Tuesday September 30

Isaiah 60:1-62:5

Philippians 1:27-2:18

Psalms 72:1-20

Proverbs 24:11-12

"Don't be intimidated in any way by your enemies."

Philippians 1:28

I can very easily be intimidated. I don't like confrontation. I don't like it when people are angry or upset. Oftentimes, I feel uncomfortable in large groups of people or with being the center of attention. Also, I often worry about how things will go wrong. I play scenarios out in my head and then can get myself overwhelmed with anxiety over things that may not actually ever happen. As I said, I can very easily be intimidated.

Here, in Philippians, Paul is telling his fellow believers to not be intimidated by their enemies, because we serve a great and powerful God who is always on our side. Even when faced with physical suffering (like Paul did), we still have no reason to be intimidated or scared or worried because God who is infinitely powerful and loving has everything in the palm of His hand.

Here are some snippets from Day 2 in Draw The Circle. This was something that I definitely needed reminding of:

"When was the last time you lost sleep because you were concerned about the Creator keeping the planets in orbit? When was the last time you got on your knees at night and prayed, 'Lord, thanks for keeping the planets rotating. I wasn't sure if we'd make the full rotation today, but You did it again!' I'm guessing the answer to these questions is never."

"We don't doubt God's ability to keep the planets in orbit, but we have a difficult time believing He can keep our lives in orbit. You tell me which is more difficult - keeping the planets in orbit or determining our steps? The truth is that we already trust God for the big things; now we need to trust Him for the little things."

Bottom line: Don't be intimidated by anything that stands in your way because God has everything under control and He is on your side.