FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR AND TIMIDITY, BUT OF POWER, LOVE AND SELF-DISCIPLINE 2 Timothy 1:7 new living translation
Probably all of us have retreated like the turtle at times, too afraid to venture out of the safe shells we’ve built around ourselves. But if we don’t take the risk and stick our necks out, we might miss the wonderful things God has planned for us.
The apostle Paul’s words, originally written to his protege Timothy, can encourage all of us: God has not given us a spirit of timidity. No matter how afraid we feel, the truth is that God has given us His Holy Spirit, and fear has no part of Him! Next time you feel like a turtle, playing it safe behind the walls of protection you’ve erected, remember that God’s Spirit is in you, giving you power, love, and self-discipline.
REFLECT: In what areas of your life are you trying to protect yourself by pulling back? How might the barriers you’ve erected be keeping you from experiencing God’s best for you?
APPLY: Choose one specific thing to do this week to “stick your neck out” and take a risk, remembering that God has not given you a spirit of fear.
CONNECT WITH GOD: Dear God, so often I feel like a turtle, retreating into my shell because it’s safe. But making safety my first priority won’t lead to growth. I don’t want to miss the opportunities around me because I’m too afraid to take a risk. You have given me a spirit of courage. Please help me to trust You, to trust Your love for me and Your good plans for my life. Help me to move forward in courage.
I prayed to the Lord and be answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. Psalm 34:4-5
(Francine Rivers, Earth Psalms number 16)
Two main groups of people at the moment fighting the pandemics are……
- The Rich and
- The Poor.
The global irony and the African outlook…\
The rich is afraid of the virus.
The poor is afraid of hunger.
The rich wants the poor to stay at home to avoid the spread, but hunger won’t allow the poor to stay at home.
The poor fears that if they stay at home, the hunger virus will kill them.
The rich fears that if they also come out of their homes the coronavirus will kill them…
What a delicate situation we have …….
Opinion:
In order to restore the world to its normal social equilibrium:
The rich should assist the poor with food, so that they can stay at home.
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Rick and Ellen's Notes 
Wonderful thoughts on risk taking.
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Amen! And how to get that help to those who need it most! Somebody must take the risk of getting out there and becoming vulnerable.
Kinda sounds like, um, Jesus. And those who follow Him.
We don’t all have the same gifts or particular callings, but thank you for your words. In a world where churches (like, mine, for example) are focusing on developing and maintaining our live-streaming and media connections, perhaps our focus ought to be on those — all created in God’s image and recipients of his eternal love — in deepest need. Lord, have mercy.
Thank you for your good words, Ellen and Rick.
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