Monday, February 27, 2012

"Perfect Love Casts Out Fear" 1 John 4:18


I was praying this morning and had this scripture come to my mind constantly, like a flood. So, I thought to go read it over in the Bible and then after some time I thought to google it to read some thoughts from others. I found this one right away by Joyce Meyer and it spoke volumes to me. I hope it will Bless you too!! jsk
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Perfect Love Casts Out Fear  by Joyce Meyer


Do you suffer from fear or insecurity? What about the fear of lack? Are you worried that God won't come through for you? 
I have been there too.
I have been literally worried sick about so many things, including my past, my future, my finances, what people thought about me. And because I couldn't get my mind off of my problems, I found myself in a place of utter torment.

But we do not have to fear that God doesn't love us or that He won't come through for us in our time of need. We need to learn to accept the reality of His love for us, so that our fears do not control us.
First John 4:18 says that perfect love casts out fear. If you're afraid of facing a person or a situation in your life, God's love can help you put your fears to rest.

The Cure for Insecurity

Because I had been abused in my childhood and was fearful of being hurt or taken advantage of, I became very insecure. And I spent many years trying to control everything and everyone in my life.
Instead of trying to control and manipulate people, I needed to learn to trust God, pray, and believe that He would do what was best for me at the right time. Most of all, I needed to abide in His love.
First John 4:16 points out that we should be conscious of God's love. It needs to be more than just a biblical fact for us…we need to experience it daily.
Several years ago I was so desperate for a revelation of God's love that I began to keep a journal of the things He did in my life that I believed displayed His love. No matter how small they were, I recorded them.
When people gave me things, I recorded it. When I was shown favor in situations, I recorded it. When God answered prayers and did things for me that I had requested, I recorded it…
This process helped me become conscious of His love, and I began to heal. I found out that the love of God is the cure for the insecure.

Overcoming the Fear of Lack

Another major fear people face is the fear of lack. The fear that your needs won't be met—that God won't come through for you in time.
You may be in a situation that you've never been in before, facing all kinds of new responsibilities. You may have needs that are beyond your resources and the spirit of fear is attacking you, telling you that you aren't going to make it. You may feel like nobody else cares. But God cares.
In fact, Hebrews 13:5-6 says you can trust God to come to your rescue.
Even when it seems that absolutely nothing is happening in your life, He is working. Beloved, God has a good plan for you, and He'll manifest it right on time.
If you need financial support, He'll provide. If it's physical support you need, He'll sustain you. If you need emotional support, He'll comfort you. He'll nourish you and bring you back to a place of strength.
God is for you. He is not against you. Satan is against you, but the greater One lives in you!

Let Nothing Separate You from God's Love

During hard times and moments of insecurity, Satan works overtime trying to convince us that God doesn't love us—that if He did, either we wouldn't be in this situation, or He would've delivered us by now.
I confess with my own mouth the truth that God does love me during these attacks of fear. And I encourage you to say several times a day with confidence, "God loves me!" Don't allow the devil to steal this truth from you.
Romans 8:38-39, which I pray will comfort you right now (I am praying this as well.. jsk), says:
For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
As long as you refuse to let anything separate you from God's love, you will have the victory.

After reading this I read all of 1 John 4 in the Amplified version andit blew me away - mind, heart... soul.. All of me.http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John+4&version=AMP

I pray that it will do the same for you, that it will draw you closer
to Him today.

For the Glory of God!
jsk