I will not be afraid

Psalm 34:4“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.… He freed me from all my fears.”

There are many things in such a world as ours that can bring fear into human hearts–fear of want, fear of war, fear of rejection, fear of the dark, and a multitude of others. Some fears are rational, some are foolish, but all are very serious to those who experience them.

The good news of the gospel, however, can set us free from every fear. Remember that fear entered the world when sin entered the world. “I was afraid,” Adam explained, when God found him hiding in the garden after eating the forbidden fruit

Genesis 3:10 He(Adam) replied, "I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked."

The second reference to fear in the Bible, on the other hand, was when the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, telling him "not to be afraid"

Genesis 15:1Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great."

The Lord protects us and provides for us; we have His Word and need not be afraid

Psalm 23:4Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

At least 19 times in the New Testament we hear the words “fear not” or “do not be afraid” on the lips of Christ. Whenever phobias beset us or fears discourage us, deliverance is ours when we seek the Lord.

Then “we may boldly say

Hebrews 13:6So we can say with confidence,"The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?"

Even if we must sometimes “suffer for righteousness’ sake

1 Peter 3:14But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats.,

Perhaps the greatest fear of all is the fear of death, but the Lord delivers us even from this fear, for He has conquered death. In His glorified body, He said,

Revelation 1:17-18

When I saw him(This is John), I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he(Jesus) laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last.I am the living one. I died, but look-I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.“

In die Bybel lees ons van twee tipes vrees.

Die eerste een is voordelig en moet aangemoedig word.

Die tweede een is tot ons nadeel en moet oorwin word

Die eerste een is om God te vrees. Nie noodwendig letterlik nie, maar deur om 'n eerbiedige ontsag vir Sy almag en Heerlikheid te koester.

Om ook 'n heilige eerbied vir Sy toorn te he as Hy dalk sou kwaad word.

Dit is bloot dat ek erken dat God wel is wie Hy se Hy is. Hierdie vrees gaan gepaard met talle seeninge en voordele.

Ps.111:10 se dat dit die begin van wysheid is

Spreuke 1:7 Kennis begin met die dien van die Here; dit is net dwase wat wysheid en opvoeding gering ag

So hierdie vrees is nie werklik 'n vrees nie maar ontsag, respek en kennis van God,wie Hy is en waartoeHy instaat is.

…Die tweede tipe vrees is :

Nie voordelig nie , dit is 'n gees van vreesagtig of lafhartigheid.Hierdie gees kom nie van God nie. Maar daar kom tye wanneer hierdie gees mens oorval en om hierdie gees te beveg moet ons God onvoorwaardelik lief he, in Hom glo, en te alle tye ten volle op Hom vertrou.

Die gees wat ons van God ontvang is

"Die Gees wat God ons gegee het , maak onsimmers nie lafhartig nie, maar vul ons met krag en liefde en selfbeheersing"

Liefde verdryf vrees

…1 Joh. 4:18-19"Waar liefde is , is daar geen vrees nie, maar volkome liefde verdryf alle vrees, want vrees verwag straf , en wie nog vrees, het nie volkome liefde nie, ons het lief omdat God ons eerste lief gehad het."

Niemand is volmaak nie en God weet dit , daarom het Hy die hele bybel besprinkle met bemoedigende beloftes dat ons nie bevrees of bang hoef te wees nie, 'n totaal van 365 kere staan daar in die bybel dat ons nie bang moet wees nie, een vir elke dag van die jaar.

Van Gen. tot Openb. herhinner God ons om nie te vrees of bang te wees nie.

Jes.41:10Moenie bang wees nie want Ek is met jou, ek sal jou krag gee, ek sal jou help, .

Hoe dikwels is ons nie bang of onseker wat die toekoms gaan oplewer nie.

Jesus verseker ons in

Mat. 10:31"Moenie bang wees nie God sorg vir ons"

Hierdie paar verse dek baie vorms van vrees.

God verseker ons dat ons nie bang moet wees om :

Alleen te wees nie

Te swak te wees nie

Nie gehoor sal word nie

Of vir gebrek aan die nodige behoeftes en noodsaaklikhede te he nie:

In Ps.56:12"In God stelek my vertroue , ek is nie bang nie. Wat kan 'n mens aan my doen?"

Om vrees te oorwin is om God tenvolle te vertrou.

As jy op God vertrou , beteken dit dat jy weier om toe te gee aan vrees.

Hierdie vertoue kry jy slegs as jy God ken en weet dat Hy goed is.

Dat selfs in die donkerste oomblike jy Hom kan vertrou deur te glo dat Hy in beheer is.

Job het gese terwyl hy van sy moeilikste tye in sy lewe beleef het

Job 13:15"Al maak God my dood steeds sal ek Hom vertrou"…

Eers as ons geleer het om al ons vertroue in God te plaas, sal ons nie bang wees wanneer onsekerheid en angs ons oorval nie.

Kom ons kyk na driebaie belangrikebeloftes wat eintlik 'n lewenswyse vir alle kinders van die Here moet wees, ons moet dit glo en toepas in ons lewens. Maar hierdie beloftes het voorwaardes wat daarmee saam gaan. Ons lees dit party keer net gedeeltelik en dan besef ons nie ons verantwoordelikheid ten opsigte van God se belofte nie.

Luk.12:22-34En Hy het aan sy dissipels gesÔö£┬¼: Daarom sÔö£┬¼ Ek vir julle: Moenie julle kwel oor jul lewe, wat julle sal eet, of oor jul liggaam, wat julle sal aantrek nie. …Die lewe is meer as die voedsel en die liggaam as die klere. Kyk na die kraaie, want hulle saai nie en hulle maai nie; hulle het geen voorraadkamer of skuur nie, en tog voed God hulle. Hoeveel meer is julle nie werd as die voÔö£┬¢ls nie! …En wie onder julle kan, deur hom te kwel, een el by sy lengte voeg? As julle dan selfs nie die geringste kan doen nie, waarom kwel julle jul oor die ander dinge? …Kyk na die lelies, hoe hulle groei: hulle arbei nie en hulle spin nie; en Ek sÔö£┬¼ vir julle, selfs Salomo in al sy heerlikheid was nie bekleed soos een van hulle nie. …As God dan die gras van die veld wat vandag daar is en mÔö£Ôöñre in 'n oond gegooi word, so beklee, hoeveel meer vir julle, kleingelowiges! Julle moet ook nie soek wat julle sal eet of wat julle sal drink nie, en julle nie ongerus maak nie; …want al hierdie dinge soek die nasies van die wÔö£┬¼reld, en julle Vader weet dat julle hierdie dinge nodig het. Maar soek die koninkryk van God, en al hierdie dinge sal vir julle bygevoeg word. …Moenie bang wees nie, klein kuddetjie, want julle Vader het 'n welbehae daarin gehad om aan julle die koninkryk te gee. …Verkoop julle besittings en gee aalmoese; maak vir julle beurse wat nie oud word nie, 'n skat in die hemel wat onuitputlik is, waar geen dief by kom of mot verteer nie. Want waar julle skat is, daar sal julle hart ook wees.

Die Tweede gedeelte is ook van toepassing

Mat7:7-12

7 Bid, en vir julle sal gegee word; soek, en julle sal vind; klop, en vir julle sal oopgemaak word. …8 Want elkeen wat bid, ontvang; en hy wat soek, vind; en vir hom wat klop, sal oopgemaak word. …9 Of watter mens is daar onder julle wat, as sy seun hom brood vra, aan hom 'n klip sal gee; …10 en as hy 'n vis vra, aan hom 'n slang sal gee? …11 As julle wat sleg is, dan weet om goeie gawes aan julle kinders te gee, hoeveel te meer sal julle Vader wat in die hemele is, goeie dinge gee aan die wat Hom bid! …12Alles wat julle dan wil hÔö£┬¼ dat die mense aan julle moet doen, net so moet julle aan hulle ook doen; want dit is die wet en die profete.

Die Derde riglyn tot 'n kommerlose lewe is

16Laat julle lig sÔö£Ôöé skyn voor die mense, dat hulle julle goeie werke kan sien en julle Vader wat in die hemele is, verheerlik.

Kom ons begin by vers 12 en werk danterug

Mat.6:25-34 en Luk12:22-34se voorwaarde is dat as ek te alle tye die koninkryk van God en sy geregtigheid soek, dan hoef ek my nie te bekommer oor wat more gaan gebeur nie, nie oor my lewe nie, wat ek moet aantrek of waar ek gaan bly nie, en ook nie bekommer wat ek gaan eet nie, dat net ongelowiges hulle daar oor bekommer.

God belowe nie genoeg voedsel of 'n gerieflike lewe nie – Hy belowe dat jy genoeg sal he sodat jy Sy wil kan doen .

He will provide in our needs not our greeds and He will not sacrifice our holiness for out happiness.

Philipians 4:12-13,1912 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Ons begin weer by vers 12 en kyk na die resiltaat

Mat.7:7-12 se dat as ek alle mense behandel soos wat ek behandel wil word en aan hulle doen wat ek aan my self gedoen wil he, dan mag ek vra en ek sal ontvang, ek mag klop en vir my sal oopgemaak word, en wat ek soek ek sal vind.

Mat. 5:16 se dat waar ek ookal gaan, my optrede en dit wat ek se van so 'n aard moet wees dat as die mense dit sien my Vader in die Hemel verheerlik moet word, en nie ek nie.

Rom 8:28 leer ons dat " On sweet dat God alles ten geode laat meewerk vir die wat Hom lief het , die wat volgens Sy besluit geroep".

Die boodskap wat jy saam met jou moet vat is :" Wanneer jy ten tye van swaarkrynie Sy hand nie kan sien nie, vertrou dan Sy woord en Sy Vader Hart, weet dan verseker dat Hy jou nie verlaat het nie Heb13:5

Heb13:5Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."

Ons moet dan ook besef dat as ons tot God nader in gebed dat Hy ons hoor en dat Hy verstaan , maar dat on sons moet berus in die wete dat:

Sy tyd is nie ons tyd nie,

Sy gedagtes nie ons gedagtes nie

Sy tydsberekening nie noodwendig met ons planne sal ooreenstem nie

As van my verwag word om te wag , wil Hy dalk vir my eers iets leer terwyl ek wag

Ek sien nie die volle prent nie maar Hy wel

Hy weet wanneer ek gereed is dan sal Hy my alles gee.

Hy weet alle dinge , ek weet niksl

Hy sal alles ten geode laat meewerk vir

Ek wee twat ek wil he Hy wee twat ek nodig het.

Ek ken my begeertes Hy ken my behoeftes

Ek moet tevrede wees met wat Hy my gee, self al is dit nie wat ek verwag het nie.

Dan moet ek Hom vra.

Om my te gee wat Hy weet ek nodig het

My te voorsien van werk wat Hy vir my voorberei het

My van daaglikse brood te voorsieno provide me with daily bread

'n Dak oor my kop

Dat ek hom die versekering sal gee om Sy koninkryk uit te bou

Date k my lig so gaan sky sodat Sy Naam verheerlik kan word.

Dan sal jy ontdek dat, jy tevrede is, geluk en vrede beleef ,genoeg van alles het, selfs genoeg het om met ander te deel of selfs weg te gee.

Wat as daar teleurstellings op die pad gaan kom?

Alles werk nie altyd uit soos wat mens dit verwag nie want:

Sy pas is partykeer vinniger as wat ek gereken het

Sy verwagtinge is soms moeiliker as wat ek verwag het

Sy pad is dalk steiler as wat ek my voorgestel het

Sy belonging nie altyd kompenseer vir die stampe, stoteen knuesplekke wat ek langs die pad moes verduur nie.

Ten tye van teleurstellings moet ek altyd onthou om te:

Kyk na die seeninge langs die pad wat spreek van genade

Terug kyk na die kruis

Vorentoe sal kyk na die Troon

Nooit sal vergeet dat Jesus vir ond gely en gesterf het nie

Op sal kyk na Sy heerlikheid waar Hy in tree vir ons by Die Vader

Sal onthou dat die Heilige Gees in ons lewe

Daar sal tye kom wanneer ons op die kruin gaan wees maar ook laagtepunte waar ons onder in die valei gaan moet loop

Daar is beslis 'n baie belangrikke skakel tussen die twee , wat ek moet onthou en dit is dat in die krag van Hom wat ek aanbid op die kruin, daardie selfde krag my gaan toerus, om wat ookal vir my voorle onder in die valei, ek in staat sal wees om dit te kan trotseer en die hoof te bied.

"Ek is tot alles instaat deur Christus wat my krag gee"

My reply was :

First of all, get an organized plan going and work it through step by step.

Take your plan to the Lord

Ask Him to check your plan and allow Him to make changes

Start praying for the doors that God will be opening for you .

Don't sit back and wait for the door to open it does not happen that way

Stand up in faith and walk towards the door expecting it to open as you get there.

If you get there and the door does not open, remain on your feet, look for other opportunities that He has placed there and grab hold of it in anticipation of the door will be opening soon, but whatever you do, don't take your eyes off the door, maybe the Lord wants you to do something else first, to prepare you for the task ahead behind that closed door. See this as another opportunity not just a door that is closed, or one that God will be opening in the not so distant future.

All this, is an expression of our faith not just a prayer that we expect the Lord to answer, just because we happened to ask Him, as if it's His duty to give us what we want when we want it, with no action or responsibility what so ever from our side.

Abraham had to get up in faith trusting that the Lord would provide a lamb

Noah had to respond in faith, Moses, David , Daniel and many more.

God wants us to live structured, orderly lives within His will according to His plan and promises.

He created us just a fraction less than the angles with wonderful attributes that would enables us to make our own decisions, He gave us talents and gifts to create, design and plan our lives in such a way that would please Him, then He blesses us with wonderfully with wisdom, peace and foresight to mention just a few, to strengthen our faith to always , unconditionally believe in Him, He provides us with enough faith to trust Him in every facet of our for our lives, for us to ultimately glorify Him and Him alone.

He did not create us to just follow and obey Him like zombie's, robots or puppets.

So when we ask Him for help or guide us in a specific area of our lives, He expects from us to use these attributes and common sense that He provided us with, to prepare, cultivate, plan and structure our lives according to His will and plan for us (In your case Leonie and your life together as husband and wife)

There will be times in your life when He would require from you to make decisions, in your personal life but also regarding your family life where God has appointed you as Priest, Prophet and King, responsible for their welfare and happiness, and the decisions that you make now and in the future will have far reaching consequences.

Left with the responsibility of not always knowing what to do, rests on your shoulders, it sometimes leaves you feeling helpless but mostly alone and this gives way for the enemy to attack, how you deal with that directly or indirectly effects your family as well.

Knowing what I can not do does not allow me to fail to do in faith what I am supposed or called to do, it is called responsibility (my response to His ability)

Knowing what God requires from you to do, take charge and do it without delay then leave the rest for Him to do in His time and He will do it.

Knowing that It is going to take time, dedication, effort, self discipline etc.

Knowing that He will help me every step of the way towards my goal

(The door is still closed but I dare not take my eyes of it, I must complete what I have to do. He will then do what He has to do.)

God wouldn't want you to start your life in disarray without planning it properly, wouldn't you rather depend on Him to help you with the foundation, the floor, the walls and then with the windows in the right place and at the right time ?

This wedding can not be arranged until you are absolutely sure of the most important aspects of your future life together.

I don't want my daughter or for that matter your future wife expecting a wedding, planned for a certain day complete with dress, cake, venue, invitations, photographer, guests etc. Just to tell her it's not going to happen just because your proverbial ducks were not in a row.

To give you an idea all the above items mentioned require a non refundableupfront deposit if the dates are cancelled or changed for whatever reason you lose it.

You can not plan you future by insisting that the wedding must be arranged first and then you will start planning your future, your Job, finances, house, etc.

Planning a wedding involves many parties as well as circumstances, considering individuals, every one involved as well as timing , for instance Karen's baby's due date was known long before your 'planning' started.

Riana would want to give all her attention to both our daughter's events and I can not see any reason what so ever why we can not plan it properly.

I can sense Leonie is not happy about the present arrangement and I wouldn't want her unhappy for the following reasons

The though of not having her twin sister present on her wedding day

Not having her mother be there in case of complications with the baby

Or to have the date changed when things don't work out the way you've planned it or due to a lack of planning.

You of all people should understand that.

To do anything in life you need a goal and a plan to reach that goal .

If you are expecting God to be your partner in search for and reaching for that goal, then He wants to be actively involved,

If I am going to live a life of faith, God expects certain things from me to be in place before He will give me what I ask from Him Luk.14:28-30

When I approach God with a request I must:

Come to Him with my whole plan

Provide reasons why I want what I'm asking for

Have a plan ready as to what I am going to do with it when I get it ?

Be aware of my responsibilities and the consequences of such a request

Do not manipulate Him with some undertaking as justification to get it

Aim to glorify and exalt Him with the result to help build His Kingdom.

Just by having blind faith, where by I simply believe that I will get what I ask for and in faith expecting God to provide in my needs is absurd.

Just because I believe and have faith does not mean that God will fulfill all my expectations. He is still God and I am still only a sinner, how can I tell Him what He must do? I can not just "name it and claim it" just because I'm His child. As my Father He knows what's best for me.

Trust me I have been there, I wanted to move mountains with my faith, thirty odd years ago and had to learn that when I go to Him with a request I must understand that:

His time is not my time,

His thoughts are not my thoughts

His timing coincides with His plan not my plan

He wants me to learn something while I wait

I see only part, He sees the bigger picture

When He thinks I'm ready He'll give me everything.

He knows all about everything I know nothing

He'll make everything works out for the better and for my good.

I know what I want, He knows what I need,

He will provide, in my needs not my greed's

Instead of telling Him how much I want to earn, the size of the house I want, the type of car that I need and what I am going to do for Him with all the money that He is going to give to me in order to glorify His name.

I should ask Him to provide me with what He knows I need , the work or job that He has lined up for me, to provide me with daily bread, a roof over my head, and assure Him of my willingness to build His Kingdom and shine my light in the world to glorify His name.

Then you will find that you have enough of everything including happiness and peace and still have more than enough to share or give away.

“Faith vs. fear – what does the Bible say?”……Faith and fear cannot exist together. Faith is described in Hebrews 11:1 as being 1“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see..”

It is an absolute belief that God is constantly working behind the scenes in every area of our lives, even when there is no tangible evidence to support that fact. On the other hand, fear, simply stated, is unbelief or weak belief. As unbelief gains the upper hand in our thoughts, fear takes hold of our emotions. Our deliverance from fear and worry is based on faith, which is the very opposite of unbelief. We need to understand that faith is not something that we can produce in ourselves.

Faith is a gift, (Ephesians 2:8-9) 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. and is described as a fruit (or characteristic) which is produced in our lives by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,.

The Christian’s faith is a confident assurance in a God who loves us, who knows our thoughts and cares about our deepest needs. That faith continues to grow as we study the Bible and learn the attributes of His amazing character. The more we learn about God, the more we can see Him working in our lives and the stronger our faith grows.……A growing faith is what we desire to have and what God desires to produce in us. But how, in day-to-day life, can we develop a faith that conquers our fears? The Bible says, Romans 10:17"So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ".

The careful study of God’s Word is of primary importance in developing a strong faith. God wants us to know Him and completely rely on His direction in our lives. It’s through the hearing, reading and meditation in the Scriptures that we begin to experience a strong confident faith that excludes worry and fear. Spending time in prayer and quiet worship develops a relationship with our heavenly Father that sees us through even the darkest of nights. In the Psalms we see a picture of David, who, like us, experienced times of fear.

Psalm 56:3 reveals his faith with these words, "But when I am afraid,I will put my trust in you".

Psalm 119:10,11,15 is filled with verses expressing the way in which David treasured God’s Word: 10 “I seek you with all my heart”11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you;15 I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.

These are revealing words which speak wisdom to us today.

God is kind and understanding toward our weaknesses, but He requires us to go forward in faith, and the Bible is clear that faith does not mature and strengthen without trials.

Adversity is God’s most effective tool to develop a strong faith. That pattern is evident in Scripture. God takes each one of us through fearful situations, and as we learn to obey God’s Word and to allow it to saturate our thoughts, we find each trial becomes a stepping stone to a stronger and deeper faith. It gives us that ability to say, “He sustained me in the past, He’ll carry me through today and He’ll uphold me in the future!” God worked this way in David’s life. When David volunteered to fight against Goliath, he spoke these words,

1Samuel 17:37"The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!"

David knew the God who had sustained him through dangerous situations in the past. He had seen and experienced God’s power and protection in his life and this developed within him a fearless faith.……The Word of God is rich with promises for us to take hold of and claim for ourselves.

When we face financial trouble,

Philippians 4:19 tells us “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.“

If we are anxious about a future decision,

Psalm 32:8 reminds us that God say8"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;I will guide you with My eye.”

In sickness we can remember

Romans 5:3 says “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance”

If someone turns against us, we can be comforted by the words in

Romans 8:31, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us

Throughout life we will continue to face various trials that would cause us fear, but God assures us that we can know a calm peace through every situation,

Philippians 4:7"and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus".