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Day 223, or August 11. Don't be afraid. Our thoughts today are rooted in Jeremiah chapter

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42, verse 11. Do not be afraid of the King of Babylon whom you now fear. Do not be afraid

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of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, and will save you, and deliver you from his

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hands.

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And now the big picture surrounding this verse. Jeremiah is not taken into exile, but freed

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by the captain of a group of soldiers who was leading a band of prisoners to Babylon.

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He respected Jeremiah so much, because he could see that what the prophets said would

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happen actually did happen, proving he really was speaking for God. Jeremiah remained faithful

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to his God and continued to minister to those who stayed in Judah. Despite his best endeavours,

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he fails to persuade the remnant of survivors not to go into Egypt, so he decides to go

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with them, so that they will still hear what God has to say. This was despite the fact

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that they had rejected everything else God was saying to them.

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And now today's action step. God's Word is always relevant, and the assuring statement

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we are considering today is for all of us, all the time. Of course, the King of Babylon

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no longer exists, but we all have something or someone that is stunting our spiritual

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growth. We need to stop fearing whatever is dominating our every thought. Sometimes we

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lose perspective and our problems can become giants in our lives, far bigger than they

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deserve to be. God tells us that we need not fear. Whatever is causing you to cower down

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today, remember that God tells us the same as He confirmed through Jeremiah and the same

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as He told Joshua centuries before. Do not be afraid. Why not ask God today to deliver

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you from fear, and give you assurance as the Apostle John tells us, you have already won

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a victory. The spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

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In John chapter 4 verse 4, claim this promise today and stand tall in the Lord's strength.