Fear Not

Aug4

Where is your FAITH!

Fear Not! Stop propagating fear!
Occupy until Yeshua comes! Look for Him, yes. But live your life and stop the nonsensical posts that instill fear in others!

Bolster your faith!

Declare and Decree God’s Word over your life! Don’t stop until you read every single one out loud.

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Mark 4:39-40 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’

Luke 12:22 And he said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.’

Luke 12:24-34 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

John 14:1 Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.

Philippians 4:5-7 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:13-14 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 13:5-6 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’

1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,

1 Peter 5:6-8 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Revelation 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last,’

Amen Amen Amen and again I say Amen

Blessings and Shalom – Love Beyond Measure, Beth Auman

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Aug3

Scripture for the week of August 3, 2025
By JoBeth Kested

Because you love me, I will rescue you. I will protect you because you know my name. When you call to me, I will answer you. I will be with you when you are in trouble. I will save you and honor you. Psalm 91:14-15 (GW)

Isn’t it a wonderful feeling when you know you are loved? In loving relationships there is nothing we wouldn’t do for each other, especially when we receive a call for help. We will take food or clean a friends house in sickness, travel long distances to be with a hurting loved one and for some we are even willing to lay down our life in the face of danger. In these verses God declares how He responds to our love for Him. The Lord says that He will…rescue, protect, answer, be there, save and honor us. What an encouragement to know that the Almighty God desires our expressions of love for Him even in our weakness and imperfections. When we call out for God’s help in times of trouble and despair He lovingly responds back to us and makes these promises to meet our specific needs just because He knows we love Him! Thank You, Lord!

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Jul27

Scripture for the week of July 27, 2025
By JoBeth Kested


“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

Have you ever felt exhausted from carrying the heavy weight of discouragements, problems and fears with a longing to rest your weary soul? Sometimes it can feel like the weight of the world is all on our shoulders and there just doesn’t seem to be any relief or help to be found. In this scripture Jesus invites us to accept His yoke that initially may look too restrictive and too hard to do. To be yoked with Jesus requires accepting our insufficiencies and acknowledging our need for a Savior. As we learn His ways and experience His loving mercy with gentleness and kindness we discover that His yoke is easy and the burdens are far lighter. We’ll find the comfort and rest we long for as we allow Him to pull our heavy loads, to carry the weight and make our paths straight. Cast your cares on Jesus today (1 Peter 5:7) and God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Faith Or Fear, Which Will You Choose By JoBeth Kested

Jul23

I’ve felt the need to share this article I wrote several years ago. My hope is that it will be an encouragement to someone that needs to see this today. ??

Faith Or Fear, Which Will You Choose?
By JoBeth Kested

Have you ever realized that whether you live in faith or fear is a choice? You might say, “I always fear the worst about everything and I can’t help it; that’s just the way I am”. Let’s take a look at the Bible definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (NKJV). What if we replace the word faith with the word fear? “Now fear is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Isn’t that exactly what fear is when we allow our minds to run away imagining every possibility of all the bad things that might happen? Those imaginations can run around and around in our heads over and over, like a hamster on a wheel, until we are paralyzed with fear and hopelessness expecting only the worst. Do we have a choice? According to 2 Corinthians 10:5, we can choose to “cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (NKJV).

We need to realize that the choice between fear or faith is like coming to a fork in the road. We can choose to go down the path of fear, mulling over all the worst possibilities that can happen, or we can choose the path of faith; taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and putting our trust in God’s limitless power to intervene in our circumstances. The choice is ours. We are either going to put our trust in the worst possibilities of hopelessness or put our trust in God’s supernatural power to perform miracles on our behalf. Because, we KNOW His plans for us are good and not evil, to give us a future and a hope! (Jeremiah 29:11) So, fear or faith, which path will you choose?

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that You will help us to choose the path of faith and to take every thought captive, pulling down every stronghold of fear that comes against our obedience to walk in the path of goodness and hope you have for us in Jesus. In Jesus name, AMEN.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

© JoBeth Kested 2014

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Jul20

Scripture for the week of July 20, 2025
By JoBeth Kested

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 2 Peter 1:2 (NKJV)

Are you in need of abundant grace and peace? Grace is undeserved favor and divine assistance. Peace is tranquility, harmony and freedom from disturbance or affliction. The Biblical definition of knowledge is based on understanding from experience. This verse exhorts us that the more we increase in knowing our Father God, and our Savior Jesus, the more His grace and peace will increase in our lives. Like the Hebrews in the wilderness that had to gather fresh manna each day, Jesus is the Bread of Life that God has provided for us to that we need to seek new each day. Whatever we may have experienced of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and provision in the past, be encouraged to KNOW that as we seek to know Him more each day we’ll never exhaust the supply His sufficient favor, divine assistance, and peace that passes understanding. May His grace and peace be multiplied to you today.

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Jul13

Scripture for the week of July 13, 2025
By JoBeth Kested

A man’s steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord holds his hand. Psalm 37:23-24 (HCSB)

Have you ever enjoyed the craziness of a scavenger hunt where you are dependent upon finding the clues to guide you in the way you need to go? Sometimes, due to circumstances beyond our control, we find ourselves feeling helpless and clueless, like stumbling in the dark, with a fear of falling and no map or plan to follow. How encouraging to learn in these scriptures that we can trust that the Lord takes pleasure in establishing our steps and showing us the path we need to follow. He promises that even if we stumble along the way, He is holding our hand to strengthen and protect us from any overwhelming fall. Lord, establish our steps, please hold our hand and protect us as we follow you out of the dark and confusing times of our lives; that we may know Your pleasure upon us and the joy of Your presence with us.

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Jul6

Scripture for the week of July 6, 2025
By JoBeth Kested

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Psalm 37:3-6 (NIV)

Have betrayal and injustice robbed you of the provision, peace and future you had anticipated and hoped for? When all our hard work and good intentions have failed, this scripture encourages us to trust in the Lord, to do good, to delight in the Lord and to commit our way to Him followed by six amazing promises. 1) He will protect us and provides the place for us to dwell in safety. 3) He makes provision for what we need. 4) When nothing makes sense, if we commit our path to the Lord, He will show us the way to go. 5) He is able to fulfill the desires of our hearts. 6) On top of all that, God promises justice and vindication with the reward of setting everything right on our behalf like the bright and sunny dawning of a new day! Thank You, Lord!

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Jun29

Scripture for the week of June 29, 2025
By JoBeth Kested

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Psalm 34:8,10 (NKJV)

Have you ever longed for the taste of something like the first sip of coffee in the morning, your favorite piece of pie or maybe the best decadent chocolate as it melts in your mouth? There is nothing quite like that first taste that is so satisfying. We often cherish and savor that moment that is often accompanied by the feelings of comfort and happiness. This verse seems to encourage us that we don’t have to struggle and fret because we can’t understand the whole Bible or grasp all the ways of God. If we will just begin to taste a little at a time of His love, goodness, mercy and grace we will want keep to seeking Him more and more of as we experience the blessings of His comfort, peace and joy in every aspect of our lives. O taste and see that the Lord is good!

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Jun23

Scripture for the week of June 22, 2025
By JoBeth Kested

“Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me. Help me, O LORD.” You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever! Psalms 30:10-12 NLT

Do you carry memories of nights endured with pillow soaking tears of grief? Maybe you have learned how to move forward, going through the motions of life, with the pain of sorrows like heavy weights on your soul? Hear the cry of this Psalmist in these verses with a renewed hope to call upon the Lord for His help and mercy in the darkness of your sorrows. Remember the promises in Isaiah 61 that He brings good news to the poor, comfort to the broken hearted and release to those held in captivity. Our God has both the power and love for us to turn our mourning into dancing for joy! Even when we don’t have the strength in ourselves, He is able to replace our old grave clothes of grief with the garments of joy and loud songs of praise! O Lord our God, we will lift our voices with shouts of joy and songs of thanksgiving for Your mercy and goodness to us forever and ever! Amen!

 

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Jun16
  • Scripture for the week of June 15, 2014
    By JoBeth Kested

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)

Have you ever felt exhausted from carrying the heavy weight of discouragements, problems and fears with a longing to rest your weary soul? Sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be any relief or help to be found. In this scripture Jesus invites us to accept His yoke that initially may look too hard. To be yoked with Jesus requires us to submit to His plans and direction for us. Yet, His promise is that His way is easier as we allow Him to pull the heavy load, to carry the weight and make our paths straight. Cast your cares on Jesus today (1 Peter 5:7) and God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).