch, something to listen to, or something that will drown out the word of the Lord. 

But is this a good thing? Is this how God wants you to live your life? How do you expect to hear from the Lord, to know where to go, or know what you should do if you are constantly busy being distracted? 

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

Be at peace and turn that stuff off. Then be still, quiet, and listen. You do not need most of them anyway. Many times even those things that are good can be a hindrance to your spiritual connection to God if you allow them to distract you. If you are continually paying attention or amusing yourself with them you will not hear the Lord at all.

It is truly the work of the devil in these last days, in this time of industrial and technological revolution, to distract you from the Lord. As the saying goes, “it is never a dull moment!” But to say the quiet, still, and attentive life of a committed follower of Jesus is “dull” is another lie from the devil.

He only wants to lie, kill, and steal your life away from you and most importantly your eternity if he can. What better way to handicap your life than to pull your attention away from the God who loves you, from the God who wants to show you the right way to go, to do anything other than focusing on Jesus.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9

People have become addicted to things, entertainment, and amusing themselves with a constant stream of input, activities, and business that has consumed them to a point that if there is silence for a moment they can’t stand it, and have to turn on some noise. Does this sound eerily familiar? If this is true for you, maybe the devil has tricked you and you didn’t even know it. 

But God does not speak through the noisy whirlwind, the thundering of the storm, in the quaking of the earth, or the crashing of the sea, but He speaks in a quiet still voice. You have to get quiet, humble, and low, seek Him, look for Him, call out to Him, and wait for Him, then listen.

And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.

And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13

What should you do, but put away those things that have no eternal benefit? Yes, many of them have value, but if you are focused on them they have hamstrung you. They have crippled your ability to hear from the Lord. They have taken you away from the one who seeks to guide your every step. Seek the Lord and be still. Trust the Lord and be quiet.

Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Psalm 37:3-7

Go from this place and do what He commands, listen to what He has to say, and keep your ears tuned to His voice, and don’t let the things of this world ruin what rewards He wants you to build up for the next. Don’t let yourself be distracted by all the tantalizing goodies of the devil. But do what is good, right, and acceptable in His eyes. 

“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:6-8

A godly man or woman will be known by how they react to instruction, teaching, and rebuke. “By your fruits will you be known.” You will see through their response if they are wise and loving or foolish and vengeful. 

True wisdom only comes through the fear of the Lord. From a desire to seek to please Him in all your ways. When a word of instruction or even rebuke comes will you stop, consider, and search your own heart to see if you have done wrong if you have offended your righteous and holy God?

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9:9-10

If you want to be wise in God’s eyes, fear the Lord, love others, seek to obey His commands, follow His precepts, and continually humble yourselves before Him in everything you do.

In this way, you will learn from your mistakes, the lessons God is teaching. By humility, you will quickly repent of your sins. In this way, your wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the Lord will expand and increase, without the expansion of your own head.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 1 Corinthians 3:18-20

Many in this time and age are building up their own wisdom, they are relying on their own knowledge, living without love, yet declaring that they follow and know God. Running to and fro to gain as much knowledge as possible. Even increasing in their Biblical knowledge, to attain some kind of intellectual stature, some lofty grandeur of learning, seeking to know more and more. 

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. Daniel 12:3-4

But even this is not enough for them. Just knowing all that they know does not satisfy, but needing the accolades of others they puff themselves up with applause. This is not wisdom, but foolishness. In this world, foolishness abounds, but wisdom is rare.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. Proverbs 12:15-16

If you are not seeking God first, fearing Him at every turn, searching for the Holy Spirit to give you instruction and wisdom, and walking in love, what good is it? If you do great things in this world but it is without God’s love and wisdom it is worth nothing. 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

If you want true wisdom, wisdom with eternal value, you must fear the Lord first and foremost and it must be accompanied by love.

Any academic excellence, intellectual ascent, or prodigious reasoning results in loveless pursuits. Increased knowledge puffs up with pride those who seek it and will be of no eternal advantage. Unless you fear the Lord, love others, and seek to honor Him, giving Him all the glory, it will have been all for naught.

We know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3

The Lord God Almighty is sovereign and He rules and reigns over all things, in all places, at all times, and in every way imaginable! Who is there greater than our God? There is none who comes close, none that could ever stand up to Him, none that measure up to Him, and there are not one thing in existence that could even comprehend His greatness.

There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood!

Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men. But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation. Jeremiah 10:6-10

The rulers of this world, the mighty, the strong, the powerful and influential are but a speck in the universe to Him. If it wasn’t for the grace and mercy of the Lord and His patient endurance, longing that all would repent, they would be wiped away in an instant. He would say the word and the breath in their lungs would be removed, the beating of their hearts would be stopped, and their continual working of wickedness would be snuffed out.

Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both? Proverbs 24:19-22

There is nothing that escapes His sight, nothing that moves without His permission, nothing that happens that is not according to His plan and will! Mankind could not accomplish one single thing without His authorization. 

He has made all things, formed them with the power of His word, knowing each item from their beginning to end before He made them. Everything has been planned out and constructed to bring about His intended plan for His glory, honor, praise, and for His good pleasure! 

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.

Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. Psalm 86:8-13

He will have His way! No Devil, demon, wicked man or woman, or devious scheme of any of them will ever move Him from His place of sovereign authority. No, not one millimeter. He stands firm to the end, unmovable.

Who do we trust? But this awesome, magnificent, marvelous, majestic, amazing, all-powerful, loving, and merciful God! He will never be moved, He will never leave, He will never fail, never to forsake, and He will never falter to accomplish each and every promise He has declared.

“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.” Isaiah 46:8-11

One of your biggest enemies is fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of disaster, fear of death, fear of the opinions of others, and fear of the unknown. Satan uses fear, as a very effective tool, to keep you from doing what is right, and to keep you from doing what the Lord wants you to do.

Satan is so very crafty, do not underestimate him, he has been deceiving for thousands of years, and he knows exactly how to hit you at any given moment, in any given situation. You need to know your weaknesses and know your enemy so you can be victorious in standing your ground against his deceitful deceptions.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9

But you must also come to this understanding, with the Lord you have nothing to fear. There is no fear of failure, rejection, disaster, death, people’s opinions, or the unknown. The love of the Lord and your confident faith in who He is, drives out all fear. He has a perfect plan and He will accomplish it all according to His perfect will.

The Lord is over all of these things, He is ruler and possessor of everything and He is in control of each and every situation that you will ever find yourself in.

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:16-18

How many times does the Lord say, “fear not,” or an angel says to whom he is talking to, “do not fear?” Time and time again God commands, “fear not for I am with you,” and many such commands He has given us. 

Did you hear what I said? He commands you to not fear. He is in control of your very life and the path you will walk to your final destination. When you finally come to this understanding, there is freedom, there really is nothing to fear at all.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

I am not talking about just being scared, because that emotion will come. But when you let fear overcome, when you let it take over control of your mind, body, and actions, you have fallen victim to the trap of the devil, and you are no longer trusting in the Lord God Almighty with which nothing is impossible.

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Turn to the Lord for He is the source of your strength, hope, joy, peace of mind, and the source of your power and boldness to walk with full confidence in Him. Walk forward in full assurance, in His power, and in the Spirit of the Lord. 

Through the consumption of the bread of life, the Word of God, and when you walk with your eyes always upon the Lord, trusting in the Lord, and keeping Him always close, you will walk with complete conviction and you will not fear anything that is frightening.

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 1 Peter 3:14-15