With so much chaos and uncertainty in our world there is no shortage of fear and worry. Every day, with tragedies happening all around, we are faced with the reality that we do not know what tomorrow will bring and are reminded that: we are not in control and do not know what is ahead.
When fear seems like the only appropriate response, is it truly possible to know God’s peace that surpasses all understanding while terror is reigning??
This morning I woke up with the words of Psalm 27:1 on my heart:
“The Lord is my light & my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?“
It’s a familiar Psalm but today those two questions struck my heart differently.
I paused, sat with those two questions, and asked myself: “If I truly believe that God is who He says He is (my light, my salvation, and my strength) — then what am I afraid of? Is there a good reason for me to be worried? Should I be fearful?“
Sometimes we are so focused on what is causing us fear that we forget who God is and forget to live in the promises He has given us.
We forget that fear is ultimately a choice and we don’t have to be afraid.
In this verse it’s like David is reasoning with his soul, saying: “is there a good reason for you to be afraid?” Instead of magnifying the fear, David is exalting God above his fear, asking himself:
“Since God is my light — should I fear the darkness?”
“Since God is my salvation — is there a situation He cannot rescue me from?”
“Since God is my strength — should I be afraid of being weak?”
There is no darkness that can quench God’s light!
There is no situation that is so hopeless that God cannot rescue!
There is no weakness that He is unable to overcome!
So I began to bring the things that I fear before the Lord, one by one, it’s like He was lovingly asking me: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” In Mark 4 Jesus speaks those words to His disciples when they are stuck in the middle of the sea during a storm. It’s not that the storm was not scary but they forgot who was in control of the storm. If they had remembered that Jesus was in control they would have had no reason to fear. They would’ve called out to Jesus instead of relying on their own strength.
When we fix our eyes on Jesus, our fear shrinks in comparison. We have a gracious Heavenly Father, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, who is fighting for us; He is our light, our salvation, and our strength — all we need is in Him.
There will never be a shortage of storms in our lives. In times when life is completely uncertain fear can feel crippling. When we don’t know what the outcome of a circumstance will be, we can have confidence that Jesus can either calm the storm or calm His child in the storm, and either way He is in control.
“I sought the Lord, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.”
– Psalm 34:4
There will always be something tempting us to doubt God and choose fear. Sometimes we choose fear so quickly that we forget there was even a second option! But we are faced with a choice — just like FEAR is a choice, so is FAITH. We cannot live in faith and fear at the same time; we must choose.
When we compare our fear with the greatness and goodness of our God, the One who never changes and holds our days in His loving hands, our fear and the things that worried us will melt away in the light of His presence. Your situation may not change, but your perspective can.
My heart is heavy as I pray for for those in Afghanistan living under the terror of extremists and those in Haiti suffering after another tragic earthquake. I pray that God would work mightily and supernaturally in the midst of such evil and pain. I plead for those who are mourning and suffering in circumstances I may never face. I walk out my front door; realizing that girls across the ocean are unable to do the same. I open my Bible, worship out loud, and gather at church with my brothers and sisters in Christ; remembering that many do not have that freedom. I pray that Jesus would cover them in an unexplainable peace in the midst of such sorrow.
We have no control over life’s circumstances that evoke fear and worry in our hearts, but we do have a choice to trust God and walk in His promises or allow the situation to overwhelm us and extinguish our faith.
In these uncertain days may we choose to walk by faith and not by sight, fixing our eyes on Jesus: the Author and Finisher of our faith, whatever may come (Hebrews 12:2).
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
-Hebrews 11:6