Choosing Faith over Fear

Isaiah 41:8-13

“But you, Israel, my servant,
    Jacob, whom I have chosen,
    you descendants of Abraham my friend,
I took you from the ends of the earth,
    from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
    I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
So do not fear, for I am with you;
   do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

“All who rage against you
   will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
   will be as nothing and perish.
Though you search for your enemies,
   you will not find them.  

Those who wage war against you
  will be as nothing at all.
For I am the Lord your God
  who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
  I will help you.

In these days and times there are plenty of reasons to fear.  Our world seems to be in a continuous state of war and crisis.  The jobs market  is dismal, natural disasters wreak havoc, sickness seems to be striking out at everyone, and stories of crime dominate the headlines.  As Christians, we know that fear should have no place in our lives, but how can we ignore what's going on around us?

Basically, there are two paths we can walk:  faith or fear.  It's impossible to simultaneously trust God and not trust God.  Another way of saying this is that you cannot both obey and disobey Him - partial obedience is disobedience.  So, which road are we traveling?

Some people who read the Bible and believe in God nevertheless choose to live with fear.  Seeing others experience hardship and heartaches, they start wondering if it could happen to them. 'Someone at my office lost his job, will I be next?  Someone died in an accident - I could die too.'   But this kind of "logic" places your circumstances above your relationship to God.

If Satan can get you to think like this, he has won the battle for your mind.  But when you focus on God rather than your circumstances, whatever the situation is, you win.  The Bible tells us, "God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7)

Our heavenly Father understands our disappointment, suffering, pain, fear, and doubt.  He is always there to encourage our hearts and help us understand that He's sufficient for all of our needs.  When I accepted this ias an absolute truth in my life, I found that my worrying stopped.

More on this topic later...

Be Blessed!