Paul Martin is an author and youth pastor from the UK. Paul is passionate about helping teens connect with God even in the middle of a crazy schedule. This 10-day devotional is taken from his book for teens "A Recipe for Faith" and is going to help you overcome fear. For all 40 devotions, you can buy the book via this link: mybook.to/psalm34. Just copy and paste it into your URL.
Let's jump into this!
Day 1: THE WHISPER OF FEAR
“David took these words to heart and was very much afraid,” (1 Samuel 21:10-15)
They say “desperate times call for desperate measures.” Take a moment to imagine that you're a successful warrior. You’re a fighter so outstanding that people have sung songs about you and the king together, but now you're out of favour. You've been sneaked out of the city and you're on the run. People are unaware that you are missing, so at least you have a head start.
In a short time, you are sure to be pursued. Someone powerful is after you and if they catch up with you, you're doomed. This man was your friend, but now you are twice as much his enemy as you were his friend. Maybe you could escape from this one man; but there is an army ready at the king’s command, sure to be despatched at any moment. These men will not give up until they have found you.
It appears there is nowhere to flee; nowhere to hide where they won’t find you. So in desperation (maybe even as a stroke of genius), you go for safety in the one place where they are least likely to look for you. Unfortunately, there’s a small problem with this place you have stopped at; it just so happens to be the capital city of your actual enemies the Philistines. A dangerous place to find safety!
In a previous battle, you killed their champion fighter (a history not easy to forget). Plenty of people will want their pound of flesh to avenge his death. So you try to hide your identity disguising yourself as a peasant. Yet those in charge have been alerted to your presence. Their servants are everywhere and in no time you are brought before the king.
You've come a long way from being a shepherd boy out in the country, facing off a giant when everyone else was too fearful to try. But now you have escaped with your life and very little else. Talk about going “from the frying pan into the fire!” So as you are brought to the king of the Philistines you are sure that he will satisfy himself by drawing his sword and killing the slayer of Goliath. This is probably not the time to mention that you know where the sword of Goliath is! Kings were known for their lack of patience as well as their ability to prove their authority with instant executions. The thought of what this king will do terrifies you.
We read the words “David took these words to heart and was very much afraid...” The servants of the king are quick to remind him of David's warrior status. "Pssst! Hasn't he killed loads of Philistine soldiers? Fathers, husbands, and sons of ours who will never return to their families?" Instantly David feels vulnerable, unarmed, and at the mercy of the king of his enemies. Fear takes the opportunity and whispers in his ear "You know what?? You're done for!" And in this moment of pressure David listens to the whispers, he believes the voice of fear. Panic seizes David and he loses sight of the truth that God has promised him a future!
It’s after this moment of terror that David writes one of the most powerful Psalms in the Bible. It’s powerful because it contains a way out from the negative place that fear can take in our lives. David found a place of freedom from anxiety through God’s power and wrote about it. I believe that God wants to lead you into a place where you find yourself depending more and more on your Heavenly Father for all that you need, so that fear will find it hard to take hold of your heart.
As we begin this journey away from fear and towards faith, why not commit to praying this with me: Father God. I need you. I understand the negative effect that some fears can have over my life. During the next few months please lead me to find the way out from the harmful fears that hold me down. I need You to lead me into a place where I will discover safety and freedom.
Day 2: FEAR IN THE HEART
“David took these words to heart…” (1 Samuel 21:10-15)
I wonder if ours is the generation that has written more words than any other in history? Think about it for a moment, we’re always on our smartphones or tablets communicating to our friends, writing posts, comments or blogs. But with all this writing, comes the risk of being misunderstood. I’m sure you’ve had a text from someone and thought the person was being rude, just because it was written in a certain way. So helpfully, someone invented emojiis! A little smiley face, a sad face, winking face or even a love heart can fill in the emotional blanks that can be missed by the words we use to communicate.
We all know that a heart emoji communicates love or caring feelings and when the Bible talks about “the heart” it's describing more than just a feeling; it represents that deep part of us. It's where we decide things, it’s what moves us to cry or laugh. Our motivations come from the heart and with it we can feel vulnerable or afraid. So what did it mean, “David took these words to heart?”
Remember we read yesterday about David’s desperate attempt to escape from King Saul’s imminent manhunt and how David ended up in Philistine territory? He’s taken to Achish, king of the Philistines, whose servants bring up David’s warrior exploits against these Philistines. They argue the point: “Can we trust David our enemy to live among us?”
David understands that if the answer to this question is “No,” then there is no alternative but to kill him. The seriousness of his situation gives rise to fear in his heart. Who wouldn’t be afraid at this most desperate situation? And with panic starting to surge within, David can see only the negative outcomes that fear has persuaded him are just a matter of time.
You know fear can actually be a positive thing. Fear can alert us to danger. It can stop us from walking too near a cliff edge, looking into the mouth of a crocodile, or swimming with hungry sharks. That is what fear is meant for, to help us to avoid danger.
But there are times when fear can be triggered in us when we perceive we’re in danger even where there isn’t any; our mind becomes anxious and the body physically reacts. Maybe we have an increased heart rate, we find breathing or swallowing more difficult and we might feel sweaty or cold. It’s possible that taking on negative thoughts into our hearts can reduce our capacity to do things like being brave. Even just coping with normal situations can become more difficult. When fear starts to take control it can also affect our motivation as well as our abilities.
A person who takes to heart anxious thoughts will act differently. Have you ever worried about something and thought, “What if this happens??” Our mind starts to process worst-case scenarios and as a result our capacity to have a joyful life is reduced. Worry leads to anxiety and fear.
Now it’s easy to say this, but actually, David wasn’t in as much danger as he feared. A while back (with God’s help) he had defeated Goliath the giant using a sling and a stone! And there is another reason why David need not panic; the prophet Samuel had told David he would be king and God’s promise to him had not yet been fulfilled! God gave David a way out, it wasn’t pretty; but he lived to fight another day!
So I want to ask you this: who are you more ready to listen to when bad news hits? Do you fear the worst? Does panic try to seize you? Why not remind yourself that you are being looked after by a rescuer called Jesus, who wants you to trust Him to provide for your needs and a way through troubles? Don’t give up and think that terrible things will happen. God has a way through for you. As you reflect on this, take time to hand over to God those things that worry you.
Day 3: SPEAK LOUDER THAN YOUR FEARS
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1)
I bought this really amazing speaker. You know the type. They connect to your smartphone or computer and are small enough to carry around, but loud enough to blast out any tune enabling you to hear every bit with absolute clarity. It’s great for wall-to-wall sound in your bedroom. Trouble is though, when I try to recreate that sound in a medium sized or large meeting room, even with the volume up to full it sounds so much quieter. If you're on the other side of a room full of people you can’t even make out the words. The boom of the volume is no longer attracting the attention of the people in the room next to me.
Worry can be a bit like the sound from that speaker. Imagine that your worries and fears are blasting out loads of negative noise into your mind. It can feel like that is all you can hear and it's tough to block out its effects. It begins to process around in your mind like a song on repeat.
But what if you were to take those same worries or fears into a bigger room? What if you took a step outside of your thinking and began to invite God into the situation and think about God, His greatness, and His love for you? Suddenly the sounds of your fears are in a bigger space. You will notice that they are beginning to turn into wee background music that you can choose to ignore. Suddenly you feel strengthened, empowered, encouraged and faith starts to rise in your heart.
How is that possible? It's all about the heart. When we fill up our heart full of God, fear gets pushed out to the edges where it ceases to have that power and influence over us. You see the sort of fears that we are talking about can sometimes be thoughts put there by an enemy who wants to make us weak. At these times we need a spiritual strength to fight back that only God can give.
So our Psalm begins with the words “I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” You know these two sentences actually say the same thing using different words. It’s like God is turning up the volume on His speaker and saying “You need to hear this!! So I’m going to say it twice! Praise out loud is really important!!” Maybe you know that you can pray to God with your thoughts; He hears those as well as the ones we say out loud. But there is this added dynamic when we use our voice to talk to God. We hear what we are saying, God hears what we are saying (obviously) and our enemy hears what we are saying. When we have words of faith and speak them out loud something happens. The volume of our fears decreases as our minds enter into God’s room, God’s space.
Obviously, you know it’s not about the noise you use, but rather that you vocalize the truth about who God is. Not only does it put our situation into perspective, it also reminds us who God is. When we speak out truth, inside our heart the cogs of faith start to turn! Something happens and God the Holy Spirit speaks His inspired words into our heart, causing us to feel braver about the situation we are concerned about. We’ll realize that God is working in our lives and guiding us through our difficulties and leading us to the solutions for our problems.
So speak louder than your fears! Say it out loud! Remind yourself who God is! Okay. You might be thinking, “Talk to myself?? That’s crazy!” Well, it’s not just yourself that you are talking to! The Bible talks about encouraging ourselves with God’s words; and even in Lamentations 3:24 it says “I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him” (NIV).
Grab some paper to do just this. Why not think through some of the words in the Bible about God and whatever inspires you, note it down and read it out loud! Declare the praises of God!
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
27 He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
Day 4: DECLARING HIS PRAISES
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1)
Let’s talk about habits; those things we do regularly, because we did them yesterday, the day before and the day before. You know… things like getting up on time for school. And you know; if you go to bed and get up at regular times, after a while you’ll just wake up at the right time, because your body clock has got used to it. Developing habits like waking up at the same time each day without an alarm only happens because you’ve done it on purpose. Maybe you’ve had to remind yourself to do it to start with and after a few weeks you got used to it, so you don’t need reminding now, because you’ve gotten into the habit of doing it. Stuff like eating an apple instead of a Mars bar, holding off spending your pocket money all at once or remembering to check your bag the night before you have sports at school. They are all habits we grow into.
I get up on a Saturday morning to go on a 5K run every week. This is the first time I’ve missed it in about 15 weeks and it feels so weird not doing it. It’s a good habit that I’ve only got used to because I’ve done it continually week in week out. I know that when I go running next week my body won’t freak out halfway round the course, because I’m used to it.
Can we look at the same verse we read yesterday? Is that okay? Yesterday we talked about speaking out the truth about God. Our fears shrink back as the truth about God is spoken and the lies of the enemy fade. The reason why our fears sometimes gain so much space in our minds is that some fears do actually alert us to real danger. Yet the problem is that a lot of our worries and fears that appear to be alerting us to danger are actually telling us lies. There is no danger. But when we feel we face uncertain or unknown situations, fear shouts at us with possible negative outcomes. We can end up believing these lies and get unnecessarily anxious. Therefore we need to identify the truth.
If you’ve ever had an argument with someone and discover they are telling lies, as soon as the truth is presented what happens to the lie? It disappears. People stop believing it. It has no power anymore.
This is why it is important to remind ourselves of the truth about God. When we discover who He is, we will come to realize His influence in our lives and how He will not let the lies of fear materialize. He will provide for you as you trust Him. But it is easy to forget what God is like. Especially as we hear so many things said about God that are not true!
So David, this man who temporarily forgot God and became so afraid in the presence of the king of the Philistines; what does he say is a good habit to have? “at all times… continually” to have God’s praise in our mouths. By declaring God’s praise on a regular basis, our minds are hearing it, the enemy is hearing it, God is hearing it and we are remembering it. And as we do this repeatedly our confidence will grow in God’s ability to deal with the things that worry us. The enemy shrinks back, as his lie has no power when the truth about God is presented.
Listening to fear is a bad habit which needs to be broken. It is broken by taking on some good habits. Regular, ongoing praise will lead you to know God more and to discover so much of His goodness.
Shall we talk to God about all this?
Father God. I want to see You for who You are. Would You help me to develop the practice of declaring Your praises every day? Thank You that You are present with me now. Please reveal more of what You are like. Show me more of You I pray.
Day 5: BOASTING IN THE BEST
“My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.” (Psalm 34:2)
A number of years back my older brother bought season tickets to see Arsenal play football at Highbury in London. We’d go and find some nearby street to park the car (actually miles from the venue) and walk-in. As we got closer to the stadium, more and more people wearing the familiar colours of red and white would appear. First, it was a couple and then a group, then several groups, until we found ourselves in a crowd.
It was quite daunting being in a crowd full of supporters, but even more overwhelming than that was the singing. I could never really understand it myself. You’d be walking down the street and some lad would be singing “And it's Arsenal (Arsenoool), Arsenal FC! We're by far the greatest team, the world has ever seen.” And I’m there thinking, no football team could ever be that great to motivate me to sing that about them in public. It’s cool if people want to do that, but my heart just doesn’t get that excited about a team for me to praise them like that.
And it got me thinking… why do people sing at football matches? So the Arsenal song is about encouraging their team, by saying “We believe in you. You are the best team there is.” It’s also meant to discourage the opposition, “You’ll never be able to beat the greatest team in the world.” So a lot about what football fans sing, is to do with boasting about how good their team or players are. A boast is to give glory.
Often we think about boasting as someone talking very highly about themselves, often about their own achievements, which let’s face it, no one likes a boaster! But boasting about God is something very different.
First of all it comes from within, “My soul makes its boast.” That inner part of you, your heart where you decide things, chooses to consider God and express it. This is an important moment where you can turn into words your expressions of appreciation and devotion to God. Declaring the truth about God and declaring that you believe it is your heart response to God. It’s all very well saying you know Jesus Christ was a man in history; that is truth. However to say you believe He is the Son of God and that there is none greater than Him, that is expressing the truth in faith. You are saying that your soul has made a connection with God and your words boast about who He is and the great things He has done.
Ok. You might be thinking, “How do I get my heart to boast about God? I would never know what to say!” Great question. A lot of people never get close to God when they pray because of this very thing. So how’s it done?
It starts by thinking on just one thing, or rather person, God. Let all else take second place for a while. The best way to discover what He is like is to read somewhere in the Bible that describes Him well. Take a look at Psalm 103. Why not read a sentence that describes God and think about it? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what Jesus and Father God are like. Then just wait and see what thoughts come to mind as you read that little sentence. Then when something comes to mind, tell God about it and how it describes Him. Turn these words into adoration as your soul shows its appreciation for God. As we do this God comes close.
Do you remember the other thing that boasting in your team does? It discourages the opposition! Our enemy who wants to sow lies and fears into our hearts can’t get close because of our one-to-ones with God. Our hearts are too full of God for the enemy to get a look in! We become a much tougher nut to crack when we boast in the Lord. Say it with your mouth, not just your thoughts – even if it’s just a whisper! You will hear what you are saying and realize that God is at work in your heart!
Why not find Psalm 103 in the Bible? Take some time to read it.
Why not take this moment to write God a letter? Forget asking Him for anything at the moment (although He absolutely loves to give good gifts to His children!) But just for a moment begin writing a letter to Father God, noticing what He is like and what you love about who He is.
If you feel inspired to draw something, maybe a picture about what God is like may come to mind. The Bible uses loads of picture language to describe God… a refuge and place of safety, a rock that is a firm foundation, a shield as our protector. God is all those things and many more besides!
Once you have something written down, why not read it out so your ears can hear it? It’ll do you the world of good! Let the humble hear and be glad!
Day 6: MUSIC TO YOUR EARS
“…let the humble hear and rejoice.” (Psalm 34:2)
Do you ever get those moments when you just feel like singing? You’ve got your headphones on with your favourite tune. It doesn’t matter who’s around or if it sounds any good, you just want to sing along. What about the echo you get when singing in the shower? The acoustics make the worst singer feel like they’re worth a go on the X Factor! On a good day I’ve sung along to the words of “Living on a prayer” by Bon Jovi (not sure it was a good day for those outside the bathroom). Obviously, headphones and the shower don’t mix! But yeah, the melody is just in your head and you just have to sing along.
There’s a melody that God wants you to catch a hold of. It’s a song of heaven which declares that His Kingdom is breaking into our world. You know, the Psalms are actually songs. In Old Testament days they didn’t have the Bible on smartphones or even in nicely printed books. To discover God’s word they would go to the Temple where it would be read. So the Psalms were songs written to music; and people would learn to sing them. I’m sure when you were young you learned your ABC? I expect you were taught it in a song, so that you would be able to remember it easily. I can still remember the tune!
Psalm 34 is a song declaring the truth about God so that we may be encouraged that we are cared for, watched over and loved by Almighty God. Our fears don’t have a chance! In it contains the evidence that God looks out for us. We’re also encouraged that when we search more for who He is for us, this leads us to be delivered from our fears!
In the bit we read today we see it is talking about the “humble.” This describes those who have been brought down by their circumstances. Other versions say “Let the afflicted hear and rejoice,” which describes someone who is experiencing ongoing suffering. I know if I was afflicted I would find it difficult to rejoice, but that is the very thing encouraged to do. Why? There are two reasons:
Firstly you have reason to be encouraged because your answer is coming; and secondly because as you declare and thank in faith you are expressing a trust in God that He is willing to meet your needs.
Imagine you have a younger brother or sister. They are doing their homework and are struggling with a Maths problem and you know that you are able to help them with it. So you go up to them and ask what the problem is. Imagine they don’t want to tell you. It’s hard to be able to help them if they won’t let you in. What if you take a look anyway and begin to explain to them how to do the sum, but they don’t believe you have the right answer even when you tell them? Putting our trust in God is a little like your younger brother or sister putting their trust in you to solve the Maths problem. We have to let God in and believe that He knows what He is doing, instead of being afraid that His solution will be the wrong one.
So why not take in deeply this melody of heaven that comes through the words of the Psalm. It’s more than a song; it describes the ethos of heaven – the way God’s Kingdom works. It’s a Kingdom where God is the King and where those who look to the King for safety are welcomed and provided for as Princes and Princesses. Oh how much we can boast in God and His goodnesses!
May the words of this Psalm encourage you to see how much your Heavenly Father loves you and will work on your behalf as you let Him in.
Father God. I need you. Please help me to understand the ethos of Heaven, this melody that communicates how You do things. Help me to leave fear behind and to take steps closer to You. In Jesus’ name!
Day 7: UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!” (Psalm 34:3)
Something freaked me out the other day. I was in a science place and they had this digital microscope for us to try out. They had some rocks which we could place under the microscope lens and it would show up on a screen. It was super cool, although after a while the rocks got a bit boring, so me and Henry (he’s nine years old), started thinking of what else we could put under there. Things like dead bugs and bogies came to mind, but since neither of those was available, we just focused the scope on our fingers.
It was incredible! The screen showed up our fingerprints like massive ridges, and tiny little specks could be seen so clearly. Unfortunately, it was then that I got bit of a shock. I caught a look under my fingernail and there was some seriously weird black crusty stuff that was even worse than a bogey! It was disgusting! I couldn’t believe it as I’d been biting my nails just the other day! I needed soap and I needed it right away!
Okay before I make you feel ill, I’m going somewhere with this thought… You see it’s possible to focus in on the wrong things and to magnify them out of all proportion. I’d gone days, weeks, years, maybe even my whole life with crusty bits under my nails. The fact is we carry around all sorts of crud under our nails – which is why hand-washing before food is a good idea! But, you know we don’t worry about those things unless we notice them; and when we didn’t notice them, they weren’t an issue.
When we begin to worry about stuff, we can accidentally magnify them to the point where we get spooked or freak out. Fear is faith in the wrong things. It is a belief that our troubles are bigger than God. Often we have only come to this conclusion because we have put our fears under the microscope and thought about them way too much, which has had the effect of magnifying them.
David had his enemies. I guess if we were to take that one story of David being before the king of Gath on its own and put that under the microscope, it would appear that he had more enemies than friends. But that wasn’t true. The people sang songs about him, they loved him. He was chosen to be king. God had a plan for him. Yes, there were a few powerful people against him; but as we see, they couldn’t harm him because God was his protector. If you read on from 1 Samuel 21, you will see the challenges he faces and how God meets them all for him.
It’s a funny word “magnify,” especially when it’s talking about God. What does it really mean? Well, they didn’t have microscopes in those days; but to magnify was to discover the evidence about a person that makes them great and to declare it. By discovering the goodness of God, His great works and declaring them is bringing God glory, it is magnifying God; showing people His greatness.
Now here’s the important bit... when we declare these things we are saying we agree with the evidence provided. Sometimes fear can provide false evidence by saying “You’ve failed in the past, you’re no good and it’s going to happen to you again.” That’s a lie. Don’t believe it! Replace that lie with the truth.
This is your moment to bring counter-evidence to declare that God is greater, that He is working on your behalf. You’ll find the evidence in the Bible, in your life, by looking at creation; there’s plenty of evidence to put under the microscope.
Shall we pray? Father God. I thank You that the Bible declares that You are the King over all. Nothing can separate me from Your love for me. You have good plans to prosper me and not to harm me. You make all things work together for my good according to Your purposes. I know that You are always working and that You will provide for all my needs!
Day 8: SEARCHING FOR I AM
“I sought the Lord and He answered me…” (Psalm 34:4)
I’m sure you’re well used to searching for stuff. Nowadays it’s so easy. Want to get your dad a vintage toy for Christmas or a special box of chocs for mum? A quick search online will get you a price. Or maybe you’re talking with a friend about a particular actor whose name you can’t remember. It takes just a few seconds to find the answer. It’s quick; it’s easy, no time wasted.
Well, it didn’t used to be that way! Before the internet, there was a phone book called the “Yellow Pages.” You’d have to look under the list for retailers, and then look for the type of shop. Once you’d found it in the list you would either call them up or pop into the shop in the hope they would have what you wanted. If it was information you were looking for, you’d have to go to the library! It took some searching.
Yesterday we talked about discovering the evidence of God’s greatness in order to “magnify” God and truly understand who He is. David tells us in the Psalm “I sought the Lord” and we could ask the question “Did he lose God?” or “Was God hiding from him?” Neither of those is what David is getting at.
What David was after, was for God to be close to him. You know when you are getting to know a friend. You take time to be around them. When you meet up, you might talk about what someone said to you that day, a clip you saw on TV, or something that happened to you. It’s relationship; and that’s what Jesus invites us to with Him. It might be that when you’re talking to your friend, they tell you that maybe their Gran is sick or they are going through a hard time. You might say to them “I’m here for you,” and “let me know if you need anything or want to chat.” Those words encourage your friend that they know who you are for them at this time.
So when we seek the Lord, we are after God showing us who He is for us in whatever we are facing. This is a great question to ask God “Who are You for me in this?”
You see, God wants you to seek Him so He can reveal what He is like to you. Then you’ll know in your heart that He is with you and how He is working on your behalf.
There’s a key phrase in the Bible where God reveals what He is like. This phrase always begins with “I am.” Jesus used it when He said “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” describing that He leads us to God the Father, He is the true Son of God, and that He is the source of life. So maybe you decide to take some time to seek God and you are uncertain about the future, you might ask Him “Who are You for me in this?” Maybe God will bring to your mind “I am the way,” and you are assured that Jesus is guiding you through those uncertain times and your heart is filled with peace about it all, knowing your future is secure.
There’s loads of these “I am” sayings in the Old Testament. “I am the Lord who heals you” tells us of God’s power to make us physically well. “I am the God who sees,” (Genesis 16:13) communicating that God sees your situation and will bring you justice. Now just like when we talked about searching for things, God loves to speak immediately, and yet at other times He leads us on a journey of discovery which takes a bit longer. How do we search for God then?
So let God reveal to you who He is by reading about Him and think deeply as you read, so that when you come up against a difficulty you can remind yourself “I don’t need to be stressed about this, God says ‘I am your provider.’ You’ll find Abraham calling a place “The Lord will provide” in Genesis 22:14, and with him, you can say “I know that in the place of testing my Father God will provide for me.” Now as you turn the page I want to lead you into an exercise in hearing from God…
TAKE TIME TO PRAY
You can do this literally anywhere! You don’t have to get into a “spiritual zone” or anything like that. God loves to talk to us in a way that is in the natural every day. So even if you’re in a coffee house, it’s cool, God can speak to you here too.
So all I want you to do is to read the bit of Psalm 34 that we’ve got to so far…
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me; And in your heart (so it doesn’t have to be out loud), ask the Lord to speak to you and to show you who He is.
You might be thinking, “How do I know if God is speaking to me?” There’s two important things to realize about God speaking. Firstly a lot of people expect a vision or a dream, but God also speaks to us in our thoughts. For example, if I were to get you to think of a piece of cake, you would see it in your minds-eye, but it wouldn’t be in physical form in front of your eyes. God often speaks in our mind’s eye, with pictures or words.
Secondly, I often recognize God speaking randomly and not along my current train of thought. So I might be thinking about what I am about to do next, and then a God idea just pops into my head. It’s random, I wasn’t trying to think of something, I could be reading or just waiting for something and then in comes that thought; be it a word, an idea, a phrase or a picture and I just give it my attention, write it down and God will develop it as I write. Of course, once I’ve written it, if it doesn’t make sense or contradicts the Bible, then it’s not God and it goes in the bin! But that actually doesn’t happen that much, as God loves to talk to His children!
Anyway… back where we were. Have another read of those verses across the page… Now in your heart (so it doesn’t have to be out loud), ask the Lord to speak to you and to show you who He is. Write or draw what comes to mind. If it’s just one word, that’s a start!
Day 9: DON’T BE AFRAID
“I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)
Some time ago I had an attack of fear. Following a staff meeting, I discovered that my job was under review. Someone high up in the organization believed that my job should completely change and I left that meeting concerned that I would be out of a job. I felt it was completely the wrong decision, but I felt powerless to be able to do anything about it. But more than that, it weighed heavy on me. I felt a tightening in my chest, like a stress or fear. Then whenever I thought about the situation a wave of panic would hit me. Not a nice feeling at all. My fears were getting to me.
But I remember the moment. I was praying on my bed and as I got up to get on with my day, I felt God speak to me very strongly “Don’t be afraid.” It gives me goosebumps just talking about it. It was just a thought in my mind, but as those three words came into my mind I felt a peace inside and a strength to face things at work. It was powerful.
Well, things developed over a significant period of time (probably more than a year). Occasionally I would hear things that had been said about it and get updates on the progress. Sometimes there were worrying developments; but whenever that happened I would say to my fears, “The Lord says to me ‘Don’t be afraid,’ so I refuse to be afraid.” Again my heart would fill with peace.
You see the Bible reveals God to us as a rescuer, a deliverer from evil and a Saviour. He absolutely loves His children and will give us what we need to make it through those tough times. No doubt we all have to face tough times; it is part of life. However, the Bible tells us about God in Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;” which means that in the presence of fear, God is ready to provide all we need. Imagine the enemy trying to rob us of our peace, and there we are happily sitting down eating away enjoying God’s peace about it all.
“I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Why have we been looking at praise and discovering who God is as the antidote for fear? It is because He is the only one who is able to shield us from its attacks and provide for us to do well, when in all honesty we should be a complete mess! Here is a promise for you from the Lord. “I will deliver you from all of your fears. Say to your fears ‘The Lord says “Do not be afraid.” Therefore be gone fear in Jesus’ name!’”
This is not about saying magic words. As we seek God and discover who He is, our connection with Him brings freedom and the power to say those things with authority. Does that mean you have to be super-spiritual and pray five hours-a-day? No it means that in your everyday living you invite God into your space. Ask Him to be your deliverer. Take time with Him and you will gain from him the strength you need for today. Don’t worry about tomorrow. One day at a time. Trust Him for the next day.
Maybe you are wondering how my job situation turned out? The plans came to nothing! And the person high up in the organization stepped down from their job!
Fear can be a force for evil. But we can come against it in the name of the Lord. There will be trials and like that picture on the other side of the page, times when things seem to be closing in on us. However, we are protected by the King upon the throne, who is also the best loving Father we could ever have. Shall we talk to Him now?
Father God. I thank You that it says in the Bible a lot of times “Don’t be afraid,” because You want us to be free from negative fears that lie to us about dangers that aren’t real. Thank You that Your word tells me that You can deliver me from all my fears. I give them to You now.
Day 10: WITH RADIANT FACES
“Those who look to Him are radiant,” (Psalm 34:5)
There’s a high chance that like me, you too will one day get to marry your beloved. I remember it like it was yesterday; that moment as I stood at the front of the church, looking down the aisle with my brother Dave as my best man standing beside me. I waited with anticipation to see my wife-to-be as news came of her arrival. Then I caught a glimpse of her; seeing her took my breath away. She was stunning. There she was gliding up the aisle with the most enchanting smile, eyes fixed on me.
At that moment everything became a blur… no I’m not using sentimental language, it all became a blur, because a wee tear filled up my eye and my contact lens fell out onto the floor! Thankfully, when planning the wedding I thought it was worth handing Dave a spare lens in case things got emotional. During the first song Dave got out a new lens and I saw her close up… laughing at me.
We just read the words “Those who look to Him are radiant,” words that aptly described Debs my bride on that special day. People notice the groom and the best man and the ushers at a wedding, but it is the bride that most people remember. She is a picture of beauty. That is a day that we aim to look our best. Those who are radiant have faces shining with joy and people notice, as it is such a pleasant thing to behold.
But hang on a sec… weren’t we just talking about people going through times of fear? Normally when tough times hit, we don’t tend to look our best. Worry has a look about it and it certainly isn’t radiance!
God is offering us a choice. We can either look to our fears; and go through various scenarios in our minds, “What if he says this?” or “What if they ask me to do this?” or “What if this happens?” Or we can fix our eyes on Jesus and look to Him. Just as my bride was looking to me and her face radiated joy, so as we put our trust in Jesus during the tough times, letting go of tendencies to worry; a joy will come to our hearts and it will show on our faces.
This is a promise from Father God to you. When you “look to Him;” He will be the One guiding your life as your source of strength, so you can face your fears with confidence. You’ll soon see that your fears are lying about the outcome of your situation. Jesus is working on your behalf and He is in charge of the outcome, to deliver you from evil.
Take a look at Luke 12:22-31 to see what Jesus Himself says.
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a] 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,[b] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his[c] kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
You know it’s easy to be concerned about tomorrow and be filled with dread. But actually, there isn’t a thing we can do about tomorrow’s tasks until tomorrow comes around. So if you are preparing for tomorrow, if it’s revising for exams, preparing to do a show, planning for an interview, or whatever, your job today is to prepare and not to worry. Your job tomorrow is to do. So why not approach today’s tasks with joy, knowing that Father God is getting things ready for tomorrow.
There is one other thing we can do about tomorrow and that is pray. Tell Jesus about your worries, fears and concerns, as well as your hopes. The Bible says “Cast your cares upon the Lord, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Maybe you have a busy time ahead of you and you don’t know how you will fit it all in.
In my role as Youth Pastor, I’ve planned a fair few events in my time. And you know what? There’s a whole lot of variables in planning those bad boys. I won’t even start with the list – too much to go wrong! In the end I felt God speak to me and say “Just let Me fill in the gaps that you can’t.” I began to ask Him to do that. And you know what? So many times the things I didn’t have covered got covered, as God stepped in where I wasn’t enough. He wants you to lean on Him in this way too. So why not ask?
Take time to ask God now.
We hope you got closer to God during these last 10 days. If you want to experience all 40 days of Paul Martin's devotional you can buy the book via this link: mybook.to/psalm34. Just copy and paste it into your URL.
Now that you've taken steps to conquer your fear, let's begin to take your life to the next level and Trailblaze Your Teen Years!