TODAY’S INSPIRATION: FAITH OVER FEAR

I got my license when I was a teenager and along with it came fear. All my life I have had anxiety when it comes to driving but I do it anyway. Every single time I get under the wheel I pray asking God to take over the wheel and that no harm or danger will come my way. You would think once I prayed the anxiety would leave but it has not. Some may say my faith is not strong enough, but I beg to differ. It is my faith that allows me to continue to drive in spite of my anxiety. After all these years of driving, I was in my first car accident a couple of weeks ago. My testimony is that doing this accident God did just that for which I always prayed. He took over the wheel, I did not panic and there was no fear. It was surreal! Those who know me kept saying they were so proud of me. All I could say was thank You Jesus for showing up and taking over the wheel! There is so much that could have went wrong. But God is faithful! I believe all those times that I asked God to take away my anxiety, He did not because He wanted me to recognize and act on His grace which is sufficient. The courage we receive from God isn’t due to the absence of fear, but the ability to move past it.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

We all may know someone who we would describe as fearless. They. are. afraid. of. nothing! Some people trust the Lord so much that fear has no place in their life. And some people, Christian or not, it seems are just born that way. Unfortunately, some of us grow faint in the face of discomfort, diagnosis, separation from loved ones, mental challenges, and more which can prompt our fears, even if but a moment. But it only takes a moment for the devil to use the spirit of fear and attempt to set us back captive to what Jesus delivered us from. There are so many scriptures telling us that fear is of the enemy and that God did not give us the spirit of fear. These scriptures are there because God knows sometimes we need to be reminded that He is greater than any thing or person we may fear. We can have faith in God, God’s plan for us, and God’s plan for the world but still struggle with our human fears and the lies of the enemy. God tells us that He knitted us together in our mother’s womb and I know that not one stitch was fear. The proof is that when babies are born there is no fear, and as they grow they are fearless to the point where they could hurt themselves. Why is that? Because satan has not touched them yet. The spirit of fear does not come from God but is one of the devil’s greatest weapons. The good news is that the Lord is faithful and He will deliver us.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13)

“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)

Life can send us trouble at any time and fear will creep in, but the reality is as believers, we can experience God’s kind of peace in the midst of fearful circumstances. We must not allow the spirit of fear to stop us. Nor let anyone convince us that we have no faith. Faith is what keeps you moving in spite of fear. The three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego may have experienced a moment of fear, I don’t know. The point is that they were unshakable in their trust and faith in God even when it came to them being thrown into a fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:16-18) King David who God called a man after His own heart had a fear-filled moment when he found himself in Philistine territory while fleeing a jealous Saul. When he was recognized, he was anxious about what might happen to him. In Samuel 21, verse 12 we see David was very much afraid of Achis King of Gath. But David wrote in Psalm 56:3-4 that when he was afraid, he put his trust in God. That is exactly what we should do.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3)

King Jehoshaphat’s first reaction was fear when he and his small tribe of Judah were besieged on all fronts by three powerful armies quickly advancing toward them. But then what did he do? He set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah to ask help from the Lord. (2 Chronicles 20-34) The lesson here is to seek God at all times even when we are afraid. And then there is the story of Esther which is very encouraging to those who are facing fear. Esther, who I believe had to be afraid on her way to see the King. She made a decision to approach the King which could bring her to death. But she went anyway, saying “if I perish, I perish” (The Book of Esther) I love this story because it shows the hand of God is at work in the lives of His people. It also shows us that God will deliver His people!

I don’t know about you, but this gives me hope! I’m so glad that the Word of God gives us examples of men and women who faced fear but their faith was bigger. They trusted God more. This is what we should do as well whenever we are fearful. Seek the Lord and trust Him. Once the spirit of fear sets in, the devil will try to convince us to run away, or get angry, frustrated, and disappointed in God. God doesn’t condemn us when we are afraid. This is the time to seek the Lord, His perfect love will cast out all fear. If we are afraid, we stir up the Spirit that lives in us, reactivate it if need be, and keep moving about our Father’s business! We will not let fear stop us, that is the enemies plan. Remember that same God that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us.

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)

“Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.” (1 Corinthians 6:14)

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9 KJV)

Every decision we make based on fear will not be in accordance with God’s will. Fear in any area is never okay, especially if it keeps us from fulfilling God’s mission for us. However, trusting Him strengthens us to overcome it and keep moving forward. When we’re afraid to do something we know we should do, that’s the time we must stop and seek the Lord, meditating on His Word and promises. If you are in a constant fight with fear, remember this promise; “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17) Love and Blessings…

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)