What drives you: FEAR or FAITH?

Let your FAITH be bigger than your fear.

We live in a crazy world. It's fallen - that's perfectly clear. These days, we face calamities, tragedies, pestilences and economic chaos - everyday. Yes, everyday the headlines are filled with craziness. They're used to grab your attention, suck you into the show, story or program then leave you to deal with the news.

Just this morning, in his weekly radio address, the President of the United States spoke to the American people about the recent Ebola epidemic that found its way into our country, some of the symptoms and its effects. Here's what he had this to say about Ebola:

"And we have to be guided by the science—we have to be guided by the facts, not fear. "

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address

The White House

October 25, 2014

The President is absolutely right. We do need to know the facts and not let fear guide us. The facts on an eternal scale & are simple: we live in a fallen world and it's inhabited by fallen people. Sin is everywhere yet Jesus overcame this world. We have an opportunity to take hold of eternity with Him rather than die with no hope.

So while we have to learn about another new pestilence/disease and how to prevent ourselves from catching it, we really need to be focused on eternity. Will we distance ourselves from people and become hermits? Will we begin to withdrawal ourselves from being personable at the risk of catching something new? How can we let our light shine even stronger into a darker world?

I specifically ask these questions of myself because I've heard stories how missionaries are dealing with this in Africa - not being able to share the gospel the same way they did just last year. The human touch is such a powerful tool to show love to other people. When you can come alongside someone to minister to them, it breaks barriers because they see the love of Christ in you as His hands & feet. Yet this new outbreak is changing that. And it may have a similar impact here at home - in the US.


The Ebola epidemic is just part of a greater list of the effects of sin. I certainly hope people will think more about their mortality in light of the Gospel and eternity. I pray we will not let fear drive us. Rather, let us be people of faith. Let us be motivated by the cross and put our feet in motion.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7

Where is God?

I was having a downer of a day. I read the devotion below and it brought some immediate comfort. Even though I am a worship leader and try to have my life point to Jesus, I can run empty, get discouraged or let the enemy just get under my skin.

Yet when I spend time with Jesus, in His Word and sit still, I get refreshed. Parts of this post I sent along to a brother & friend so I wasn't the only one blessed. Why? Because some days... There are some days you just don't feel like you want to praise the Lord. There are some days we are not in the mood. And sometimes, our souls are outright downcast. Well, after reading the post below, my day turned around.

If you are feeling uninspired, misplaced, or even frustrated, then keep reading. If you are borderline to some of these ill-feelings, then keep reading. If you feel as you have nothing to be thankful for or happy about, then keep reading. This is something to hold onto when you may need to "REACH DEEP" for some inspiration or simply to encourage when you land in "that place" in your head... So park it for the time you'll need it.

~ Dave Geipel

“God, my maker, who giveth songs in the night.” Job 35:10

Any man can sing in the day. When the cup is full, man draws inspiration from it. When wealth rolls in abundance around him, any man can praise the God who gives a plenteous harvest or sends home a loaded argosy. It is easy enough for an Aeolian harp to whisper music when the winds blow—the difficulty is for music to swell forth when no wind is stirring. It is easy to sing when we can read the notes by daylight; but he is skilful who sings when there is not a ray of light to read by—who sings from his heart. No man can make a song in the night of himself; he may attempt it, but he will find that a song in the night must be divinely inspired. Let all things go well, I can weave songs, fashioning them wherever I go out of the flowers that grow upon my path; but put me in a desert, where no green thing grows, and wherewith shall I frame a hymn of praise to God? How shall a mortal man make a crown for the Lord where no jewels are? Let but this voice be clear, and this body full of health, and I can sing God’s praise: silence my tongue, lay me upon the bed of languishing, and how shall I then chant God’s high praises, unless he himself give me the song? No, it is not in man’s power to sing when all is adverse, unless an altar-coal shall touch his lip. It was a divine song, which Habakkuk sang, when in the night he said, “Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Then, since our Maker gives songs in the night, let us wait upon him for the music. O thou chief musician, let us not remain songless because affliction is upon us, but tune thou our lips to the melody of thanksgiving.

Source: http://ref.ly/o/morneve/1134676


NOTE A: You don't have to be musical to appreciate this verse. Singing unto the Lord is something special - you're signing or repeating back to God just how GOOD He is to you despite the circumstances you've found yourself in today, tomorrow or the next day. So be encouraged!

NOTE B: Job didn't completely lose hope. He wanted to know where God was - because he noticed a difference. God will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong & Courageous!