Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a good day. We are home now after a wonderful time with good friends from Washington. We visited yesterday and went out for supper and had prayer together and lots of laughter and again this morning before leaving for home. Friends in the Lord are a gift from the Lord.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
 We all have areas in our lives that we struggle with and for some it is combating fear and other personalities struggle more with anger. I am phlegmatic personality, so it is fear that is something that I need to guard against and focus on the Lord and not the “what if’s”. Recently my eyes came upon an article by Pastor Paul Daugherty who wrote about Fighting Fear. He relates how fear and faith require the same amount of energy for they want us to believe and act on something that hasn’t happened yet.

Fear brings to mind the worst things that can possibly happen to us, like job loss, death of a spouse, health problems, divorce, humiliating circumstances etc. Fear wants us to believe the worst. Faith rather wants to believe the best is about to come. It may not be exactly as we imagine but it will be good, and we can look forward to the future.

Daugherty gives the example of David who wrote the familiar Psalm 23 that he would fear no evil even though he would walk through the valley of the shadow of death, because he knew the Lord was with him. Everything was not hunky dory for him at the time for he was hiding in a cave from King Saul who wanted to kill him. He focused on the Lord and not his fears.

Let us not focus on our fears but on the One who frees us and brings peace to our souls. Join in in praying this prayer by Daugherty, who at one time stood on a bridge overlooking a freeway with intent to possibly end his life but chose faith in the Lord.
“Lord Jesus, my Savior, I choose right now to walk in freedom from fear. The only fear I accept in my mind and heart is the fear of God. I believe the best is yet to come in my life, Lord Jesus, because You are in charge of my life. I say yes to the blessings You are ready to pour out on me and my family, and I say no to worry or anxiety or doubt or fear. Whatever fears have plagued me in the past, I reject them now. I release them now. And I choose to carry them no more.  In Jesus’ name, Amen”

Challenge for today: When fearful thoughts try to edge their way into your thoughts, give them all to the Lord in exchange for His peace.

Blessings on the remainder of your day and prayers and love, Judy