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real faith // Thursday E-Devotion

Hebrews 11:6 (nlt) --- And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Fear and faith seem to be at the opposite ends of the Christian’s life, yet we can find them tied together and even fighting. Fear can be seen greater when faith is absent. Faith is real and strong when fear is greatly dealt with God.

1 Timothy 1:7 (nlt) --- For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

As I continue to read Mark Batterson’s new book and grasp the challenges he talks about I challenged to see faith in some different lights. I am often challenged by worry or distrust or other self induced characteristics when all along God desires to fill the places where fear lives with living faith.

We will never have a total absence of fear, but we must move in that direction. For faith to be real and strong, fear has to be removed, and that is something that faith does very well.

“Unlearning requires more thank rewiring our brains. We have to use our new knowledge to face our fears – and conquer them…Faith is the process of unlearning your irrational fears. The only God ordained fear is the fear of God. And if we fear God, then we don’t have to fear anyone or anything else. Unlearning our fears is really a process of learning to trust God more and more.” (Mark Batterson, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, pages 47-9)

Unlearning fear is possible but only happens when we press ourselves toward faith. What is it to fear the Lord?

Proverbs 9:10 (nlt) --- Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Faith pushes out fear. But fear literally has to be unlearned or reprogram our thoughts and lives. God allows this and helps us with this in big ways, if we let Him.

1 John 4:18 (nlt) --- Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear…

Lets let fear leave and real faith takes its place. How is that? Be careful: sometimes our fears have to become a reality so that our faith can become real. Real faith kicks out real fear! That is our God.

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