Faith

Is Your Faith In Your Fear?by Jon Walker
“But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27, NIV)
Across the breadth of the Bible, God consistently sends the message, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”
The Bible reveals that God knows we tend toward fear, particularly as we respond to uncertainty and change. Yet the Bible also reveals that God is the only unchanging certainty in this world – or out of it.
Yet, is it possible we have more faith in our fear than we do in God?
No matter how complex life becomes, it still comes down to this basic choice: Will we place our confidence in the All-Powerful Supreme Being and Sole Authority of the Universe, or will we place greater confidence in our fears?
Although the choice is black-or-white basic, God knows it’s not simple. It involves a challenging stretch, and that’s why God continually reminds us, “Fear not, for I am with you.”
God is clear that our abilities, our resources – even a belief in the myth of luck – will not be what strengthens us for the journey. (Philippians 4:13) We fear we can’t do the things God calls us to do, and we fear that God will not protect us or provide for us. We choose this fear, embracing the unholy lie that our circumstances are bigger than the One True God.
Our faith in God gets placed on the altar of our own perceptions when we should be placing our perceptions on the altar of unflinching faith.
If you’re like me, you often fear what’s behind the curtain of God’s call, and God – frustratingly – won’t let me peek behind the curtain, and so:
Our fear shouts – “Pay no attention to the God behind the curtain; he’s just another wizard from Oz, using smoke and mirrors to give you the illusion of power and grace.”
Our God whispers – In that still, small voice, he calls us to develop confidence in him; he calls us to abandon the confidence we have in what we see and the confidence we have in our fears. God keeps the curtain of our future drawn so we will learn to live by faith and not by sight, so we will become certain of what we hope for and become sure of God, even when we cannot see how he’s working in our current circumstances. (Hebrews 11:1)

Whew! I read this devotional this morning and it hit me between the eyes! I am such a creature of habit and I hate the uncertainty of the unknown. How often do I awake in the middle of the night with my mind raising with questions of what's to come? Job situation...economy...health of family...friends that are struggling...my inadequacies. I was once again reminded today to "live by faith and not by sight". Amen.