Kingdom and Reign

Kingdom:

• the territory or country subject to a king
• undivided territory under dominion of a king or monarch
• the inhabitants or population subject to a king
• In Scripture, the government or universal domain of God

Reign:

• to possess or exercise sovereign power or authority to rule
• to have superior or uncontrolled dominion

Rule:

• to govern, to control the will and actions of others either by arbitrary power and authority or by established laws
• to predominate, to prevail
• to have superior or uncontrolled dominion

Dominion:

• Sovereign or supreme authority
• the power of governing and controlling
• power to direct, control, use and dispose of at pleasure
• right of possession and use without being accountable

Supreme:

• highest authority
• holding the highest place in government or power
• In the universe, God is the supreme ruler and judge
• His commands are supreme and binding on all His creatures
• highest, greatest or most excellent as in supreme glory

Sovereign:

• supreme in power
• possessing supreme dominion
• superior to all others
• one who possess highest authority without control

Authority:

• legal power or right to command or act
• the power derived from opinion, respect or esteem
• testimonies, witness or the person who testifies
• weight of testimony; credabilty
• weight of character, respectability, dignity

King:

• a man invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe, country

Monarch:

• the ruler of a nation who exercises all the powers of the government without control

  Kingdom, Reign, Rule, Sovereign, Supreme, Dominion, King, Monarch, Authority, these are all words that I have been hearing in increasing frequency this past year.  Growing up in the land of the free it is hard to completely understand the meaning of these words.  Sure, I have a general understanding of their Webster's definition.  But it is an understanding that is superficial, lacking depth.  

At the end of the study of John, my BSF leader said she was going to spend the summer pondering the following definition:

Life:  embracing the rule and reign of God in my life

I think it starts with Kingdom.  There are two. Mine and the Lord's.  Because of Adam and his decision to believe Satan over God, sin entered this world.  Adam was tempted to take dominion over himself so "he would be like God."  The Lord had already given Adam dominion over all of creation, but Adam was tempted to want more, to be like God, to be God over his own life. When Adam took dominion for himself, the disposition of sin became the inheritance of the entire human race.  So the struggle is this, who has dominion over my life?  Is the dominion mine, is it my claim to my right to myself that is above all else or is it the Lord's? That is the constant struggle.

Satan is the ruler of this world.  I was born into this world.  This is my world.  I am a sinner.  My kingdom, my territory, my country is me.  The inhabitants, the population of my kingdom is one, me. The king of my country is me. I reign in my kingdom.  I posses and exercise sovereign power.  I have the authority to rule my life as I see fit.  I have uncontrolled dominion. I am supreme.  I can govern and control my will and actions with full authority and control without being accountable to anyone. In this world, this is what Satan wants me to be believe, that my life is embracing the rule and reign of me. This is the only way to happiness, fulfillment. It is my right.  I should claim it and never release control to another.

This is the world we are all born into.  This mind set is ingrained into each one us from the moment we are born.  We are bombarded on every side. You are the kingdom, You are the king, do not let anyone try to claim your kingdom.  I look at the world we live in today, there is political unrest, racial tension, anti authority agendas, LGBTQ agendas, media corruption.  Satan is crafty and is making THE TRUTH harder and harder to see.  We are constantly filled with messages to accept a new truth and to compromise with God's Truth. How does Satan do this, the same way he has always done it, by having us question who has dominion over our lives.  Satan is going to do everything in his power to ensure that each one of us believe that true life is embracing the rule and reign for ourselves and not handing it over to another.  We know best. And we fight to remain in complete control of our kingdom.

What am I fighting for: the right to do what I want, when I want and how I want. Why, because it will bring me joy, happiness, fulfillment, contentment, and peace. This fight is constant, there is no relenting, no time of reprieve. It is exhausting. It is never ending.  The fight is always there.  You can choose to rest, but that one weak moment results in the enemy gaining a  foothold.  This fight will never be over, it will never be won.  This fight will be to the death.  The one who will die is me.  I will either choose to die to myself and embrace the rule and reign of God in my life or I will die to God and choose to embrace my rule and reign in my life.

I know the right answer.  I know which death should occur.  I know which death brings Eternal Life.  And yet the struggle is real, it is daily, it is hourly. And instead of feeling happy, joyful, content and at peace "I'm tired, I'm worn, my heart is heavy from the work it takes to keep on breathing.  My hope fails and my soul feels crushed by the weight of this world.  I know I need to lift my eyes up but I am too weak, life just won't let up.  My prayers are wearing thin.  I'm worn even before the day begins.  I'm worn I've lost my will to fight." (Worn by Tenth Avenue North). Satan has blinded my eyes to believe that God's ways are a threat to my kingdom.  He has convinced me that God is the real enemy. Some many have chosen to believe his lie, often I choose to believe it.  Often I choose to believe that God is taking me in directions and asking me to do things that will rob me of joy and not lead me into life everlasting.

This fight will never end on this side of heaven.  Satan will never relent in his fight to convince me that I should be the king of my kingdom.  Choosing to believe that I deserve to be king of my own heart will never result all the things I am longing for, true love, joy, peace, and contentment.  I am a child of God am I am saved.  I know my salvation can not be snatched away, I know I am firmly in the grip of the Lord.  But Satan can take my joy, peace and contentment on this side of heaven.  He can keep me from being transformed into His image.  He can keep me in the chains Jesus destroyed at the cross.  Fear, worry, despair, guilt, shame can keep me from living in freedom here on this side of heaven.  He can keep me from shining THE LIGHT and drawing others to know the one, true God.

But God will never stop fighting either.  He wants full rule and reign in my life.  I know I fail so often.  I know I am difficult.  I know I am not a compliant believer.  I know I allow fear, guilt and shame keep me from living a life fully surrendered to Him.  I know He has to fight hard to get me to fully surrender, for me to give up dominion over my life, my right.  I am just so grateful He is patient, persistent and long suffering.  I am so grateful He loves me so.  I am so grateful that He sees worth in me, that He continues to reveal Himself to me.  He is so good.  He is so faithful.

The interesting thing about a fight is this, I can choose to end the fight anytime I want.  I can choose. Do I want to continue to keep fighting for dominion over my own life? Or Do I want God to have complete rule and reign over my life? When I choose to die to myself and submit to His rule and reign the fight is over. It will be a choice I have to make multiple times a day, every day, for the rest of my life. But the quicker I make that choice, the quicker the fight is over.  And I can rest in Him and enjoy all the inheritances of His goodness. My prayer is that I will recognize the struggle for control quickly, that I will submit quickly, that I will be obedient to what He is asking, so I can rest and allow Him to fight on my behalf.

John 10:28-29

"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand."  
John 10:28-29

"When the night is holding on to me

God is holding on"

  King of My Heart by Kutless

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, to kill and to destroy:

I am come that they may have life,

and that they might have it more abundantly."

John 10:10 (KJV)

John 10 has always been one of my favorite chapters.  
Jesus is The Gate, The Good Shepherd.  
"He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."  
"He goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."  
He knows ME by name.  He understands my true nature. He changes my character.
He knows me perfectly.
Everything about me.
What I am good at doing.
The anxiety I carry from childhood.
The desires that are filled and unfulfilled.
My happiest times.
My most profound fears.
My eternal purpose, my highest possible joy and satisfaction.
Jesus goes ahead of me, always leading me, always close, keeping me secure.
He has come so that I might have life, more abundantly, life to the full.
I don't have to wait to enjoy this life in heaven.
He came so I can have abundant life here, now on this side of heaven.
I will be honest.  I have heard this all my life.  But I did not understand how I could enjoy abundant life here and now.  But Jesus in His goodness and faithfulness has shown me how this can be.
Living life to the full happens when we live this life in His inexhaustible joy, peace, love, patience, self control, power, endurance and ability to meet every situation.
There is nothing that I will encounter on this side of heaven that Jesus cannot overcome.
Jesus is all powerful.  He can choose to lay down his life and pick it back up.  In His death and resurrection, He defeated Satan forever.  Satan no longer has power.  But because the day of judgement has not yet come, Satan has been allowed, by God, to continue his reign in this world.  Satan continues to try to "steal, kill and destroy."  
But I know my salvation is secure.  My salvation cannot be "snatched" out of the hands of God.  

Who can separate us from the love of Christ? 

Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

No, in all things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us.  

For I am persuaded that not even death or life, 

angels or rulers, 

things present or things to come, 

hostile powers, 

height or depth, 

or any other created thing 

will have the power to separate us from the love of God 

that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Romans 8:37,39

Satan is a created thing.  He is subject to God's Authority.  He cannot snatch my salvation from the hand of God.  My salvation is secure.  

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.  

He anointed us, 

set his seal of ownership on us, 

and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, 

guaranteeing what is to come.  

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

And you were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, 

the gospel of your salvation.  

Having believed, 

you were marked in him with a seal, 

the promised Holy Spirit, 

who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance

until the redemption of those who are God's possession - 

to the praise of his glory. 

Ephesians 1:13-14

When I chose to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He chose to suffer God's Wrath that my sin deserves for me, my heart was sealed by God.  I became forever His.  His seal of ownership is on me and it can never be taken away.  My inheritance, eternal life in heaven with Him, is secure. Jesus sealed me with His name (Rev 3:12) and my name is engraved on the palm of His hands (Isa 49:16).  Engraved on His hands!!! I am that precious to Him.  Jesus didn't tattoo my name on His hands, He engraved it!  It is NEVER wearing off, it will always be there! That kind of security should make me bold, filled with overwhelming confidence. And yet....

 I am still crippled with so much fear, worry and doubt here in this life.

Why does Satan still bother trying to steal, kill and destroy?

Why do I still feel such a battle?

Why am I unable to live in His inexhaustible joy, peace, love, patience, self control, power, endurance and ability.

Why do fear, anxiety, stress, worry and doubt still hinder me from living my life abundantly here and now?

Why? Why? Why?

Satan cannot steal, kill or destroy my salvation, but he can steal, kill and destroy my love, my joy, my peace, my patience, my kindness, my goodness, my faithfulness, my gentleness, and my self-control.  When he is successful at doing that, then my witness for Christ is destroyed.  Others cannot see THE LIGHT, they are not drawn to Christ in me.  I do not lose my salvation, but I lose God's ability to draw others to Him.  Eternal Life for others will be destroyed. Satan may have lost me, but he doesn't have to lose others because of me.

Rick Atchley shared an interesting illustration in one of his sermons that I will never forget:

A girl and her boyfriend were satan worshippers.

The girl went to visit her college friends. While she was with her friends, she heard the Truth, was baptized.  When her boyfriend heard, he was furious and came to talk to the minister.  He told the minister God could not have her.  He was about to leave when he asked, "Did you baptize her?"  The minister replied that he had baptized her himself.  The boyfriend turned to leave without her and said, "Then there is nothing that can be done.  She is His."

I do not want others to lose out on Eternal Life because I have allowed satan to diminish God's Light in me.  I know I am a sinner, I know I am unfaithful, I know I fail God in numerous ways on a daily basis, I know I am unworthy to be a Light bearer for Him. But my salvation does not depend my abilities, my faithfulness, or my loyalty. My salvation is based on the perfect Lamb of God.  

Satan is darkness, he is the night that is holding on to me, trying his best to steal, kill and destroy any Light that might shine from me.  BUT GOD is holding on. His grip on me is firm and strong.  He will NEVER let go.  Because I know this is true, I don't have to allow fear, worry, anxiety, guilt, shame or doubt prevent me from having life here and now more abundantly.

Chain Breaker

 There is a song by Zach Williams called “Chain Breaker.”  There are a couple of lines that explain the struggle I have felt with my bitterness and anger:

If you’ve been walking the same old road for miles and miles

If you’ve been hearing the same old voice tell the same old lies

If you’re trying to feel the same old holes inside

There’s a better life

There’s a better life

If you’ve got pain

He’s a pain taker

If you feel lost

He’s a way maker

If you need freedom or saving

He’s a prison-shaking Savior

If you’ve got chains

He’s a chain breaker

We’ve all search for the light of day in the dead of night

We’ve all found ourselves worn out from the same old fight

We’ve all run to things we know just ain’t right

And there’s a better life

There’s a better life

I feel like I have been on the same old road for miles and miles.  I find myself worn out from the same old fight.  I feel like I have spent years in the ring wrestling with the Lord about my bitterness and anger.  I knew that there is a better life.  I know He wants me to lay it down.  I know this is not what He wants for me.  I know this bitterness and anger is not from Him.  I have spent so much time in tears crying out to Him.  I have spent years on my knees praying specifically about my bitterness and anger.  I do not want to feel this way.  I know the Lord does not want me to feel this way.  

I spent 15 plus years wrestling with the Lord over my anger and bitterness giving Him an itemized, long list of all the reasons I was justified in my anger and bitterness. The reasons for my feelings were real and just.  I had not realized that they had become a chain in my life.  Over time the chain became heavier and more binding.

One Step Away

Casting Crowns

Lay down, lay down your old chains

Come now, and take up your new name

Your best life up ahead now

You're one step away

Oh My Soul

Casting Crowns

Oh, my soul

You are not alone

There's a place where fear has to face the God you know

One more day, He will make a way

Let Him show you how, you can lay this down

'Cause you're not alone

How do I lay down my anger and bitterness?  I have wanted to for years.  I had long ago given up the wrestling match.  I was still in the ring, I was still circling around in the ring with Jesus, but I could not figure out how to “Lay it down” and get out of the ring entirely.  I really thought this was something I would have to “just deal with” for the rest of my days.  

My way to deal with these feelings can best be described by how the kitchen trash can works in my household.  When we have things we want to throw away, we put it in the trash can.  It doesn’t take long before the trash can gets full and needs to be taken out.  Yet, no one wants to take out the trash.  So instead we push down the trash so we can fit in more trash. Then there comes a point when you can no longer push the trash down so we just put the trash on top. But even then there comes a point where not one more piece of trash will fit in the trash can and ends up on the floor.  At our house the trash gets to this point often before we break down and take out the trash. This is what I did when feelings of anger and bitterness would arise, I would throw them in the trash can.  However, the trash can never got emptied, not because I did not want to empty the trash can but because I did not know how. I remember the breaking point when I could no longer place one more piece of trash on the can.  I was in my car, I got a text, and those feelings that I had been “dealing with” for years had no where to go.  The feelings I had been able to push down for years had no where to go.  I was amazed at how quickly the feelings of anger and bitterness were able to go from undisturbed to raging in a split second. It was ugly.

Let Him show you how, you can lay this down

Your best life up ahead now

You’re one step away

I was reading in my BSF Leader’s Folio: The Spiritual Growth of a Leader.  It talked about “Putting Off Specific Sins” by asking God to deliver you from the power of a specific sin. Tell Him you are through with that sin, and pray with confidence for victory. Christ’s death broke the power of that sin.  All the power of Christ’s death and resurrection will work within you to deliver you from that specific sin. 

I feel like I have been praying for years about “Putting Off” the sin of anger and bitterness. But what I had not done is the next step, “Putting on Christ’s Righteousness,” the righteousness of Christ that God credited to me.  

and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:24

The Folio goes on to say:

Never say about yourself and you sin, “This is just who I am.  I accept myself as I am.  Others will have to accept me as I am as well.”  Instead say, “This is who I was before God rescued me.  But now, by grace through faith, Jesus Christ has delivered me from the old life.  I am a new creation. Christ is within me.  Christ’s own character is available to me.”  Rather than focusing on your sin, focus on the attributes of Christ. (p.6)

I know what sin I want to “Put Off” but how do I “Put On” Christ’s Righteousness? 

I must choose to put on the particular characteristic of Christ that is the exact antithesis of the sin I want to put off. Then act as if Christ’s character is your own.  Obey as far as I know. Trust Him to give me all I need. Expect Him to live life through me as I deliberately depend on Him. God is faithful to His promises. You will begin to experience new thoughts and emotions that replace the old.  The Holy Spirit will enable you to do what you cannot do yourself. (p.6)

Then I read this:

Do hatred, coldness and indifference toward another person fill your heart?  Confess them and trust God’s forgiveness.  At the same time, by faith in Christ’s resurrection, put on His love,warmth and thoughtfulness toward that person.  For 30 days, thank God each day for something different about the person.  As you choose to show love to the person, you will begin to see that God changes your feelings toward the person. (p.6)

I had been wrestling with angry and bitterness for years.  I was worn out and tired.  I did not want to continue to fight, I did not want to put another piece of trash in the can, I did not want to be a slave to these chains any longer.  I do not think I had progressed to the point of hatred, however, if I continued to deal with my anger and bitterness in my own strength by trying to bury it in the trash and never emptying it I was on my way to hatred. I wanted to lay down this old chain and I really was just one step away.  He did show me how to lay this sin of anger and bitterness down.  I began to pray that the Lord would put HIS love, warmth and thoughtfulness in my heart instead of my anger and bitterness.  And I experienced something I did not know was possible. The chain of anger and bitterness that had become such a burden, that had become all consuming, that had become something I could no longer ignore or push away, that I thought was just part of who I was, that I thought I would just have to deal with the rest of my days, it was broken. I began to notice that God changed my feelings. The circumstances that would normally cause the anger and bitterness to rise were replaced with His love and warmth.

My outward circumstances that caused my anger and bitterness did not change.  The things that would cause the anger and bitterness to rise were still there.  But I had changed.  The Lord changed me.  It was no longer my old self.  

Lay down, lay down your old chains

Come now, and take up your new name

Your best life up ahead now

You're one step away

The Lord showed me how to lay down my old chains and take up my new name.  

The Lord has freed me from the power of the sin of anger and bitterness.  Satan is not pleased.  I still feel him trying his hardest to get me back to the place where I am in the ring wrestling with the Lord, to the place where I just push it down in the trash can, but to no avail.  I have been set free, I feel it.  I am changed.  I am new.  I am getting to see the Lord breath on my dry bones and bring them back to life.  I am seeing His beauty where there was ash and stone.  My best life is up  ahead now and it is amazing!

Worry, Fear, Anxiety

Worry. Fear. Anxiety.

These are all emotions that are normal.  I have felt them all.  If I am completely honest, I still battle these emotions.

But Jesus has clearly said in His Word in several places...
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God."  John 14:1
"Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27
"I tell you do not worry about your life..." Matthew 6:25
"Do not be anxious about anything..."Philippians 4:6

Don't worry. Don't Fear. Don't be anxious.
Jesus COMMANDS us to NOT fear, worry or be anxious.

"If you love me you will obey my commands." John 14:15.
It is a command from Jesus, and I want to obey this command.
But it is oh so hard.  I can do well, for a while. But then something happens and those feelings creep in and I find myself at battle. I find myself trying to find a way to win and obey and NOT worry, fear, be anxious.  I have a daughter who is struggling with this issue right now.  It is hard.  You can be successful for awhile and then all of a sudden it is back and so hard.

One of the principles in John 14
The only true remedy for fear and anxiety is to turn your eyes upon Jesus.

The disciples were filled with fear.  Jesus had just told them he was about to return to His Father.

Jesus' command was "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God."  John 14:1
Jesus' command shows WORRY IS A CHOICE.
Jesus told them to:
*choose to stop being troubled
*choose to replace worry with trust in God
*choose to continue to trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord

The notes continue to say:
Do anxious thoughts fill your mind?
A strong will, positive thoughts, peaceful music, or perfect circumstances can NEVER give you complete peace.
Only the choice to trust God produces peace.

When I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not fear.What can man do to me? 
Psalms 56:3-4

Trust in Jesus.  He is the Human One who personally knows your temptations and fears.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who is tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." Heb 4:15

He is the Divine One who has all power to make His promises to you true.  Fully God and fully Human, Jesus never turns away the weary and burdened who come to Him for rest.

So I know worry, fear, anxiety are all choices.  I know I am commanded to not worry, fear, feel anxious.  I am to trust in Jesus. I is still sometimes a struggle.  But I am trying, I am learning, I am praying that the Lord will teach me how to fully put my trust in Jesus so worry, fear and anxiety will not have a hold on me.

Here are some of my favorite verses I have found that help me when I struggle:

1. Genesis 15:1 – After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.’
2. Genesis 26:24 – That night the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.’
3. Genesis 50:21 – ‘So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. 
4. Exodus 14:13 – Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.’
5. Exodus 20:20 – Moses said to the people ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’
6. Deuteronomy 1:17 – Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraidof anyone, for judgment belongs to God.
7. Deuteronomy 3:22 – Do not be afraid of them; the Lord you God himself will fight for you.
8. Deuteronomy 7:18 – But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.
9. Deuteronomy 20:3 – He shall say: ‘Hear, Israel: today you are going into battle against your enemies.Do not be faint-hearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them.’
10. Deuteronomy 31:6 – ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.’
11. Deuteronomy 31:8 – ‘The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.’
12. Joshua 1:9 – ‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’
13. Joshua 10:25 – Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.’
14. ii Kings 6:16 –  ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’
15. I Chronicles 22:13 – Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave to Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. 
16. I chronicles 28:20 – David also said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the tempe of the Lord is finished.’
17. II Chronicles 20:15 – He said: ‘Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s”’
18. II Chronicles 20:17 – “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. God out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”
19. II Chronicles 32:7 – ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.’
20. Nehemiah 4:14 – After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.’
21. Job 5:21 – You will be protected from the last of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes.
22. Job 11:15 – then, free of fault, you will lift up your face; you will stand firm and without fear.
23. Job 21:9 – Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not on them.
24. Psalm 3:6 – I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
25. Psalm 4:8 – In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
26.  Psalm 16:7-9 I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.
27. Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.
28.  Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? 
29. Psalm 27:3 – Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
30. Psalm 29:11 – The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. 
31. Psalm 46:2 – Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
32. Psalm 49:16 – Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendour of their houses increases;
33.  Psalm 56: 3-4 – When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise – in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 
34. Psalm 56:11 – in God I trust and not afraid. What can man do to me? 
35. Psalm 78:53 – He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies.
36. Psalm 91:5 – You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
37. Psalm 94:19 – When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
38. Psalm 118:6 – The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
39. Psalm 119:165 – Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them strumble. 
40. Proverbs 3:24 – When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
41. Proverbs 3:25 – Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked
42. Ecclesiastes 11:10 – So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigour are meaningless. 
43. Isaiah 12:2 – Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.’
44. Isaiah 26:3 – You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. 
45. Isaiah 35:4 – say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’
46. Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 
47. Isaiah 41:13 – For I am the Lord you God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’ 
48. Isaiah 41:14 – ‘Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
49. Isaiah 43:1 – But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’
50. Isaiah 43:5 – Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
51. Isaiah 44:2 – This is what the Lord says – he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
52. Isaiah 44:8 – Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.’
53. Isaiah 51:7 – ‘Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart:do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults’
54. Isaiah 54:4 – ‘Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.’
55. Isaiah 54:14 – In righteousness you will be established: tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.
56. Jeremiah 1:8 – ‘Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord
57. Jeremiah 10:5 – Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do you no harm nor can they do any good.’
58. Jeremiah 17:8 – They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.’
59. Jeremiah 46:27 – ‘Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid.’
60. Jeremiah 46:28 – Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant, for I am with you; declares the Lord. ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’
61. Jeremiah 51:46 – Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumours are heard in the land; one rumour comes this year, another the next, rumours of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler. 
62. Lamentations 3:57 – You came near when I called you and you said. ‘Do not fear.’
63. Ezekiel 3:9 – I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.
64. Daniel 10:12 – Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.’
65. Daniel 10:19 – ‘Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,’ he said. ‘Peace! Be strong now; be strong;’ When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Speak , my lord, since you have given me strength.’
66. Joel 2:21-22 – Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things!Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig-tree and the vine yield their riches.
67. Haggai 2:5 – “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.”
68. Zechariah 8:13 – ‘Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.’
69. Matthew 6:25-34 – Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes: Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grown. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? So do not worry, saying “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness , and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 
70. Matthew 10:19 – But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say.
71. Matthew 10:26 – ‘So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.’
72. Matthew 10:28 – Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 
73. Matthew 10:31 – So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
74. Matthew 14:27 – But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’
75. Matthew 17:7 – But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’
76. Matthew 28:10 – Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to to go Galilee; there they will see me.’
77. Mark 5:36 – Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’
78. Mark 6:50 – because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’
79. Mark 13:11 – Whenever you are arrested and brought to trail, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 
80.  Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.’
81. Luke 12:4 – ‘I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.’
82. Luke 12:7 – Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
83. Luke 12:11 – When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,
84. Luke 12:32 – ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for your  Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.’
85. John 6:20 – But he said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’
86. ohn 14:27 – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
87. John 16:33 – ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’
88. Acts 18:9 – One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.’
89. Acts 20:10 – Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms round him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said, ‘He’s alive!’
90. Acts 27:24 – and said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.”
91. Romans 5:1 – Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 
92. Hebrews 13:6 – So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’
93. Philipppians 4:6 – Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
94. I Peter 3:6 – like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
95. I Peter 3:14 – But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’
96.  1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
97. 1 John 4:18 – There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 
98. Revelation 1:17 – When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.’
99. Revelation 2:10 – Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.