I am still trying to wrap my mind around everything that I experienced in Ukraine. Trying to find words adequate enough to express the way God spoke to my heart, and showed me his love for people groups across the world. God is good, and his love endures…forever. But today I feel lead to share something else with you, in response to everything that has been going on in this country and around the world.

Coming home, after being truly unplugged from the news, social media and everything for 2 weeks I have seen that it is clear that we find ourselves living in dangerous times. We see mass disaster, and now have to grieve with the losses from the Las Vegas shooting. We are paralyzed by fear not knowing if this could happen to us.

And here is the truth. Anything could happen to anyone of us. At any given moment. We are not even promised or guaranteed that we will be here tomorrow, the next day or next year. And I am not saying this to create fear, I am simply asking you this, do you know that you know that you know that if something terrible happened to you today, where you would spend eternity? Do you know right now where you are going? I pray that God our father would even use this situation to draw people closer to him, to trust him, and to know that their eternity is promised when we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Christ died and rose again for us to enter into an eternal life with him, when we say yes and invite him into our hearts.

I want to challenge you to live boldly and decide today that I will not live in fear. Do you know that 90% of people never step into God’s will for their lives, because they live a life rooted in fear.

“For God has NOT given you a spirit of fear, but of power and love and sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:7

I can admit that there was a time in my life where I feared being alone, I was so fearful that something would happen to me and no one would be around to save or help me. As you can imagine moving to Africa, alone seemed scary for a girl who feared being alone. Yet God worked within my heart and showed me how to trust him, so I would not live in fear, but step into his will for my life, one that I could have missed out on, had I lived with fear inside my heart. As I grew to understand the power of God and how he PROMISES to protect the ones who call upon his name I grew to understand how I am not growing spiritually if I allow fear to cripple myself. My mom taught me the importance that every believer should read and know Psalm 91 so we can speak his word of protection in times of trouble or danger. I challenge you to read this Psalm today and find one verse that speaks to your heart and memorize right, so if a time of trouble comes, you can speak out the word of God which is our protection.

I started to have dreams as God showed me that even when I was alone with no one around me, and once danger began to come near me I called upon the name of Jesus and was delivered, every. single time. It was through these dreams that God showed me I did not need to be afraid. And slowly as I began to read his word, and reach onto his promises as the spirit of fear left my life and God’s peace filled its place. I had grown with confiednce that if the Lord was calling me to Africa and he was the one to send me, He would protect me and I could be in peace about it. You see God’s people don’t always realize that they are fireproof until God’s will for their life is completed. Know this, and walk confidently in his protection that he will protect you until you have completed his work here on earth. I choose to live in peace knowing that even if the worst thing shall happen to me today, there is confidence that I know where I will spend all of eternity. And God wants you to know the same exact thing, right now.

I know a lot is going on in the world, it seems everywhere we look we see headlines indicating danger and predictions of even worse things that lie ahead. Don’t allow this to discourage you, open the book that promises to give you peace, to give you rest, to find a refuge in God, to seek purpose and meaning in his word which is life. Find your peace from the word of God, don’t allow these headlines to keep you in a place of fear. God doesn’t want you there.

Can I ask you this? What does worrying about a situation you have no control over add to your life? What do worry and fear add to your life, other than stress? Isn’t it better to give those fears to God and lay them down at this feet and take peace knowing that he is worth laying our fears and burdens down for?

When I was flying home from Ukraine I had a layover in Germany. I was on a long security line and God put on my heart to speak to the girl behind me. I felt him say “She’s afraid” so I turned around and decided to speak on what God had laid on my heart. We began talking, we were on the same flight back to New York and I simply asked her if she was afraid. She looked at me as if I saw right through her. She started explaining how she used to travel a lot but has grown with a recent fear of flying because the percentage that it may lead to a death. The fear she really was communicating to me was the fear of death. Which is actually the largest common fear of people. With little time left to speak to her before I walked through security I told her that she doesn’t need to fear, she could trust God and he would protect us on our flight, and we weren’t going to die. She smiled and shook her head, “yea we are going to be just fine, you are right, God will protect us.” I walked away and never saw her again, but I was praying God’s peace over her during the flight.

Please do not allow the enemy keep you in a place of fear, where you stop living your life, and you stop from stepping into the will of God because of fear of the unknown. Don’t be the person who calculates everything that could happen to you. Be the person who walks confidently in the peace God gives us! It is such a beautiful place to be. Start your morning with a simple prayer of asking God to give you peace, to protect you and your family and to keep you from any plans or schemes of the enemy, ask him to send his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways, and he will do it!

You have not, because you ask not! Don’t miss out on the amazing promises God has for those who love him and dwell under the shadow of his wing, don’t be afraid, don’t worry about tomorrow, when God has given you today! We were given ONE life so don’t spend yours being afraid, God has much bigger plans for your life, and you will only experience his goodness when  you step out in faith and peace.

If anyone has any questions or wants to know that they know that they know where they would spend eternity if something happened to them today, please feel free to email me!

Today live boldly and speak of good things, do not fear, ask God to give you his peace for today and take it a day at a time, and join together in prayer for the families and loved ones of those who were taken too soon, that God would comfort them and give them peace. Today I challenge you to choose one of these bible verses and tape it onto your mirror and speak it every morning, as a reminder that God has NOT given us a spirit of fear, that he will protect you and keep you in all your ways. From driving to the grocery store, to taking a subway, attending a concert or traveling around the world. Take peace in his love, because perfect love casts out all fear.

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 heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Psalm 94:19
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”

John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.”

Proverbs 16:7
“When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

Isaiah 41:10
“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.”

1 John 4:18

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 

Psalm 23:4
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” 

You are all loved,

Dev