Faith Over FearSample

Day 1

In times of uncertainty, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. The news, social media, and the people around us can make us feel anxious or worried when impacting events happen. In times when it doesn’t seem like we have any control over things, we can find a place of comfort and peace in God’s Word. 

In John 16, Jesus is talking with His disciples before He leaves the earth. They, too, are facing uncertain times. Their leader is leaving. They are going to have to do things on their own. They watched Him get persecuted, beaten, and crucified, and now they were supposed to continue on with His mission. Can you imagine what they must have been feeling? Probably more than a little scared, nervous, and anxious. Not only did they have big shoes to fill, they also had a chance of getting killed in the process.

Jesus encourages and empowers them, then He says these words in verse 33,  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

These same words apply to us today. Jesus never promised trouble wouldn’t come, but He did promise that He would enable us to have peace in the midst of it. He promised us that He would be greater than any situation we might face, and no matter what comes our way, we can have confidence in the fact that “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!”

It has been estimated that the phrase “do not fear” is mentioned in the Bible 365 times! That would indicate that we are going to have many opportunities to fear but equally as many opportunities to overcome that fear. If God is giving us an instruction in His Word, He has also given us the ability to carry it out. When He says, “do not fear,” it means that He has given us the capacity to remove fear from our lives.

The easiest way to step out of fear is to step into faith. Romans 10:17 tells us that Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We can combat fear and find faith in the pages of our Bibles. Find scriptures that deal with fear and read them out loud over yourself today. Watch the fear disappear!