Me? I’m scared of paper cuts.
Whatever you are afraid of, do you realize how irrational that is? Jesus’ disciples found themselves in a dire situation, fearing certain death from a vicious storm. And what was Christ’s response?
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:39-40 NIV)
These guys were literally on the brink of losing their lives, and Jesus still asked, “Why are you so afraid?” He called their faith into question because they were filled with fear with the presence of the Almighty God right there. But hey, they had Jesus physically there with them. They should have known He’d come through, right? That makes it more justifiable for us to give in to fear, doesn’t it?
Whether you can see him or not, if you have accepted His grace and handed your life over to Him, Jesus is with you always. He is with you when you lose your job and don’t know how you’ll pay the bills. He is with you when temptation is starting to win the battle. He is with you when you lose a loved one and can’t fathom living without them. He is right there when you find out bad news that will change your life forever.
God’s word will never lead you away from Him. There are so many good lessons about His character and how we should relate to Him and one another. And in His infallible word, God says, “Do not fear” in some form or fashion 365 times. He must really mean it.
In the scope of eternity, there is nothing in this ole word that should cause us to give in to fear. God is in control. I know it is hard, but if we truly believe that He is who we claim that He is, we must trust Him. Do not fear…