We have all felt the fear of the unknown these last weeks. The knot in our stomach seems to be a permanent fixture and the thoughts roiling through our head seems to be on an endless rerun. Fear and faith vie for space in our life.
The fears deepen as we read the myriad of details and the variety of news reports laid out for our perusal. If this is the only intake we have on a daily basis then fear will quickly gain the upper hand. Fear will lay claim to our souls, instead of our faith laying claim to the promises of God.
This is not to say, we should stay uninformed and stick our head in the sand. On the other hand, we must maintain a balance between the world we are living in and the world we are living for. If Heaven is the end goal of our time on earth, then the news that the Almighty God lays out for us carries a far heaver weight then the dismal pictures that the media paints
Fear Found in Yesteryear
As a young girl, I battled fear over and over again. The fear of fire destroying our home. Being left alone without anyone to care for me was another fear I battled. Signs or threats of tornadoes and thunderstorms would cause that knot in the pit of my stomach to grow larger.
Accidents, bad news reports, or any upset to the sanctuary of my home would cause my fear to deepen. The fears, at times, would paralyze me. More often than not, fear would win the battle over faith.
Nevertheless, I continued to seek the faith that could scale the mountain and walk through the storm with confidence. God, with unfailing patience and love continued to lead me forward into the life of faith.
Over and over again, God’s faithfulness would shine through the circumstances. When faced with situations that would cause fear to gain the upper hand, I had to make a definite choice to turn to my Heavenly Father. Again and again, I would come to Him and I found Him to be true and faithful.
Faith Wins Over Fear
I distinctly remember the night, our family of seven was faced with the certain threat of a tornado. Our children were scared. I was scared. However, I had to choose to direct the eyes of my children to the Faithful God, instead of the threat surrounding us.
The reactions to the fear were different for each of them. One of them was bouncing off the walls, and standing on his head. The youngest curled up on the edge of the couch and went to sleep. Another youngster climbed up beside his sister and stayed near. The eldest sat nearby reading different facts about tornadoes and thunderstorms interspersed with Bible stories. Another kept looking out the window for any signs of impending doom and then racing back to the couch. As we prayed together as a family, our faith grew. A knowledge that God could handle this situation became impressed upon us.
Subsequently, during all of this, God brought a calm and peace to my heart. He removed my fear and I rested in the knowledge that God was in control.
In fact, the path of the tornado was turned and the approaching storm dissipated. Since that time, rarely has my heart feared the physical thunderstorms and tornadoes that are a part of life in Indiana. God broke the chains of fear that night.
Fear, Faith and the Word of God
Fast forward to 2020, the news of the Corona virus and the impending doom that appears certain seemed to come out of nowhere. Fear pounced. I struggled over and over again as I read different news articles. Fear constricted and overwhelmed. The battle raged. Various news articles fed the fear and strengthened the battle I faced. All of this, seemed to paralyze my spirit and bring about doubt and despair.
Outwardly, paralysis was not a problem. I kept busy. Cleaning, mopping, cooking, hauling firewood, and even digging out a garden spot. Yet, in my minds eye, I could see and feel the chains of fear begin to tighten, strangling the faith I had nurtured through the years.
Meanwhile, God was tenderly pointing me back to His faithfulness. He reminded me that He is still the same God that brought me through the storms of the past.
As my fear and faith battled this past week, I had to make a conscious decision. A decision that God was able to take me through this staggering situation of inordinate proportions. Fear gets a death blow only when we claim the promises of God through a faith in the unchanging God.
I take a step back from the continual bombardment of the ever changing news and media and place my faith in a God who is Supreme over all. My intake needs to be balanced heavily with God’s Word.
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Romans 10:17
When we see all the possible answers for our situations, then the opportunity for faith is forfeited. It is when there is no answer to our situation, that we can choose to rest our faith in the God that can do the impossible.
Dealing a Death blow to the Fear that Strangles our Faith
As the week unfolds before us, we must take heart, in spite of the dismaying news in front of us. In the end, we are headed to a different country. Consequently, our eyes must be fixed on the Savior of our souls. He is a God that will not fail us. Abandonment is not His plan for us.
Fear will try to gain the supremacy over your faith. Do not let that happen. Be aware and conscious of the battle raging. We all react to fear with a plethora of reactions, as I saw in the various responses of my kids during our tornado threat.
In the end, our faith must be our focus and we must conquer the fear that poses a threat to our never dying soul.
Most importantly, we must turn our hearts to our Heavenly Father, though our faith is small. Join me this week in dealing a death blow to the fear that threatens to undermine and strangle our faith. Take up the sword, which is the Word of God and wield it correctly in the face of this battle. Search the scriptures and find them strong and true. The following verses are a few of the unending promises of God that will strengthen you in your journey of faith.
- Deuteronomy 31:6
- Joshua 1:5-7
- 1 Chronicles 5:20
- 2 Chronicles 20:15
- Psalm 42:8
- Psalm 42:8
- Isaiah 40:26
- Isaiah 43:1
- Psalm 62:5 & 6
- Psalm 62:11
- Romans 8:38 & 39
Don’t just take my word for it. Delve dip into the limitless treasures of God’s Word. Then with courage strong, turn and face the uncertain future holding the hand of God.
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