Freedom From Worry and Fear by Bengt Korshing

 I rest without worry near my father's heart. John 14:27

There is a lot of confusion about 2012. The film industry has made a lot of money playing on peoples fears and worries about 2012. Many beleive that because the Mayan calendar ends in December 2012, so will the world. As I follow the comments on internet and the rise of internet "survivalists" shops, I see two things - one, the rising fear for the unknown and two, the oppertunity taken by those who have money as their focus, to get rich by using our fears to get us to buy, buy, buy and buy our safety, our survival, our future. Can we really "buy" these things ? NO ! We can only get a very temporary feeling of security.

 There have been countless predictions about the end of the world and so far none have come close to being right.

 What all this does is play right into the hands of the devil. He wants us to worry and be afraid. He wants us to focus on the worst possible outcome. Why? Because when we focus on these things we do what the apostle Peter did when he was walking on the water towards Jesus, the storm scared him and he looked at the waves of the sea and became afraid - then he started sinking, only JESUS saved him when he called for help. Read Matthew 14:30.

 If we let our worries about the future, a future we can't do anything about, draw our focus from Jesus THEN we WILL start sinking and we may very well drown in the depths of our fears and dispare. Just what the devil wants.

 Worry and fear tires us all. There is nothing that draws so much energy from us as worry and fear. In Mattew 11 vs.28 Jesus says, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." 

Go to Jesus with your worries and fears, only He can help you.

 Throughout the Bible we can read about many of God's messengers and people who at one time or another have felt worry and fear. When this happened they called to God for help:

"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted..." (Psalm 25:16).

 Here are two verses of Francie's hymn "All the way my saviour leads me":

"All the way my Savior leads me; What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who thru life has been my guide?

Heav'nly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell!

 For I know what'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well. 

 All the way my Savior leads me; Oh, the fullness of His love!

Perfect rest to me is promised In my Father's house above:

When my spirit, cloth'd immortal, Wings its flight to realms of day,

This my song thru endless ages: Jesus led me all the way."

 Let JESUS be your focus every day of 2012 - let Him carry ALL your worries and fears.

Today's guest blogger is Bengt Korshing.  Bengt was born in Sweden, but grew up in Mozambique, where his parents were missionaries.  He studied anthropology in the US, then moved back to Sweden and studied in the Royal Guard.  In 1979 he answered the call to serve as a missionary in Sierra Leone, where he met and married an American missionary.  When the two started their family they decided to move back to Sweden, where it was safer.  There they became tent-makers (self supporting missionaries) and today they are helping small churches and prayer groups and working as English teachers.
Visit Bengt's blog at http://pastorbk.christianblogsites.com/blog/