Fear is real. A lot of the time, it has a loud voice in our lives. It influences the decisions we make, the amount of sleep we get at night, and many other things.

Today’s Bible verse gives us some insight into fear.

I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? – Psalm 56:4 (NLT)

In today’s verse, we see that the Psalmist writes that he trusts in God, so why should he be afraid. That level of trust in God is amazing. The fact that he placed greater trust in God than on what he might have been facing really challenges me.

See it doesn’t matter what you’re facing. What matters is that you have trust in your God. Regardless of how bad it might look, regardless of how things might seem, when you place your trust fully in God, you have nothing to fear.

That’s good news. If you struggle with trusting God, a good way to build that trust is to read about the things He’s done for others in the Bible. Reading the stories of how God helped Abraham and the children of Israel through some really difficult seasons can help you build your faith in a God who is always working on the behalf of His children.

What are you afraid of? Is there something that keeps you up at night worrying or upset?

Fear is a real thing. It can keep us from sleep, it can keep us from making certain decisions and it can often stop us from doing what God is calling us to do.

In today’s Bible verse, we see a simple truth. When we’re afraid, we can put our trust in God.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. – Psalm 56:3 (NLT)

And while that truth is very simple, it can be really hard to put into practice. It’s easier to want to rely on help from others, or to try to do it all ourselves instead of fully putting our trust in God.

God has the ability to be our solution to every problem that we face, but it takes us believing that He can do it, and then we have to put our trust in Him. Putting your trust in God isn’t an easy thing most of the time. So if you struggle with that, it’s ok. One of the best things you can do is spend some time reading Genesis and Exodus. As you read the accounts of how God supernaturally helped His people, it helps you realize that He will do the same for you when you need it.

Today, don’t give into fear. God loves you and wants to help you if you’ll simply put your trust in Him!

Pride goes before destruction,
    a haughty spirit before a fall. – Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)

It’s easy to think that being popular equals success. You might think, the more friends you have, the better things will be for you. And while being friendly and having friends is a good thing, popularity isn’t the same as success.

Success in life comes from knowing Jesus and following His plan and purpose for your life. Anything else won’t bring you true happiness.

So today, focus on knowing Jesus. Spend time praying, reading your Bible, and finding out what Jesus has to say about things. As you know Jesus more, success will come. But success will never be lasting or fulfilling if it’s based only on popularity. Rather, base your happiness and worth on what Jesus says about you. Know that you’re loved and treasured by Him. So no matter whether you have lots of friends or just a few, it doesn’t matter because your worth is found in Jesus, not others.

Much of my teenage years were spent trying to be someone that I wasn’t. I wanted so badly to be liked, that I often acted differently based on who I was around to gain respect from others. Sometimes it meant hiding my Christianity, other times, it was being quiet to not draw attention to myself.

But regardless of how hard I tried to get people to like me, I always fell short. I was never happy and often I felt conflicted that I wasn’t being genuine with the people around me.

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices – Colossians 3:9 (NIV)

One of the best things you can do if you want good and lasting friendships is to be genuine. Hiding who you are or faking like you’re someone else won’t gain respect from others in the long run.

Be who you are. Be who God created you to be. Don’t hide your faith, hoping to gain popularity. Instead, if you’ll simply be genuine and real about your faith, you’ll find that more people respect you in the long run.

Have you ever thought about who your closest friends are? Not their names necessarily, but who are they? Are they people that are known for getting in trouble? Or are they people that push you to do good?

Your friends matter because they hold you accountable. Not in a formal kind of way, but your friends can help determine the choices you make. I know that I’ve made some poor decisions at times because of what my friends were doing.

Your friends can push you toward making good choices or they can push you toward making bad ones.

The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. – Proverbs 12:26 (NIV)

So if you haven’t put any thought into who your friends are, you might consider doing what today’s verse says. Choose your friends carefully. Make sure they are people who are pushing you to make good choices and to follow after God and the Bible.

Today’s Truth: Choose your friends wisely.

If your friends aren’t good ones, ask God for help. He will show you ways that you can make new friends. Don’t be afraid to get His advice in prayer on your friendships, He will help show you how to make good decisions with your friends.