Have No Fear

I feel like we’ve lived out a horror movie these last couple of months. It was more like a jump scare. “A jump scare is a technique often used in horror films and video games, intended to scare the audience by surprising them with an abrupt change in image or event.” If that doesn’t define the last couple of months, I don’t know what does. But now it’s time to go past the scary scenes and move back into life. The movies rarely show that though, maybe just a lighthearted scene to end the movie. But we don’t get to see how they resume their normal lives.

Prayer:  Dear Jesus, these last few months have been really tough. We’ve heard so many scary things. Restrictions have been placed upon us for our safety. We really didn’t know what was going to happen and how it was going to affect us personally. Now the governing authorities are lifting a few of the restrictions and I need to begin to resume my life. Please help me.

God’s Word to Us:  I have not given you a spirit of fear. The world does that. Walk in the faith I have already given to you. Walk out that front door and do the things you need to do to take care of your family. Have faith that I am walking those steps right beside you. Don’t live in fear, live in faith with ME.

“When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.”

“Do not be afraid or discouraged,
for the LORD will personally go ahead of you.
He will be with you;
he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

“You see, his faith and his actions worked together.
His actions made his faith complete.”

My Heart’s Cry  was for God to help me restart my life now that some restrictions are being lifted. I loved how He said He will be with me. He was with me at home and he will be with me when I resume some of my normal activities like doctors appointments, shopping and getting my hair done. He said I already have faith within me and the last bible verse says faith and actions work together. So I need to step out in faith.

Fear is used to control people. I think we can all agree that the news media and well meaning people who are afraid have all used fear as a means of controlling the masses. In crazy circumstances we kinda have to look to our leadership to see how to handle these things. I feel that as a country we did stop, distance ourselves and then waited to see how this was all going to play out.

As Christians though, we are constantly reminded in the Bible to Have No Fear. Yet in our humanity, we are very susceptible to fear. Here is some encouragement from the Bible that perfect love gets rid of all fear:

“All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.” 

To sum this up, I want to tell you about a story from the book I’m reading. It begins where lifelong friends buy a historic mansion to fix up and make into a hotel. Underneath the mansion is a tunnel from the Underground Railroad that was once used to help free black slaves. One woman was watching her grandchild playing, but soon he disappeared. The two women knew they had to look in the dark tunnel for the little boy, but both were afraid. Her friend had hurt her foot so she couldn’t go down into the tunnel with her so she sat at the top of the staircase. As the grandma went down further through the passageway, her flashlight suddenly went out. Now she’s feeling her way around and is even more frightened. But she goes on anyway because she imagines how afraid her grandson would be. Her friend at the top yelled, “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.” The grandma yelled back, “That doesn’t help.” But what did help the grandma was that her friend was there at the top of the staircase talking to her while she was down in the dark tunnel. Her friend’s voice soothed her. Her friend was her lifeline. The grandma could walk towards the sound of her friend’s voice to get back out of the tunnel. Thankfully the boy was found.

It matters to have someone we can talk to when we are going through dark scary times. Jesus can be that for you if you let Him. If you don’t ignore Him, He’s there to encourage you, lead you and give you hope.You don’t really ever have to be alone.

My encouragement as you resume life is to pray before you go out:

Jesus, I really need to get these errands done. I’ve put them off for some time now. Please be with me, guide me and help me to be wise and safe. Protect me. Take this reluctance and fear away. Thank you I don’t have to be alone because I know you are always with me. In Jesus name, Amen.

If this has encouraged you, consider sharing this message of faith.

Kim

Isaiah 43:2 NLT
Deuteronomy 31:8
James 2:22
I John 4:15-18