The prayer in my reading today was very timely. This week I leave for the Realm Makers Conference in St. Louis, and the panic is starting to set in. The Bible plan I’m reading is about trusting God and today was about how Moses felt insufficient. God asked him, “What is in your hand?” The lesson was if God can use a stick, He can use me. The prayer said we can surrender our fear in exchange for confidence in God. Let’s look at some supporting scriptures.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭5‬-‭6‬, ‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Fear is a natural response. In the right situation, fear can save our lives. But when it comes to God’s purpose and plan for the gifts He gives us, we need to lay our fears aside.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

For the first time, I will be pitching my novel to two agents at the conference. I’ve always planned to self-publish, but for whatever reason, I know I’m supposed to do this. The fear comes with the knowledge I didn’t pay much attention to the traditional publishing tract when taking writing courses. I’ve been scrambling trying to figure out how to make myself sound prepared. I want to be taken seriously. I want to feel I have value as a writer, which is the wrong emphasis, it should be—I want my writing to show promise.

This next scripture is the one I want to embrace as I surrender my fears.

…don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I realize this verse is about testifying about God, and it is not an excuse for lack of preparation, but it is a testament that the Spirit goes with us, and that is where I will place my trust.

I’m looking forward to connecting with other writers this week, and sharing our stories with each other, while learning from those further along the path.

Grace & Peace,

Sandy

Image created in Canva.