No Fear

We've all seen these words "No Fear" written across millions of t-shirts, sports equipment, etc...in the past years, but as I read the following words this morning, I'm reminded that THIS is how we are able to live when we are in the center of God's care & design, WITH NO FEAR - no matter what!

From Psalm 112: 1-9
"Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.
His children will be mighty in the land, the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
Surely he will never be shaken, a righteous man will be remembered forever.
He will have NO FEAR of bad news, his heart is STEADFAST, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is SECURE, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteouness endures forever, his horn will be lifted high in honor."

Even in the midst of financial turmoil in our nation, even with the uncertainty of the upcoming elections, even when we hear "bad news," we can live with no fear, our hearts secure, trusting in our God who never wavers.
I realize that for many of us, when we feel the pressure of bad economic conditions, it makes us want to tighten down, keep our wallets a little "closer" to us, we probably don't naturally think, "hmmm, how can I give to God and to others today?" But in this scripture, it seems to go hand in hand, when we have a reverence for God, even in dark times, generosity is part of our character, because really, it's part of HIS! God knows how important MONEY is to us today, it always has been, throughout time. Maybe that's why Jesus taught more about money than any other subject, it's all through the Bible! There's a verse that talks about fear being a "snare" or a trap for us, even the fear of losing money can be a snare. What's the cure? Be generous, share, give, be honest & fair in every business dealing you have, honor God above everything else.
I'm challenging myself today to continue to be a GIVER, to choose not to live in fear, but to continue to trust God for everything. Here are 10 blessings we can see from this wonderful passage of those who choose to fear the Lord & honor Him with life itself, you can probably find even more if you dig deep:

1. We are blessed! verse 1
2. Our children will be "mighty" in our land, even they will be blessed, and who do you know that doesn't want their precious kiddos to live "blessed"?! verse 2
3. "Wealth & riches" are in our house. Now you may not "feel" very rich, but please remember, compared to how many live in countries around this world, we are a RICH nation! v.3
4. Even in "dark" times, there's light for us - there's hope, thank you Lord. v.4
5. "Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice." There you have it, it's right there, God says that good WILL come our way if we choose to walk in geneosity & honesty. v.5
6. We will not be "shaken." Our country is feeling shaky right now, we don't have to join them in that panicky mentality. v.6
7. We will be remembered forever, actually we will LIVE forever with Him, we have much more to look forward to after life on earth! And up there, the "economy" is just fine. v. 6
8. We do not have to fear bad news. We can be "steadfast," we serve a God who never changes! v. 7
9. Our hearts are "secure," and we all love security, I just even love the word, "security," it just makes me feel, well, secure. v. 8
10. We will be a BLESSING as we give to others, "he has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor," doesn't that just sound like God wants us to give big? To give broad? To keep giving? v. 9

Have a blessed day as you go, as you give, as you walk with NO FEAR!