How to Have the Best Year Everنموونە

Be Faith-Filled, Don't Be Fearful

Something that is closely connected to anxiety is fear. Fear can be paralyzing, and frankly, there are things that legitimately produce fear in us. Fear leads to worry, which we have already discussed, so if we can deal with it immediately, it may keep worry at bay before it can even start.

God often tells His people in His word to "Fear not." One of the very first Bible verses I memorized was Isaiah 41:10, which says, "Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." These words have been a source of strength and comfort for me since I was 16 years old, when I first committed them to memory.

These are some of the words that have built up my faith over the years. This verse not only encourages us not to be afraid, but it clearly provides the rationale for not being afraid in any situation. If God is with us, then God will help us. If God upholds us with His victorious right hand, what are we afraid of? The issue for us is whether we will see life through the lens of fear or through the lens of faith.

When Moses and the people of Israel arrived at the edge of Canaan, Moses sent twelve spies into the land to check things out. They all saw the same things. They saw an incredibly luxurious land with the largest, most beautiful produce they had ever seen. They had to carry clusters of grapes on a pole they could rest on their shoulders. It was, they said, "a land flowing with milk and honey." They also saw large, powerful people that inhabited the land. Ten of the spies saw through the eyes of fear and reported that it was a wonderful land but not a land they could possess because of its strong, powerful inhabitants.

The other two, Caleb and Joshua, saw the same things but saw it all through the eyes of faith. They said that even though the people were big and strong, God had told them that He was giving them the land and they should go in and possess it. They chose to believe God and acted in faith rather than fear. The circumstances were the same for all twelve men, but the conclusion and the actions of Caleb and Joshua were different because they believed they could trust God.

This is what it all comes down to. Do we really believe we can trust God? Obviously, if we are living in disobedience to God, we have already placed ourselves in jeopardy. But if we are walking with the Lord, there is every reason not to be afraid. Isaiah 43 tells us that the deep waters won't overwhelm us and the fire will not burn us because we have a God who is with us and will protect us. This does not mean that bad things will never happen to us or that we will not have to go through difficult circumstances. It is simply a promise that God will be with us. And because He is with us, we don't have to be afraid. He is altogether trustworthy.

Psalm 27:1 says it so well: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?" Choose faith in God over the fear of our circumstances this year. God is worthy of our trust.