Category: My Personal Experiences

A Heart Free of Worry and Fear!

… Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

– John 14:27

In yesterday’s devotion I looked at the first part of John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you…”, and I shared with you a testimony of how God’s supernatural eirene and Shalom (“peace”) kept my heart, mind and emotions in a difficult situation.

Today’s devotion delves into the second part of John 14:27, where Jesus continues His encouragement by saying “…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”.

Jesus knows that life often times presents us with catastrophes and wars that cause us to worry and fear as though we have no peace. Therefore, He has made provision for us to have His “peace” even before time memorial. Hence, the reason He encourages, “…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”.

The word “troubled” is the Greek word taresso, which is used in numerous places in the New Testament to mean to shake, to trouble, to disquiet, to unsettle, to perplex, to cause anxiety, or even to cause feelings of grief. It is the picture of someone feeling inwardly shaken, unsettled, confused, and upset. Have you ever felt that way? Then, you know precisely what I mean (Renner, 2016)!

These disquieting emotions usually lead to fear. I personally can attest to this fact because I have had this experience over and over again. Being on a roller-coaster ride with emotions that were out of control had become my way of life. That is why I believe Jesus went on to say “neither let it be afraid”.

The word “afraid” is from the word deilos, and gives a picture of a gripping fear or dread that produces a shrinking back or cowardice. In essence, it saps your ability to look at the problem head-on and causes you to retreat into your own mode of self-preservation – which, in effect, is cowardice or lack of courage to face what is before you (Renner, 2016).

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God’s Supernatural Peace

 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you…

– John 14:27

In January 2017 I travelled to the USA for medical purposes. I had gone to the USA several times before for vacation and to spend time with my brothers and their families who reside there. This time however, I was detained by immigration when I arrived at JFK airport after four in the morning. I was taken to a room where I was interrogated like a criminal, photographed, fingerprinted, and my personal belongings searched. My cell phone was taken away and I was asked for the password for my social media accounts, then they searched my cell phone, went on my Facebook page and read my messages. Then I was told that I am not allowed into the USA, my visa was cancelled, and they booked me a flight for the evening of that day to return home. I remained in the room from after four in the morning until after five the evening when they were getting ready to take me to the airline to board the plane back home.

Usually, in circumstances like this, my first inclination would have been to worry, to get anxious and depressed, to be afraid, and a host of other negative emotions. My life had often been on a roller-coaster ride with emotions that were out of control.

This time, that was not the case. I had a peace that I myself didn’t understand. Instead of allowing my thoughts to run wild and my emotions to control me, I asked where the bathroom was, went it there and had a talk with God. I said, “God, if it’s not Your will for me to be in the USA at this time after reaching so far, then I am ok with it because it means that You have another plan, a better plan for my health and healing, since You work all things together for my good because I love You and I am the called according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28). However, if it is Your will for me to be here and this is some plan of the enemy to prevent me from being here, then I agree with the prayer by Dr Cindy Trimm and I declare and decree that every immigration law, legislation, or person here today will line up with Your will and plan for my life at this time and accommodate my presence here. For the earth is Yours and the fullness thereof, the world and all they that dwell in it (Psalm 24:1). And the heart of the king is in Your hand Lord (Proverbs 21:1-3). I thank You Lord in Jesus’ name. Amen!”

After, I returned to my seat and the “peace” of God kept me all through that day as I waited for evening to come to return home.

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Would You Like God’s Peace to Keep Your Hearts and Minds?

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

– Philippians 4:7

There were times in my life when I had no peace. Anxiety and depression had literally taken hold of my life. My mind was bombarded with negative and irrational thoughts of lies that the enemy told me, and sadly I believed them. Anxiety and depression were plagues from the enemy to eradicate my soul day in and day out. I allowed them both to take the place of God’s peace in my heart, mind, and emotions. I sought peace in all the wrong places – looking for love and acceptance from family and friends hoping that will give me peace but the more I looked for love and acceptance, the more I felt unloved and rejected, I felt like no one cared. Also, I thought that I could have found peace in hurting myself so I attempted suicide many times hoping to end the pain but peace was not there. Nevertheless, God has been gracious and merciful to me. He taught me over the years (and is still teaching me) how to surrender to Him and fix my thoughts on Him so that instead of anxiety, His peace can keep my heart and mind.

It is inspiring to know that we can overcome anxiety and depression. Paul informs us that the consequence of having an attitude of prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving in everything is the “peace” of God.

Philippians 4:7 encourages us by saying “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.

Today I will like to draw your attention to the following words from the aforementioned verses in order to help you understand the true essence of this portion of Scripture.

The word “passeth” is the Greek word hyperecho. This is a compound of the words huper and echo. The word huper empirically mean over, above, and beyond. It portrays something that is way beyond measure. It conveys the idea of superiority; something that is utmost, paramount, foremost, first-rate, first-class, and top-notch; greater, higher, and better than, superior to; preeminent, dominant, and incomparable; more than a match for; unsurpassed or unequalled. The second part of the word “passeth” is the Greek word echo, this word means I have, as someone who holds something in his possession. It can be translated to keep; to possess; to have; to hold; or even to acquire (Renner, 2003).

The Greek word hyperecho which is formed when these two words huper and echo are compounded, used by Paul in Philippians 4:7, signifies a peace so superior that it is held high above all other type of peace. God’s peace is a type of peace that transcends, outdoes, surpasses, excels, rises above, and goes beyond and over the top of any other kind of peace (Renner, 2003).

Humanity has been searching and trying all sorts of things to bring them peace but to no avail. They may think they have found peace that lasts only for a while. That’s because there is no other peace in the world to be compared with the peace of God.

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Do Not Be Anxious for Anything!

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

– Philippians 4:6

I have had many experiences where my heart and mind were so overwhelmed by life’s events that anxiety took a hold of me. It automatically became my first response to everything, even the good things. My mind would become confused, my heart would palpitate so rapidly, my body would sweat, and many a times I would blackout. I felt like I had no control of my thoughts and actions. Many times, in order to end the horrible feeling of a panic attack, I exhibited some irrational behaviours that only caused me more harm than good, for which I later regretted. I went through all of the above because I was nervous about everything. I didn’t trust in my Heavenly Father’s care for me. I thought I trusted Him but my actions indicated otherwise. Not that I didn’t want to trust Him but trust had been an issue for me for a long time. I found it difficult to trust because I felt hurt, rejected, and disappointed so many time by people who I held in high esteem that I transferred that mistrust to God unconsciously.

Philippians 4:6 encourages us by saying “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God”.

Today I will like to draw your attention to the following words from the aforementioned verse in order to help you understand the true essence of this portion of Scripture.

The word “careful” is translated in other versions of the Bible as “anxious” or “worry”. We must not be anxious or worry about anything. Anxiety has a way of creeping up on some of us for no apparent reason. It is an emotion that often times has no precipitation cause for it to be experienced. This is one of the ways the enemy of our souls lobs us into a cataclysm of anxiety and panic, that sometimes cause us to do things that we are later remorseful for. It can cripple both our physical and emotional functioning as well as put us in spiritual bondages that hinder our relationship to God.

The word “everything” comes from the Greek panti. It holds everything. It is an all-inclusive word – including the finest, most minute details. Friends, God cares about everything that concerns your life. Therefore, He invites you to come boldly to Him and He waits eagerly for you.

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You Can Trust the Lord With All Your Heart!

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  

– Proverbs 3:5-6

When I applied to attend university to pursue my first degree, I had no idea how I would finance it. When I got accepted to the university, I was so stricken by anxiety and depression (which was usually my first response) because I knew that there was no way I could have afforded to go. On the other hand, there was a flood of excitement that drowned all my thoughts that God was unable to provide everything I needed to attend university and complete the degree. As a matter of fact, I had such complete trust in Him (which I didn’t always have but over the years I’ve learnt to trust Him) that I decided to take time out to seek His guidance for my new journey.

In so doing. I felt the Holy Spirit’s leading to do things that to the natural man was considered imprudent. I didn’t understand it all nonetheless I purposed in my heart to trust in the Lord. I was directed to give away many of my personal belongings. Some things I didn’t remember that I had and others I considered insignificant. I didn’t just give them to anyone but I was told by the Holy Spirit to whom to give what. To my amazement they were all things that all of those persons needed at the time. I thought that was just like “…God to choose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…” (1 Corinthians 1:27a).

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God Keeps His Promises to You. Fear Not, Only Be Glad!

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

– Joel 2:21-27

The day began for me with much enthusiasm and expectations. I had an interview at Service Commissions Department for the position of “Youth Worker” and I was confident that I would get the job.

A few days prior to being called for that interview I received a Rhema Word from God from Joel 2:21-27 that says, “Fear not O Joanne, be glad and rejoice for the Lord will do great things. Moreover, God promised to restore me the years I had sown in tears. Therefore, I declared that I will praise the name of the Lord my God for He has dealt wondrously with me, and I will never be ashamed. And I and everyone else shall know that I AM (the Lord) is in the midst of us and that I AM the Lord my God, and none else: and I shall never be ashamed.”  

Hence, to me getting that job was the ‘great thing’ that God was about to do for me since at that time I was unemployed for seven years after I graduated High School. In addition, I felt that getting that job was the means by which God was going to restore to me the seven years of unemployment and frustration that I had sown in tears. Besides, during the time I was unemployed, I seized every opportunity to qualify and develop myself within the means available to me then. Therefore, I had training in “Working with Adolescent”, “Substance Abuse Counselling”, Basic Counselling Skills, and had many hours of voluntary Youth Work at Marion House.

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Is God’s Peace Ruling Your Mind and Emotions?

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

– Colossians 3:15

When I was a student at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, I had an experience that was very profound. My host at that time had taken me to the bus stop in Rockley and showed me the buses and the bus routes that I needed to take to get to the university. The morning I went to take the bus for the first time on my own, I waited at the bus stop for more than two hours and the bus I thought I needed to take didn’t pass by the time I thought it should have passed. I then got anxious that I had missed the bus and fear of the unknown stepped in. I became so flustered that the questions foremost in my mind were, “did I really miss the bus or was it that I just couldn’t remember what time the buses passed?”

I stood at the bus stop in uncertainty, crying as fear and anxiety enveloped my emotions. As a result I had a panic attack. Precipitously, in the midst of the panic attack I heard a still, small, comforting voice deep within; a voice that I knew right well as it had spoken to me in situations of the past. It was the voice of Abba Father. The voice said to me, “I know how you are feeling. You feel like an eaglet that had just been tipped out of its mothers nest by the mother eagle to learn to fly. But do not be afraid for I am your mother eagle, I am right here with you, and I will not let you fall.”

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