Don't Let Fear Stop You
There is something powerful about choosing to keep going even when fear whispers what if you fail. We all face those moments when the path ahead feels uncertain, when doubt grows louder than faith, and when the weight of possible failure feels heavier than the promise of success. But God never called you to a life ruled by fear.
The truth is that courage is not the absence of fear, it is moving forward in spite of it. Think of Peter stepping out of the boat in the middle of a storm. He did not wait for the waves to calm before he trusted Jesus. He stepped out while the water was still wild because his eyes were on the One who never fails. And though he stumbled, Jesus did not let him sink.
God is not asking you to be fearless, He is asking you to be faithful. Even when your voice trembles, even when your knees shake, step out anyway. The same God who called you out onto the water is the One who will sustain you when it feels like you are about to drown.
When fear says you cannot, faith says God can. When failure threatens to define you, remember that the only true failure is never trying. Every time you take a step of faith, you are proving that God’s strength in you is greater than the fear around you.
So go ahead, try again. Dream again. Believe again. You might be scared, but you will not back down because you know who stands beside you.
- Ellie Mont
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
Application Of God's Word
Verse: James 4:17
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Application:
It is never a minor
thing to know God's will and not do it. God calls this sin. We can make excuses
for our lack of obedience: “I'm just not ready yet” or “I'll do it later!” or
“I don't think it will make a difference” or “I can't afford to!” We rationalize,
we procrastinate; yet, in God's eyes, rationalization and procrastination are
nothing more than disobedience. At times we deceive ourselves into thinking
that good intentions equal obedient actions. They do not. A good intention
without corresponding activity is disobedience. When we encounter God and He
gives us a direction, it is not enough to write down the date in our spiritual
journal, or even to tell our friends and church of our “decision.” God's call
is not to “make a decision” but to obey! Deciding to obey is not equal to
obeying (Matthew 21:28-31)! Loudly affirming the necessity of obedience is not
the same as obeying (Luke 6:46). Making commitments, even publicly, is not the
same as obeying our Lord. Substituting our own good works is not the same as
obeying.
Excerpt from “Experiencing God Day-By-Day” by Henry and Richard Blackaby
The Courage to Keep Going
I have had wins and I have had losses, but it’s the losses that shape me the most. Wins are moments of celebration, but losses are moments of transformation. Wins make you proud, but losses make you strong. It is in the losses that you discover who you are when everything else is stripped away. It is in the moments when you fall that you learn what it means to rely completely on God.
When everything falls apart and nothing goes as planned, courage begins to grow. Real courage is not loud or flashy; it is quiet and steady. It is the decision to get back up when your heart still aches. It is choosing to believe that there is still purpose even in your pain. It is whispering to God through tears, “I still trust You,” when you don’t see the way forward.
God uses losses to make us brave. They humble us, they break our pride, and they teach us dependence. They show us that our worth is not in our wins but in His love. Every time you get up after falling, you are declaring something powerful. You are saying that your faith is stronger than your fear, that your story is not over, and that your hope is anchored in something greater than what you see.
Losses hurt, but they are not wasted. God never lets your pain go unused. Every loss is a lesson. Every disappointment carries a seed of purpose. Every setback can lead you closer to Him if you let it. What the world calls defeat, Heaven calls development. God is building strength in you that success alone could never create.
Think of the stories in Scripture. Joseph was betrayed and forgotten before he became a ruler. David spent years hiding in caves before wearing a crown. Peter denied Jesus before preaching to thousands. Even Jesus Himself faced the cross before resurrection. The path to glory always passes through pain. The heroes of faith were not made by their victories; they were made by their perseverance.
The courage to keep going comes from knowing that God is not finished with you. He takes the pieces that life breaks and turns them into something beautiful. What feels like an ending might be the foundation of your next beginning. God specializes in turning loss into purpose, tears into strength, and failure into testimony.
So when you lose, do not lose heart. Sit with the pain, but don’t let it define you. Let it teach you, let it mold you, and let it draw you closer to the One who never lets go. Every time you rise again, you are proving that grace is greater than defeat. You are living proof that God’s strength shines brightest in weakness.
If anything makes us heroes, it is not that we never fall. It is that we never give up. The bravest people are not the ones who never lose, they are the ones who keep going when they do. They are the ones who walk with God through the valley and come out with faith that cannot be shaken.
Keep standing. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Because the God who stood with you in the loss will be the same God who walks with you into victory. One day you will look back and see that it was the losses that made you strong, that it was the pain that built your faith, and that it was the falling and rising that made you brave enough to carry His glory.
- Ellie Mont
Jesus Wants You To Know...
"When your plans are messed up, talk to Me about it. Talking with Me blesses you and strengthens our friendship. Also, I take the sting out of your disappointment by making something good come of it. So you can be joyful, even when things are going wrong. But it takes practice."
"But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him - a joy unequaled]. For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ," - Philippians 3:8 (AMP)
- "Jesus Calling for Kids" by Sarah Young
Made To Be Good, Not Just Feel Good
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.
Psalm 130:5 (NKJV)
The challenges kept coming. Just when I thought I was recovering and getting back up on my feet after one hardship, another difficulty would come crashing in and send me right back to my knees.
Financial insecurity.
Relational stress.
Struggling children.
Professional uncertainty.
Illness.
I couldn’t catch my breath. There wasn’t a direction I could look and find peace, abundant life, or the provision I felt God had promised me.
These struggles aren’t unique, and the urge to give up when everything feels overwhelming is something we all experience. So what do we do when we want to quit? When we feel like we’re in over our heads and our emotions are screaming, You are never going to make it through this?
Personally, I like to take the easiest route. A venting call with a friend helps for a moment. Or I’ll try out the latest productivity hack that will pull my head above water for a couple of days. I might even get really disciplined and go for a “30-Day Reset” plan I saw online, which sometimes gives me a few weeks of reprieve.
But honestly, none of these tricks brings lasting change.
The only place I have found true strength and hope to carry me through the toughest of days is in the promises of our all-knowing, all-powerful God.
Maybe today you’re facing impossibilities like I am, and maybe your feelings are screaming at you to lie down and quit. Let me remind you of what God promises in His holy, perfect Word. He promises He will …
Give you eternal life in Christ (John 5:24).
Love you forever (Psalm 136).
Make you more like Him through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).
Give you peace (Philippians 4:6-7).
Work all things out for good (Romans 8:28).
And so much more.
Those are good promises, but I want to take a step back and see something that’s not promised. In all the words of the Bible, God doesn’t promise a comfortable, easy life on earth, and He doesn’t promise to give us all we want.
What He promises is to give us His enduring love and to work all things out for good. It’s not that things always feel good, but they will be good … There’s a big difference. To be good is to be like Christ, displaying the fruit of the Spirit. Feeling good comes and goes; being good lasts forever.
The challenges I’m facing haven’t changed. Even as I write this, I’m tempted to give up. But Psalm 130:5 tells me what to do: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope …”
Today, instead of just venting to a friend or trying another productivity hack, I’m choosing to believe God's Word instead of my feelings. I'm letting Him use the waiting to make me good, not just comfortable.
Lord, in my waiting, help me trust Your Word more than my feelings. Make me more like You, even when it’s hard. I choose to hope in You today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
- Meredith Brock
Provided by "Proverbs 31 Ministries"
Spiritual Enemies
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
These who are not "flesh and blood" are demons over whom Satan has control. They are not mere fantasies - they are very real. We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat Christ's church. When we believe in Christ, these beings become our enemies, and they try every device to turn us away from him and back to sin. Although we are assured of victory, we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns, because Satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord's side. We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, and God has provided this by giving us his Holy Spirit within us and his armor surrounding us. If you feel discouraged, remember Jesus' words to Peter: "Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it" (
In a battle, it is imperative to identify your enemy. If you are not aware of the point of your attack, you are vulnerable. Paul had many enemies. Some resented him, others hated him, and others wanted to kill him. Some, who were supposedly on his side, sought to harm him and his ministry (
When you meet opposition to your faith, your first reaction may be anger toward your antagonist. This may divert your attention from the deeper, spiritual dimensions of your conflict. Your adversary may be hopelessly in bondage to sin. Rather than retaliating, you should immediately and earnestly intercede for that person. Your opponent's hostility is your invitation to become involved in God's redemptive work to free him or her from spiritual bondage.