Deuteronomy 31:6
Be
strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord
your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (ESV)
Psalm 37:39-40
The
salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time
of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the
wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. (ESV)
Psalm 46:1-3
God
is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will
not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the
heart of the sea, though hits waters roar and foam, though the mountains
tremble at its swelling. Selah (ESV)
One of the greatest sources of
encouragement that a person can have - whether it is on a mission trip or at
any time - is to know that God is present with them. How comforting it is to know that even when
you are half-way around the world from everything that is familiar to you, God
is there.
Through prayer, we have direct access
to the Father regardless of where we may be.
He is our Heavenly Father, so we know he will provide for us. Because he is a father, we can boldly ask him
anything. Like a loving father, his
answers to whatever we may ask will always be in our best interests - even if
it is not necessarily what we desire.
Not only is God present, but God is
present to help us when we need him. He
is our very present help in time of need.
God is not some disinterested deity who has no part in our earthly
concerns. He is concerned with - yes
even involved in - every aspect of our lives. Indeed, there is nothing for us
to fear. We serve a God who is not only
present with us, but who loves us; and "Perfect
love cast out fear" (1 John 4:18).
I can remember as a child going to
places I had never been before. New
places are always scary because of the unknown, but whenever my parents were
with me, I knew I had nothing to fear because I placed my complete trust in
them. They would lead me where I needed
to go. They would take care of me. They would protect me. Our Heavenly Father will do precisely the
same for us while we are in Uganda.
Place your trust in him and do not fear.
Know that he has everything under his control and that he is looking
after you like a father looks after his young.
In your quiet time today, thank God for
being a loving father. Acknowledge his
leadership and authority in your life as a "parent" and meditate on
the significance of what that means. Then pray that he will take away any anxieties
you may have about our upcoming trip.
Commit yourself to trusting him.
Consider memorizing 1 John 4:18 so that whenever fear may begin to well
up inside of you, you can remind yourself of the Father's perfect love.
Father, we praise you for being a
perfect father. Lead and guide us as a
father would. Thank you for your love
and for being with us through all of our experiences.
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