Do not be afraid! - 4th December 2007

Philippians 4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

These verses were sent to me a few days before I went away. They were emailed at precisely the time I was sat in a panic on the floor wondering what on earth I was doing and how I was going to cope with 2 weeks away. I was ready to pull out of the trip, full of fears about what may happen. But God put these verses on my niece’s heart, and she was faithful to him in passing them on. What an amazing God we have!

I held tight to those verses throughout those weeks, and God was faithful in giving me his peace. It was peace that I could not understand or explain, other than knowing that Gods arms were surrounding me and holding me through all the challenges I faced. I was never really fearful even as we flew through thunderstorms or sat in a pitch-black room after a power cut, hearing trees and roofs blowing down.

I witnessed in Mozambique what it truly means to petition to God too. No short weak prayers, but an amazing cry to the Lord pleading to him for your nation to be saved and for sicknesses to be healed. One night at a beach prayer meeting we were sent off to pray and plead to God, and it was overwhelming to witness the faith and the prayers of these people. I felt so inadequate in the prayers that I could offer. They pleaded for God to save and cleanse their land. As I sat I saw the lightening in the distance, though there was no thunder to be heard, and I was reminded of the silent power He has. He is the light in the darkness, and he has the power to cleanse and to heal.

There is no need for us to hang onto our fears and worries – God has promised that he will take them from us and replace them with a peace that passes all of our understanding. He will guard our hearts and minds from the lies that sneak in to trick or deceive us. Instead, let us rejoice in the peace we have available through God, and leave him to do the worrying for us.

Lord, thank you for the peace you give, that goes beyond understanding. Forgive me for the times when I choose to hang onto my worries rather than letting go. Help me never to forget you are close, and that the peace you offer is always there for me. Amen.