Trust and fear not!

    We are encouraged in the Bible many times to not be afraid. It seems an easy statement to make but as we all know, it’s not so easy to do. The reality is that when challenges come our way, many times our first response is fear and that can be a very difficult feeling to shake off.
    I recently spoke with someone who had just received the results from an ultrasound they had done. They could not even fully understand all of the words on the paper. They shared it with me and asked me to pray for them. Their next words were, “I’m scared.” Can anyone relate? I guess all of us can. Whatever the negative situation might be, that feeling of fear is usually most prominent. 
    There are many verses in the Bible that encourage us to not be afraid. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am Your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). These are just two verses but there are so many more! Yet, in each of these verses, we see the common reason why we need not be afraid - God is with us. We may not always feel His Presence and we may even feel at times as if He has abandoned us but I assure you, He has not and will not.
    I am reminded of a song sung by Positive entitled: “You Are Everything.” The songwriter lists several things God is to him all of which give a sense of security. Hence in the pre-chorus he is able to say: 
    No fear in You, all my doubts are gone
    I’ll keep my trust in You.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we can always feel this sense of security no matter what comes our way? The problem isn’t God of course, but us and our choice to either trust Him or to be afraid. 
    I am reminded of the story of Jairus and his daughter (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43). Although he was able to get Jesus to come to his home to heal her, news of her death, while on their way to his house, must have discouraged him. It did not seem to make sense anymore to let Jesus come to his home. Yet, I love Jesus’ words to him: “Do not be afraid, only believe” (v.36). Have you ever heard Jesus say those words to you? Maybe He has. I know He has to me on various occasions. 
    It is not easy to trust when the facts are facing you, when the situation seems impossible, when others around you are telling you to give up. That is what Jairus was encouraged to do when the news came to him that his daughter was dead. “Why trouble the Teacher any further?” (v.35) In the human mind, it did not make sense to ask Jesus to still come to heal her when she was already dead. In their minds, it was over, there was no more hope. But I love the fact that Jesus overheard the comment and stepped in. He had the final say, not the messengers who brought word of her death, not even death itself and He encouraged Jairus to basically trust Him. I am sure Jairus was glad he did, because Jesus restored his daughter to life.
    We don’t have to be afraid, when God has the final say. I know that’s easy to say, not so easy to do. But one thing I am learning, is to stand on God’s Word no matter how bad things look. God’s Word is not something we read every day to feel holy and righteous. It’s alive and God expects us to use it, allowing it to work in our lives in powerful and mighty ways. We trust God when we stand on what His Word says and use it to help us deal with various challenges and situations in life. So, fear not. As His child, God is with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you, He is right there with you in every situation that you go through and He will bring you through.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God does not want you to live a life of fear but of trust in Him. Don’t let fear have the final say. That’s God’s job. He has promised to be there and He will never let you down.

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