Made To Move MountainsSample

Day 5

Fear and God’s Word

I would characterize myself as someone who is afraid of many things. You could say I’m scared of things that are out of my control—which covers a lot. 

When I googled how many times the Bible says “Fear not,” dozens of links popped up saying it’s recorded 365 times—one for every day of the year. While I’m not certain of the accuracy of this number, I do love the enthusiasm. It reinforces the truth I’ve discovered: fear is a part of life. The Bible doesn’t repeatedly ask, “Why are you afraid?” That feels a little judgmental, and besides, we all know the answer—life can be very scary. Instead, it says in so many words, “I know you’re afraid. But don’t be, because I’m with you. You are not alone on the mountain. I’ve got this.” 

In her book Fear and Faith, Trillia Newbells says, “We don’t want to wait until our fears come true. We want to prepare now.” In an interview with Trillia, Thomas Bowen, a writer at Radical.net, asked her, “How do you prepare?” Trillia said: “We prepare by studying God’s Word, learning about his character, and rehearsing the gospel to our hearts. . . . We learn to love God above all else. . . . When our fears do come true and we experience death, for example, we remember truths like death’s sting will cease and that we have a living hope.”

We stand on the edge of the cliffs in our lives, and although we are afraid of stepping into the unknown, terrified where we will land and unsure of how to overcome, we do not run away. We stand firm in the face of the impossible, muster up as much faith as we can—even as small as a mustard seed—and we take one step.

God, your Word says that your perfect love casts out all fear. Whenever we feel afraid, allow us to remember how to recognize and experience your love.