One of the most powerful weapons God has given us for conquering fear and worry is memorising Scripture. Memory is a bit like a muscle; the more we use it, the stronger it becomes. There are lots of things we can recite from memory. Things like birthdays and important dates, addresses and phone numbers, National Insurance numbers, bank account numbers, and car number plates. All these items have two characteristics in common: we use them frequently, and we need them constantly. In other words, we‘ve memorised them because we use them so often, and we can’t get along without them. In a similar way, we can begin to conquer our worries by confronting them as soon as they appear with a powerful Scripture verse that we’ve memorised. God’s power is greater than our problems, and God’s Word is greater than our worries. He’s committed to keeping His Word, so whenever we speak scriptural words and promises into our situation, we’re bringing His wisdom directly into it. Just as Jesus resisted the devil’s lies by speaking Scripture (see Matthew 4:1-11), we can fight temptation, worry and fear with God’s Word. Here are some simple verses to begin to memorise for when we’re feeling anxious: ‘You are my place of safety and protection. You are my God and I trust you’ (Psalm 91:2 NCV); ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD you God is with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9 NLT); ‘Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me’ (Psalm 23:4 NCV); ‘When I am afraid, I put my trust in you’ (Psalm 56:3 NIV).

What Now?

Build up you weapon supply against fear by trying to memorise one Bible verse each week, even if it’s only a few words. Choose verses that build up your confidence in God and remind you that you can trust Him (the Psalms are a good place to start looking).

When it comes to dealing with our fears and worries, we have two choices; cast them on the Lord, or keep them and try to handle them ourselves. When communists overran China, missionary Isobel Kuhn was forced to escape on foot across the snow-covered mountains into neighbouring Myanmar, where she was stranded with no money and no way to get home. She wrote: ‘I cannot tell you the dismay and alarm that filled me,’ But she made two decisions. ‘The first thing is to cast out fear. The only fear a Christian should entertain is the fear of sin. All other fears are from Satan, sent to confuse and weaken us.’ So Isobel prayerfully trusted God. Second, she asked for God’s wisdom and guidance for the next steps to take, and eventually she arrived home safely. Instead of living with our fears and allowing them to take root within us, we need to identify and confront them the moment we become aware of them. Next, we need to turn each fear into a prayer and give it to God, refusing to take it back, and confident that He’ll handle it. We should do this with all our worries and fears, not just some of them. God wants us to share our big worries and the small ones with Him – nothing is beneath His notice. ‘Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully’ (v.7 AMPC). We’ll never be entirely free of fear and worry, but we always have a loving God who’s ready to carry them for us.

What Now?

Try to start a new habit: as soon as you feel worried or become aware of an anxious thought, try to use those feelings as a reminder to immediately tell God about what’s on your mind and hand the problem over to Him.

Here’s some advice for handling disagreements: 1) Sometimes the best resolution to a conflict is a separation, even if it’s just for a short time. When emotions run high, we need space to think clearly. And God can use this time of separation for His glory. Because Paul and Barnabas parted, the gospel was preached in even more cities. But when a temporary separation is the best option, we need to agree on how long it will be. In some friendships, one person might have outgrown the relationship. But this should be handled with love and wisdom, realising that we can all learn from our mistakes and grow through them. Later Paul wrote, ‘Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry’ (2 Timothy 4:11 NKJV). 2) If we realise that we were in the wrong, we need to acknowledge it. For a single, focused leader like Paul, this called for humility. It’s actually quite comforting to know that someone as anointed and brilliant as Paul could rethink his position and come to a different conclusion. A mistake might be bad, but it’s not as bad as the pride that defends it and spurs us on to keep making the same mistake. 3) We must learn to disagree without being disagreeable. After their conflict, both Paul and Barnabas focused on their own missions. Nowhere in Scripture do we find a time when either of them talked publicly about their disagreement or talked badly about the other. The only behaviour we have the power to change is our own. ‘We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ’ (Ephesians 4:15 NLT).

What Now?

Read about Paul and Barnabus’ disagreement in Acts 15:36-41 and then pray about what you’ve read. Make notes about anything it teaches and anything God reveals to you about handling disagreements.

Paul and Barnabas were a great missionary team. On their first tour, Barnabas’ cousin, a young man named John Mark, had joined them. But it seems he had grown homesick and returned to Jerusalem. On their second missionary tour, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them again, but Paul said no. ‘Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark…Paul chose Silas’ (vv. 39-40 NLT). If two spiritual giants couldn’t resolve their conflict and come to an agreement, it’s something we’re likely to struggle with at some time too. Paul was a totally focused, no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point person. Barnabas, whose name means ‘son of encouragement’, was a long-suffering and lovable person who believed in reconciliation and refused to cross anybody off his list. There are two valuable lessons in this story about handling disagreements. 1) When it comes to our friends and family members, we can have blind spots. It can be difficult for people to look beyond a blood bond and focus on what’s best in the long run. As a result, the vision God gave them often suffers. 2) Sometimes we need a wise and trusted third party to help resolve a problem. When it comes to trouble in the church, Jesus laid down clear guidelines. First, we must go privately, one to one, and deal with the issue. Second, if that doesn’t work, we should take one or two others with us and try to resolve it. Third, we must take the situation to mature spiritual leaders and get their input (see Matthew 18:15-18). That’s the scriptural way to handle disagreements, and we must make it our way too.

What Now?

Are you facing a disagreement with anyone? Try to follow the steps in Matthew 18:15-18 in resolving it.

Do you ever doubt yourself? We can doubt ourselves for many different reasons. We might lack confidence in our abilities; we might doubt our worth; we might think we lack the strength to get through a crisis or the tough situation we’re facing. When we rely only on our own strength and skills, we’ll often struggle, but when we lean on God’s, we’ll be able to face anything. When we rely only on other people’s opinions to get a sense of our worth, we’ll end up being disappointed, but when we realise how much God loves us, we’ll begin to see our true value in His eyes. The Bible says, ‘Those who trust their own insights are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe’ (Proverbs 28:26 NLT). We can gain wisdom by filling our minds with God’s Word every day, and finding hope and confidence in His promises and His willingness to fulfil them. ‘It is better to trust the LORD than to trust people’ (Psalm 118:8 NCV). But what about times when we doubt God’s Word too? Despite being Jesus’ disciple for almost three years and hearing His promise that He’d rise again from the dead, Thomas still said, ‘Unless I can see his wounds and touch him, I will not believe’ (see John 20:25). But Jesus didn’t turn His back on Thomas when he showed doubt. He never rejects a sincere, doubting heart. Instead, He showed up in person and resolved all of Thomas’ doubts. And as we read God’s Word and seek His face, He’ll show up and soothe our doubts too. As our doubts fade, our faith grows, and we’ll begin to ‘live by what we believe not by what we see’ (2 Corinthians 5:7 NCV).

What Now?

At the end of the day, have a think about any times today that you doubted what God was telling you or that He’d come through for you.

Some people say that Jesus Christ never existed. Josephus, who was one of the most well-known and well-respected Jewish historians, is attributed as writing this: ‘Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works – a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this date.’ This was written during the first century, and it’s highly likely there were people living who remembered Jesus, and maybe even saw Him. A Christian minister wrote: ‘While sceptics may choose to reject the Bible’s moral message, they cannot deny its historical accuracy. Over 25,000 archaeological finds demonstrate that the people, places, and events mentioned in the Bible are real and are accurately described. No archaeological finding has ever refuted the Bible. In fact, the descriptions in the Bible have often led archaeologists to amazing discoveries. Non-Christian journalist Jeffrey Sheler, author of the book Is The Bible True?, concluded, “In extraordinary ways, modern archaeology is affirming the historical core of the Old and New Testaments, supporting key portions of crucial biblical stories.”’ We can trust the Bible, so let’s reaffirm our faith and love for Jesus, our Saviour, today.

What Now?

Do some research into archaeological finds that back up the Bible’s accounts and stories. Thank God that His Word can be trusted, and that Jesus really died to ensure your salvation.

Another question we might have is: How can we trust the Bible when humans wrote it? One way to work through this question is to think about writing a letter to someone – do you write the letter or does the pen? The pen is just the instrument you use to get your words down on paper. In a similar way, God used humans as instruments to write His ‘letter’ to us. Josh McDowell, a Christian apologist, says: ‘Here’s the picture: 1,500 years, 60 generations, 40 authors, different walks of life, different places, different times, different moods, different continents, three languages, writing on hundreds of controversial subjects. Yet when they are brought together there is absolute harmony from beginning to end.’ In 2 Timothy 3:16 we read: ‘All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults , and for teaching how to live right’ (NCV). Here’s what Billy Graham had to say about Scripture: ‘If I didn’t believe that the Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ held the answer to this world’s baffling problems, I would go back to the farm and the rural life that I love and spend my days in peaceful solitude.’ We can trust the Bible because even though the words were written by humans, every word was inspired by God and His voice speaks through them. John said: ‘I write this letter to you who believe in the Son of God so you will know you have eternal life’ (1 John 5:13 NCV). So many of the Bible’s prophecies and promises have come true, and although living out its principles isn’t always easy, it always proves to be the best and right way to live.

What Now?

If you’ve not looked into it before, do some research into fulfilled Bible prophecies and promises. Thank God for the guidance and wisdom contained in His Word.

Another question that people might ask about Christianity is: Isn’t the church full of hypocrites? The word hypocrite comes from the Greek word for ‘actor’. Hypocrisy is ‘the practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold’. The true church of Jesus Christ is made up of true believers; hypocrites are ‘pretenders’ who sit among God’s people. Jesus even had one among His twelve disciples – Judas. People have left the church because of hypocrisy, and there are many people in churches today who are just pretending to be believers. They might think going to church makes them look good, or they might be going in order to deceive people for their own purposes. But even the most faithful believer isn’t perfect, so we’ll still continue making mistakes and going wrong, even when we’re true believers and churchgoers. But we need to be careful of judging others, as we don’t know their heart and motives. Struggling with something, questioning God, or making mistakes doesn’t automatically make us hypocrites. There might even be people in our church who genuinely don’t realise or understand that just going to church doesn’t make them a Christian. ‘You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things…Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?’ (v.1-4 NLT). Don’t worry about hypocrites in the church; God will sort them out, the ‘wheat’ from the ‘tares’ (see Matthew 13:30).

What Now?

Have a quick check of your faith today – are there any areas where you’re just ‘going through the motions’ or trying to look good to others instead of really believing from your heart? Ask God to help you build up your faith and confidence in Him.

For the next few days, let’s take a look at some of the big questions people ask about Christianity, and that we might even have asked ourselves. First: How can a loving God allow suffering? This is one of the hardest questions to answer, and we may never find the answer until we get to heaven and realise all God’s purposes. In the beginning God created Adam and Eve, and they lived in a perfect world free from suffering – it was heaven on earth. But God also gave humans free will. So when Adam was faced with a decision – to obey God or disobey Him – he was able to make a choice himself, without God’s input. He chose disobedience, and that decision brought sin, death and misery into the world. Free will is a gift, and if God stepped in and made all our decisions for us, we’d no longer have free will. But He’s not a dictator – He loves us and gives us the freedom to love or reject Him, to ask for His advice or go our own way. Adam’s choice means we now live in an imperfect, broken world, not the one God intended us to inhabit. But ‘we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found…at peace with him’ (2 Peter 3:13-14 NIV). When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we have the assurance that we’ll go to heaven and live in a glorious earth made new without sin or suffering. But in the midst of the pain and suffering of our imperfect world, we can always draw close to our God and receive His comfort and strength.

What Now?

Today, take a few moments to thank God that we can honestly question things we don’t understand about Him and that He loves us so much that we can question Him without fearing punishment.

Today is Father’s Day. It can be a difficult day for those of us who haven’t had a good experience of fathers, or haven’t known a father-figure in our lives, or have lost a loving father. So today, let’s spend some time reflecting on some of the things the Bible says about God, our heavenly Father. 1) ‘Father to the fatherless, defender of widows – this is God, whose dwelling is holy’ (Psalm 68:5 NLT). Even if we’re lacking an earthly father, we’re not alone. God is our source of protection, strength and guidance. 2) ‘Lord, you are our father. We are like clay, and you are the potter; your hands made us all’ (Isaiah 64:8 NCV). We are God’s creation, and He cares for us. He’s our role-model, and He wants to shape us to become like Christ. 3) ‘For us there is only one God – our Father. All things came from him, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord – Jesus Christ. Al things were made through him, and we also were made through him’ (1 Corinthians 8:6 NCV). As well as being our creator, God is our provider, meeting our needs through the things He blesses us with and the skills and gifts He’s given us. 4) ‘God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort others’ (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT). God is our comforter and sympathiser. We can draw close to Him and confide in Him whenever we’re in trouble, have a problem, or a worry. And He wants us to share His love with others. Our earthly fathers aren’t perfect and might make mistakes, but in God, we can be confident that we always have the best possible Father.

What Now?

Spend some time reading and reflecting on some of the Bible verses that talk about God being our Father. And if you can, pray for your own father today.