Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous, do ne be afraid or tremble in dread before them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.  

If we don’t believe in the Word and take our courage from God, we will not overcome the stresses of life. What we believe affects how we act and react and the confession that comes out of our mouths. Our strength comes from the Lord! If we don’t confess this truth with our mouths, we won’t have the strength in times of trouble. 

1 Peter 5:6-7

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God (set aside self-righteous pride), so that He may exalt you (to a place of honor in His service) at the appropriate time, casting all your care on Him, for He cares about you (with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully).

We can’t know it all and walk with pride in our lives because we have such limited human knowledge. God knows all, sees all, and has the power to raise people up or set them down. When we are humble and aware of our limitations, we allow room for God to lead us. God wants the best for us if we humble ourselves and follow His lead. 

Genesis 28:15

Behold, I am with you and will keep (careful watch over you and guard) you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this (promised) land; for I will not leave you until I have down what I have promised you.”

God is faithful, and He keeps the promises that He makes to His people. God is not moved in times of trouble but speaks to the problem, and the problem must move. Circumstances change as faith and the Word move the obstacles out of the way. Faith is our substance and our evidence of things hoped for. 

Hebrews 13:5-6

Let your character be free from the love of money (shun greed-be financially ethical) being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never (under any circumstances) desert you (nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless)nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you! So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?

If we don’t take God at His Word for protection, provision, and love, we will always be searching. We will be afraid, sick, and unsatisfied because we don’t believe that God won’t leave us helpless. Our faith walk is vital to our success as Christians. In order to receive from God, we have to believe that He means what He says and will follow through on the promises.  

Psalm 73:35-26

Whom have I in heaven (but You)? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the rock and strength of my heart and my portion forever. 

Even if our flesh quakes on the outside, our faith comes from the inside. God is a Spirit, and God leads our spirits from the inside. The flesh means nothing when it comes to faith and may react in fear, but our spirits will take over in faith. We are to follow our spirits and not be led by our feelings because feelings change.

Deuteronomy 31:8

It is the Lord who goes before you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not fear or be dismayed.  

In times of doubt, the Word of God is our reassurance. If we look toward the problem and do not speak the answer to that problem, our victory will never come. Only by the Word and the help of the Holy Spirit can we defeat the enemy and sin. Our job is to keep the faith and a clear understanding of our authority here on earth.

John 14:23

Jesus answered, “If anyone (really) loves Me, he will keep My Word (teaching); and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling place with him. One who does not (really) love Me does not keep My words. And the Word (teaching) which you hear is not Mine, but is the Father’s who sent Me.

If we love Jesus and keep His teaching, we will have fellowship with Him. Jesus will draw close to us as we draw close to Him in obedience and faithfulness to the Word. Sin and disobedience are a separation point from Jesus. We will not have fellowship if we choose not to love or follow Him. 

John 12:35

So Jesus said to them, “The Light is among you (only) a little while longer. Walk while you have the Light (keep on living by it), so that darkness will not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going (he is drifting aimlessly).

The increase of sin and darkness in the world and around us can cause us to become fatigued. Jesus is still here with the light, and we need to keep walking in it. We must keep the faith, focus on the promise, and have more faith in the Creator instead of the creation. If we do that, the darkness will not overtake us. 

Isaiah 59:21

“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you (writing the law of God on the heart), and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, no from the mouths of your (true, spiritual) children, nor from the mouth of your children’s children,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”

When we are born again, the Spirit of God comes upon us, joining our spirit and writing the laws of God on our hearts. God puts words of faith and belief into our hearts and our mouths. We speak that faith according to the Word and pass that faith down to our children. Faith is a gift from God!

Isaiah 58:6

(Rather) is this not the fast which I choose, to undo the bonds of wickedness, to tear to pieces the ropes of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and break apart every (enslaving) yoke?

Fasting before God helps to remove the bondage of sin. We are no longer slaves to that sin when we turn our flesh over to God to be redeemed and deny ourselves a short time of food. God wants His people to be free from any hindrances so that we can fulfill our call here on earth. Fasting helps cut through those barriers.