1 John 4:16-18 ~ "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
How many times in His Word does God tell his children not to fear. Then He promises He will be with us, take care of our every need, make everything work out for our good, etc...so many promises that He loves us and will never leave us.
Yet when hard times come, we forget His promises and believe the lie and succumb to fear. So this song was a good reminder that I should not believe fear because fear is not from God. It's from the evil one.
Fear is a Liar
by Zach Williams
When he told you you’re not good enough
When he told you you’re not right
When he told you you’re not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you’re not worthy
When he told you you’re not loved
When he told you you’re not beautiful
That you’ll never be enough
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
When he told you you were troubled
You’ll forever be alone
When he told you you should run away
You’ll never find a home
When he told you you were dirty
And you should be ashamed
When he told you you could be the one
That grace could never change
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
Songwriters: Jason Ingram / Zach Williams / Jonathan Lindley Smith
When he told you you’re not right
When he told you you’re not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you’re not worthy
When he told you you’re not loved
When he told you you’re not beautiful
That you’ll never be enough
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
When he told you you were troubled
You’ll forever be alone
When he told you you should run away
You’ll never find a home
When he told you you were dirty
And you should be ashamed
When he told you you could be the one
That grace could never change
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar
Songwriters: Jason Ingram / Zach Williams / Jonathan Lindley Smith
Fear Is a Liar lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Essential Music Publishing
It was a pretty quiet week which is good once in a while. I
had no appointments on Tuesday, just a quiet day doing laundry and a little
cleaning.
Christy came down last Sunday to see Andy at Care One. I met
her there and we visited with him for about an hour. She decided she is able to
do that every Sunday, and today she brought Christian and Claire, as well. Dawn
met us today, too, and we had a nice time together.
Andy is not doing well. He makes the effort to engage and
join in the conversation when we're all together. But it's difficult to
understand him when he "talks." And I'm sure he doesn't follow our conversation.
He needs assistance in nearly everything he does, all daily living activities.
He's confused and doesn't understand simple instructions. When I tell him he
needs to wash his hands, I have to direct him to the sink, turn on the water,
put his hands under the water, pump the soap in his hands, rub his hands
together, rinse the soap off, turn the water off, then take the towel and dry
his hands for him.
"Activities of daily living (ADL) are routine activities that people tend to do every day without needing assistance. There are six basic ADLs: eating, dressing, toileting, transferring (walking) and continence."
It's distressing and depressing to see him like this. But he still recognizes me and tells me every day that he loves me. So there's the spark of good in this pain.
Our pastoral and office staff are currently reading through Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald. In chapter 11, he refers to E. Stanley Jones, who was a Methodist missionary to India. When he was very old, he had a debilitating stroke that left him immobile and virtually speechless. But not faithless. "I need no outer props to hold up my faith," he wrote, "for my faith holds me." MacDonald gives five spiritual exercises that are of critical importance to help us to have Jones's perspective and endurance in hard times. They are: the pursuit of silence and solitude; singing; regularly listening to God; the experience of reflection and meditation; and prayer as worship and intercession.
I resonated with all of those, but was especially encouraged with his including singing. My voice isn't what it used to be, but music still has an important place in my life. It has a way of ministering to my inner most being.
Another song that has meant a lot to me is No Longer Slaves. I'm a child of God, surrounded by the arms of the Father, He drowns my fears in perfect love. If God can split the sea so the Israelites could walk right through it, shouldn't He be able to take care of my needs, too?
Psalm 34:4 ~ "I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears."
I resonated with all of those, but was especially encouraged with his including singing. My voice isn't what it used to be, but music still has an important place in my life. It has a way of ministering to my inner most being.
Another song that has meant a lot to me is No Longer Slaves. I'm a child of God, surrounded by the arms of the Father, He drowns my fears in perfect love. If God can split the sea so the Israelites could walk right through it, shouldn't He be able to take care of my needs, too?
Psalm 34:4 ~ "I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears."
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