Scriptures: Genesis 3:9-10, Isaiah 41:9-10

Do Not Be Afraid!

Hello, my friend. 

Welcome to another week of A Miracle Every Day! I am so honored to spend this time together and my prayer has been that you will experience a new kind of freedom over the next 7 days. 

I do a “Live with Pastor Grant ” YouTube show each week on Jesus.net/live and one of the most recurring questions that I receive from our global audience is “How do I overcome my fears?” Over and over again, incredibly brave people are asking for the spiritual keys to defeating fear in their lives. 

The reality is that fear has been around since the beginning of the human experience. In fact, the first negative emotion that mankind ever experienced was fear. Adam and Eve both engaged in this emotion as a result of making wrong decisions and listening to the lies of Satan. Instead of staying close to God, man wandered, sinned and this is the result. 

But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” (Genesis 3:9-10, NIV) 

Before sin interrupted everything, man did not have even the slightest comprehension of fear. It was just man and God and because God was there, there was nothing but perfect peace because perfect love casts out all fear. But, ever since sin entered into the world, fear has bound up everything that breathes. 

My friend, in the face of this terrifying reality, don’t miss out on this amazing truth. God went looking for those who were hiding in fear! Even though, through man’s poor choices, fear entered the world and became a basic instinct for every living creature, God was seeking out those who had gone astray and was beginning an eternal crusade to eliminate fear. 

Can you take an honest moment and state out loud the answer to this question, “What are you afraid of?” Is it the breakup of a relationship? Are you afraid God won’t provide? Are you afraid of the opinions of people? What about the future? 

Take courage, my friend. We are all afraid of something but it doesn’t need to stay that way. How do I know? 

365 times in the Bible God says, “Do not be afraid!” One statement of courage for every day of the year! One of my personal favorites comes from Isaiah 41 and I hope it blesses you and gives you courage today: 

I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant;’
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
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.

God has called you out of your fear. He chose you and will never reject you. You don’t need to be afraid because He is with you. You have His promise of miracle strength, heavenly help, and the steady and never-failing power of God to hold you up in any situation. Today, Jesus IS YOUR MIRACLE so never forget my friend… 

You are a miracle!

Scriptures: 1 Samuel 15:24, John 12:42-43, Proverbs 29:25

Bold and Honest?

Hello, my friend. 

Yesterday I asked you to be bold and honest and declare your greatest fear out loud. I would never ask you to do something I am not willing to do myself so here goes: I am afraid of people’s opinions about me and of being alone. 

The fear of man is a troubling part of life. Some people don’t struggle with this particular kind of fear, but many people do. How do you know if this fear is lurking in the recesses of your heart? I would put it this way, You know that you have experienced the “Fear of Man” if you have ever given in to public opinion. 

When I first started preaching, I used to edit my message according to what I thought people would like to hear. I really wanted people to like me so I just took the edge off of what God’s Word would say. I caved to public opinion. I just wanted everyone to be happy with me. One day I noticed something—I kept hearing the same phrase about my messages—”…that was “nice,” pastor.” Nice? That’s it? It’s not supposed to be nice! It’s supposed to be inspiring, motivational, life-changing, transformational but not NICE! I still remember when God convicted me of this: Grant, what they think of you doesn’t matter—it’s what they believe about Me that matters. I caved to the fear of man. King Saul was a man appointed by God to be His king but Saul blew it because he caved to the fear of man: 

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. (1 Samuel 15:24, NIV) 

You may have also given in to the “fear of man” if you have ever made a decision based on what other people might think. It sounds like this, “Well, I can’t read my Bible at school because people might think I’m a fanatic…” OR, “I can’t ask that question because people might think I’m stupid…” OR, “I’d better say ‘I’ll pray for you’ because I want people to think I’m very spiritual…” OR, “Well, I guess I’ll just go along for the ride…” OR, “Well everyone else is doing it.” If you have ever heard yourself say those words or something similar, you have given in to the fear of man. Here is one more, you have given in to the fear of man if you have ever changed the direction of your life because someone said, “You can’t…” 

Maybe you have heard these words, “You can’t live for God. You can’t reach that dream. You can’t be serious!?” and maybe your response was, “Well, I guess I just won’t do that then.” When the ministry of Jesus was just getting started, many people were beginning to follow Jesus but many of those fell away because a group of religious people came around and asked some questions, “What will your family think? Why would you follow a man from Nazareth?” they caved. 

“Yet, at the same time, many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees, they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” (John 12:42-43, NIV) 

I have struggled with the fear of man my entire life, but I am learning a new way of living and so can you! The writer of the Proverbs said in Proverbs 29:25, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” (Proverbs 29:25, NIV) 

My friend, if we want to stay out of the snare, we have to trust that God wants us to be more concerned about His opinion than their opinion! Stay strong and choose to honor and please God and God alone today. 

I have this little saying written on a note that I keep on my desk as a reminder to please God, “I would rather be a fool in the eyes of a man, than a fool in the eyes of God!”

Never forget my friend… 

You are a miracle!

Scriptures: Matthew 1:18-21, Matthew 1:24

Overcoming Fear

Hello, my friend. 

Yesterday I confessed to you that I have always struggled with the fear of man AND the fear of ending up alone. Today, I want to share with you about two friends who have encouraged me in my battle to overcome these fears. When I think of overcoming fear, one man quickly jumps into my thoughts. He did not bow to fear, and God was with him every step of the way. Listen to this story of overcoming fear from Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus! 

Matthew 1:18-21 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:18-21, NIV) 

This whole journey into overcoming fear really comes down to that little statement, “Do not be afraid.” God says that to people in the Bible a lot, and do you know why? Because the people He is saying it to are scared to death! Joseph would have been scared to death about public perception. What would people think? How would they respond when he said, “Well, umm, Mary is pregnant but an angel told me God did it!” In the Bible, Joseph was known as a TSADEEK—a young righteous man with a godly reputation. When your fiancée shows up pregnant, you lose your reputation, your standing, and your pride UNLESS you are not afraid of people and their perceptions. 

The Bible says: When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (Matthew 1:24, NIV) 

Joseph had a decision to make—God’s way or man’s way. He put aside his fear of man and chose the way of God and his life, and the Son he raised was indeed miraculous! 

Paul, the Apostle says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” So, here are two questions that can help you overcome your fear today: 

Will I say “no” to pleasing people? Will I say “yes” to pleasing God? 

When we say “yes” to pleasing God, we can hold on to His promise that “He will never leave us or forsake us.” Wow! Two fears are overcome at the same time!

Thank you for allowing me to be vulnerable and walk this journey with you. I am praying for your courage today as you face your fears. Don’t forget—please God and remember He is with you! Never forget my friend… 

You are a miracle!

Scriptures: Isaiah 53:2-4, Romans 15:7

Trust, Not Fear

Hello, my friend.

Welcome to another miracle day highlighted by overcoming our fears! I was chatting with a friend the other day and I was talking to him about writing this series on fear. I actually told him that I was fearful of what people would think when I told them I was afraid of people’s opinions about me! We both laughed at how ironic my statement was! After we stopped laughing, my friend lowered His voice and confessed, “Grant, I am afraid that God will reject me because of all the bad I have done.” He began to cry, and I began to pray. I believe my friend had touched on a common fear that many people struggle with understanding. 

In the depth of our soul, where we hold on to the broken memories of our past, we also are stuck in a crippling fear and belief that God simply can’t cover our sins. We wrongly believe that God could never possibly love someone with our baggage. We believe that in some way, we are just a little dirtier than everyone else. We think, that even if we are accepted by Christ, then our friends and families are sure to reject us. 

When that fear hits you remember that Jesus went first and experienced the pain of rejection firsthand. 

Isaiah 53 says… 

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:2-4, NIV) 

Scripture says that He was despised and rejected by men. I can’t promise you that you won’t experience the rejection of people, most of the people He encountered rejected Him. But, I can promise you that if you overcome your fear, and reach to Jesus, God only has one answer to your fear! God’s answer to your fear is a promise of TOTAL ACCEPTANCE! Romans 15:7 is God’s promise and it says, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:7, NIV) 

My friend, you never need to worry about being rejected by God. It will never happen! YOU have God’s word on it. So, live free today and bring praise to His name through your courage and your obedience! And never forget, my friend… 

You are a miracle! 

Scriptures: Luke 8:22-25, Psalms 46:1-3

Safe In The Storm 

Hello, my friend. 

Thanks again for bravely facing your fear and hearing all that God has for us in overcoming these spiritual obstacles! I recently learned some amazing statistics that helped put my own fears into perspective. These were the numbers: 

• 60% of our fears are totally unfounded 
• 20% of our fears are already behind us 
• 10% of our fears are so petty they don’t make any difference 
• 5% of the remaining are real but there is nothing we can do about them 
• 5% percent are left that we can actually do something about. 

Today, I want to focus on the 5 percent that we can actually do something about! 

Luke 8:22-25 says, “One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” (Luke 8:22-25, NIV) 

One of the fear areas that many people share is losing control. I was thinking about this story through that lens. In this story, the disciples had no control over Jesus’ agenda and this is what they didn’t know, Jesus was going to save them IN the storm, not FROM the storm. Jesus knew that storm was coming so He went with them. They also had no control over the sleeping habits of Jesus. What is Jesus doing IN the crisis? He’s sleeping! And the list goes on and on, they have no control over the storm (it was a total surprise), the boat (the wind stole this control), their direction (the wind also determined this factor), and their emotions (which were out of control in terror). Everything is out of their control but they have one answer to all of their fears and He is in the boat with them! 

Jesus is in the boat with you! Jesus is the answer to “Who is this?” He is the one who controls the storms, the wind, and the waves and He is in the boat with you. This same Jesus has a question for you in the face of your fear, “Where is your faith?” 

My dear friend, when I am in crisis, I have found that my faith is one of two ways—huge or non-existent. How about yours? The disciple’s faith is gone, but who do they run to? Jesus. In the face of disappearing faith, who still answers? Jesus. And He promises that at some point, the storm will be over, the calm will return, the fear will subside and His presence will still be with us. 

I have no idea what storm you are facing, but I do know you are not alone in the boat! 

Just like David, who faced many storms in his life, you can say, “God is our (MY) refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we (I) will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3, NIV) Never forget my friend…. 

You are a miracle!

Scriptures: Mark 4:35-41, Isaiah 26:3, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Psalms 19:9-12

Where Is Your Faith?

Hello, my friend.

Thanks again for joining me as we overcome our fears in the powerful name of Jesus! Can I share another story with you about overcoming fear that Jesus has used powerfully in my life? 

Mark 4 says, “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ’Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ’Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.He said to his disciples, ’Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’” (Mark 4:35-41, NIV) 

When I read this story, the truth jumped off the page at me: fear occurs when we disconnect ourselves from God!

A disconnect happened to the guys in the boat. In Mark’s account of what happened, you can hear it in their question, “Don’t you care?” Have you ever asked that? God, don’t you care about what is happening to me? I have found in my own life that when a crisis comes I have a decision to make—will I make God my ever-present ally or my convenient enemy? The disciples assumed that God was distant even though he was right in the middle of the storm with them. Out of that disconnect comes a question from Jesus. Where is your faith? 

Where is your faith? Have you put your faith in your home—what about when a hurricane shows up or the river waters start to rise? Have you put your faith in your own personal strength or your own ability? Remember, God says, “It’s not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord God of hosts.” Have you put your faith in your health? What happens when a doctor says the “heart surgery” words? Have you put all your faith in other human beings hoping that they will somehow value you? Where is your faith right now in this present moment? 

My mentor, John used to say, “You must train yourself to trust in God regardless of your circumstance.” Do you know why Jesus was sleeping? It was because He wasn’t afraid! Why wasn’t He afraid? Because He was in control! Do you know that the same peace that wrapped around Jesus is available to you? Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, NIV) 

We all have to learn to put our fear in the right context. At the end of the story, we see a transfer of fear. One second they are afraid of dying, and the next, they are taking a step back from the guy who just told the storm to quiet down. They were afraid of the storm and now they are experiencing the fear of God. I grew up being taught that I should be very afraid of God because He was perfect and I was a worm and He could squash me at any second. I had an unhealthy, cowering fear of God. The Bible talks about fearing God a lot and it can be confusing. How can I fear someone that I am supposed to love? Some people see it as simple obedience. 

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, NIV) 

Here is another perspective: Psalm 19:9-12 “The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.” (Psalm 19:9-12, NIV) 

My friend, the God who takes naps in the middle of the storms wants to give you that miraculous peace and confidence right now. 

So, rest easy. Face your fear with the power of Jesus. He is with you! And never forget… 

You are a miracle! 

Scriptures: Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 6:33-34, Philippians 4:6-7

God’s Alternative To Worry

Hello, my friend. 

All this week, just like you, I have been trying to overcome my fears. One of the more subtle outflows of fear is worry. I tend to justify my worry as “godly concern” but in truth, I am just stewing about the things I am afraid of! So, let’s finish this week with some encouraging truths that will beat worry AND fear every time! This is what I am learning in my own life. 

When I am besieged by worry and fear, I can exchange pressure for perspective. 

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 important than food, and the body more important 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor 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, O 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.” (Matthew 6:25-34, NIV) 

We read these verses and a very normal response is, “I’m out—this doesn’t apply to me because I have bigger things to worry about than food and clothing, birds and flowers!” You missed the point. The point is if God can handle the details for the birds and the flowers, how much more will He care for those who bear His image on their souls? How much more important is life and breath than what you will wear or eat? This verse tells us that God has the details. 

When faced with fear and worry, I can exchange terror for trust. Looking out into the future can be terrifying. What does Jesus say to the terrified? 

“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.” (Matthew 6:33-34, NIV) 

What does that mean? Jesus first. Jesus foremost. Spend today pursuing what matters to God and leave tomorrow to Him. 

When facing fear and worry, I can exchange panic for prayer.

I have a friend who prays for me. My prayer friend also has a son who is serving with the United States military in harm’s way. I asked her how she handles her worry. She was honest and said, “Not very well, I’m prone to panic.” But, this is what she does—in her prayer time—she thanks God for every day that He has provided safety thus far. Then she starts at the top of his head and systematically prays for God’s covering over every part of his body (God, give him an alert mind to know if danger is near, allow His eyes to see places of safety and refuge, keep his mouth pure and honoring you, cover his hands and make them yours, etc) and then she prays the armor of God for herself and asks God to give her son the wisdom to put it on himself. In exchanging panic for prayer she is obeying Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition…” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV) 

Can I share one more? 

When I am facing fear and worry, I can exchange worry for worship.

Years ago, my close friend Sam’s son was very sick with E-coli poisoning. At that time, Sam was the worship pastor of our church and he sang his way through his son Max’s recovery. He sang about the goodness of God when things weren’t good. He sang about wholeness when Max was anything but whole and my spiritual brother taught me that singing in the storm opened the doors to God’s calm. 

As we finish this week of miracle victories over fear, take the final few words of Philippians 4 as your badge of courage for facing your fears. 

“…with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV) 

Never forget my friend… 

You are a miracle!