Follow God’s Urging

After your heart has been broken encountering roadblocks in trying to respond to God’s call, it can be very difficult to get started once again. However, if God is urging you to push forward, to get going again, you must. Even if the circumstances look like they haven’t changed, God is at work.

At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?” They also asked them this: “What are the names of the men who are building this building?” But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it. – Ezra 5:3-5, ESV

In the first couple of verses of Ezra 5, we’re told that God reached out through his prophets and leaders to get the people started in the rebuilding of the Temple. So far as they were aware, there had been no change in the edict from Artaxerxes. In fact, there hadn’t been. Yes, there was a new king, Darius, but they had no indication that he favored their restarting the work. Yet they got started because God directed them. Then it happened again.

The adversaries arose including the head of the province, Tattenai. Those adversaries demanded to know who gave the Israelites permission to restart the work. Of course, the answer was no one did that Tattenai and his crew would accept, for it was God. What the adversaries did next was not surprising: they collected names. The folks who were working on the Temple were going to be reported.

At this point, a lot of people would have decided it was time to get scarce. They would be afraid of the might of the government and they would try to flee and escape whatever punishment the government wanted to mete out. In this case, we’re told that the elders, and therefore the people under them, did not stop work and would not stop work until they got the response back from Darius. So not only did they restart after such heart break, but they continued the work under duress.

God would not disappoint. He would move Darius to order the work be completed and further that the adversaries in question help but not hinder. The adversaries were told to stay away but provide whatever the Israelites needed with respect to money, supplies, and offerings. He would actually use the prompting of the accusers against them. God would see His Temple rebuilt. That’s why, if God is directing us in a direction, we should go. Nothing might have changed to that point, but going forward God will ensure the right changes happen. This can be especially hard after heartbreak, to get started again, but God delivers on His promises. If He is prompting us to restart, He will provide the means to complete that which He has called us to do. The history recorded in Ezra is just one example. There are a multitude of examples in Scripture. It all boils down to us trusting Him to deliver. He will.

Faith Overcomes Fear

Fear is a natural human reaction. It is built into us to keep us safe. However, fear can cause us to do very dumb things. Fear can paralyze us when we need to move. Fear can also cause us not to go along with the plan God has for us.
However, fear can be overcome. Sometimes a sense of purpose can overcome fear. Sometimes a love of those who will be hurt if we don’t act can overcome fear. But perhaps that which we identify most with and what seems to work most often is when something or someone comes along that counters the source of that fear. For instance, when we were children, if another kid was bullying us and a teacher or other authority figure showed up, we weren’t so afraid any more. This is where faith comes in.

And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer’s Field. And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. – Isaiah 7:3-4, ESV

Isaiah was supposed to give Ahaz some commands. Note the first two: be careful and be quiet. Ahaz was in a tough spot because nations were allying against Assyria. Israel and Syria wanted Judah to join in. Ahaz, king of Judah, had refused to join the alliance and thus these two nations were going to draw Judah in by force. There were two temptations: to give in and join the alliance or to panic and join with Assyria. God was telling Ahaz to do neither. Ahaz was to stand pat. God also told Ahaz through Isaiah that Ahaz was not to fear and not to worry, the second two commands. Syria and Israel were all bluster. They couldn’t accomplish their threats. They would not succeed.

Why not? Simply because the Lord wouldn’t allow it. Verse 7 captures these words, “It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.” God would protect Judah. Therefore, Ahaz needed to trust God. He needed to have some faith. God was stepping in as the authority figure and He was the One would protect Judah from the bullies.

We should expect to be afraid. We should not beat ourselves up when fear strikes us. It’s natural. However, if we are following God’s plan, we must deal with and overcome our fear. Often times the answer to beating back fear is relying more on God. Faith will overcome fear. God gave this message to Ahaz. He also gives this message to us throughout His Scriptures. Are you trying to walk on the path God has called you to but you’re struggling with fear? Ask for His help. Ask Him to help you overcome fear and the panic that can come from it and to give you His quiet and His peace. If you find your faith too weak, ask Him for that, too. He is the business of increasing the faith of those who desire it. He is the reason we don’t have to be afraid. He can overcome anything that would cause us fear. We simply have to have faith in Him.

Learn to Tune Out Naysayers

Inevitably, someone isn’t going to like what you’re doing. Someone is going to point out everything that’s wrong about it. That person is going to tell you all the reasons you should be considering something else. Sometimes, that someone is right. Accountability in the Church is not what it should be. However, when a healthy accountability relationship exists, the believers involved benefit spiritually and emotionally. In that kind of relationship, when something is amiss at least one Christian should be telling another that something that other person is doing wrong. But we’re not talking about those types of relationships.

We’re talking about the situations when you know what you’re doing is the right thing for you to be doing. Then the naysayers show up and tell you that you’re wrong. They may even stress how dangerous what you’re doing (or about to do) is. Those folks may even be people who are close to you, who care about you, and who honestly think they are doing the right thing. If you aren’t sure and it’s someone you trust, then you should pause to reconsider (if there’s time). However, if you are sure, especially if it’s something you know God would have you do, then you must tune out the naysayers.

But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.” – Nehemiah 2:19-20, ESV

Nehemiah was confronted by at least three people who told him that what he was doing was foolish. They didn’t just tell him he was wrong, the Scriptures tell us they jeered at him. They went out of their way to make him feel like a fool. They belittled him. They even went so far as to accuse him of rebelling against the king.

Nehemiah could have stopped right there and said, “Rebel against the king? Who do you think authorized me to be here? Who do you think put his seal on this letter authorizing me supplies?” Note that he didn’t do that. Instead, Nehemiah pointed them to God. He shut down the naysayers by putting the focus on He who would make it happen. An earthly king was important, but he wasn’t as important as the King of kings.

What was true for Nehemiah is also true for us. If you know you’re doing something God has called you to do, learn to tune out the naysayers. Also, if you are forced into a confrontation, tell the truth plainly. Focus on why you’re doing it. Nehemiah didn’t argue their points. He simply stated his. He wasn’t mean-spirited. He didn’t get into a shouting match. He put the focus on God. So should we. It may not be popular, but that’s irrelevant. What is relevant is we are being obedient to our Lord and our God. There should never be any shame in that.

You May Be the Answer

See something wrong in the world? Know of a problem that needs fixing? Perhaps you are aware of the problem because God wants you to be part of the solution. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done and what you think you’re capable of. It doesn’t matter how much or how little experience you have. It doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t matter.

  And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”  – Judges 6:14, ESV

The Midianites had a might army. The Israelites were turning from their sin and crying out to God. So God paid Gideon a visit and said the previous words to Gideon. Gideon looked at himself and basically said, “Who, me?” He made excuses like being an insignificant nobody in a family of insignificant nobodies. However, God wanted Gideon to lead the assault against the Midianites. It was never going to be about what Gideon was capable of doing. Rather, it was going to be about what God would do. Somebody would need to lead the Israelites against the Midianites. God choose Gideon. That was the end of the story.

Gideon wasn’t a professional soldier. We see no evidence of him being a brilliant tactician or some sort of special operations commander. He looks no different than any other Israelite, which means a part-time militiaman at best. Yet God choose him. God entrusted the nation to him. Not only that, but God stripped down the number of soldiers Gideon had available to a mere 300. Yet Israel won. It wasn’t about Gideon. It wasn’t about the Israelites. It was all about God.

That’s why, despite any thoughts you might have to the contrary, you may be the answer to a situation or issue. You may not have all the qualifications according to some human-developed checklist, whether your own or somebody else’s. What matters is God’s checklist. And if you’re on it, that’s good enough. Look at what God did through Gideon. Look at the long odds for success. Any normal person would have refused to sign-off on that mission. That’s the difference God makes. He turns the impossible into the possible. And that’s why, despite any self doubt you might have, He can make you the answer. Inquire of the Lord. See if you are to work to fix that problem.

You Only Need God

My wife will tell you that because I’m very introverted, I want her to go with me on anything requiring interaction with people. It’s something I’ve worked on over the years but many times I feel more comfortable if she’s there. The more people or the more likely they are strangers and the more likely I will feel uncomfortable. The strange thing is that this isn’t the case with children. Throw me in the midst of a bunch of kids and I’m fine. Maybe it’s because I’m still a big kid at heart. However, it’s not always possible and sometimes it’s not a good idea for my wife to be with me. Painful or frightening as these situations may be, I still need to go.

  Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”  – Judges 4:8, ESV

Deborah called for Barak because the Lord told her to do so. When Barak showed up, Deborah gave him his marching orders: he was to lead the army against Sisera and free Israel from oppression. I don’t know if Barak was afraid of the Canaanite army or the prowess of General Sisera, but whatever the situation, he turned to Deborah and said, “I’ll go if you will go.” This is not what you want to hear from the one chosen to lead your forces in battle. Deborah then pronounced that she would go but because Barak couldn’t do it without her, he would be denied the glory and fame God intended for him. Felling the great Sisera would not be by his hands. He would not be the great, victorious war hero.

The point of Deborah’s rebuke is that Barak couldn’t trust in God alone. Barak didn’t just need God; he needed Deborah as well. How many times do we make the same mistake in our lives? We have a sense from God of what we’re supposed to do. However, we’re hesitant as we wait for more confirmation or until we can find someone who can come alongside of us. We don’t trust that God can handle His part. We may not say it like that, but that’s what it boils down to logically. This isn’t to say that when we’re supposed to do something as a part of the team known as the Church we go and be a maverick. I’m talking about when God gives us clear direction and we hesitate because we aren’t sure. If He asks us to wait or asks us to be part of a larger team, that’s what we do. That’s not what Barak was being asked to do. He was given orders to move out, form up Israel’s army, and march on the Canaanites. He didn’t. He was afraid.

We’ve talked about fear and how it affects our decisions. Here’s another example of how it can impact us. Fear can cause us to distrust our Creator, Almighty God. This is why we must fight back our fears. If there is anyone we can trust, He is the Most High God. In fact, we can trust Him always, even when we don’t understand what is going on. His perfection, holiness, and power form the foundation for that trust. If He’s asking us to do something right now, we can do it. We only need Him. We don’t need the Deborahs of our lives to come alongside. Even if you’re not interested in personal glory, still trust that He has everything in hand. That’s the real reason to do so: because of our love and reverence for Him. We only need God. Let us not forget.

Don’t Judge God Too Quickly

When I first surrendered to Jesus Christ, I was a very impatient person. I wanted things to get done fast. I wanted situations to resolve themselves quickly. Almost twenty years later, I realize that I’m still very much an impatient person at heart. I do a better job of realizing my impatience and intentionally trying to slow down, to be more willing to give things time. I’m far from overcoming this character flaw in myself, but I have seen progress. One area where I’ve learned through repeated lessons to be more patient is with God’s timing. There have been too many times in the past where I wanted God to move immediately. I wanted answers to my prayer right away. I wanted changes in myself overnight. Only later I came to realize how foolish I was. God doesn’t rush. He moves at the proper speed. When He doesn’t move as quickly as we want, it’s because things must unfold further for the best possible plan.

  The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”  – Exodus 5:19-21, ESV

Aaron and Moses showed up on the scene and confronted Pharaoh as they were instructed to do. Pharaoh responded by making the situation harder on the Israelites. The people, and specifically their work leaders, responded by confronting Aaron and Moses and were clearly beside themselves. Life was hard and now these two had caused Pharaoh to make life harder. The foremen couldn’t understand that there was a crucible here. They needed to go through the heat to see freedom from their slavery. All they could see was the immediate affliction. They judged Aaron and Moses, and by implication God, too quickly.

One of the things in life that has taught me patience is baking. About a year ago I decided to see how hard it was to make homemade bread. It’s not hard. Measurements have to be precise, but the measuring, kneading, and baking tasks are relatively simple. What’s hard is the waiting. You have to wait for the dough to rise. If you don’t, after the dough is baked into bread you have bread that is as hard of a rock. If you do wait for the dough to rise properly (and sometimes multiple times where you beat the dough back down and let it rise again – this can lead to lighter, fluffier bread), you have to wait the appropriate time for the bread to bake. If you don’t, you end up with bread that looks and is baked on the outside, but that is mushy and only partially cooked on the inside. Eating raw bread dough is not like eating raw cookie dough. It’s not a pleasant experience. Quite simply, to get good bread, you must be patient.

The same is often true with God’s plans. He sees the bigger picture. He sees all the possibilities. He knows the best course at the best time. This means that He will often let a situation to come about or to persist that we wouldn’t intentionally desire to be in. It is easy to judge God and not even realize that we’re doing it. Or when something doesn’t go our way, such as when tragedy happens, it is very easy to intentionally judge God, to blame Him, to wonder why He would do this to us. We need to stop that line of thinking. God is good. God is holy. God is just. And God is unchangeable. All of that adds up to God doing what needs to be done for the best result for those whom He has called (as a group). Therefore, let us not judge God too quickly. Let’s be patient with Him. Otherwise our lives will be like bread we can’t be bothered to wait on: hard and half-baked.

Practice Hurry Up and Wait

“Hurry up and wait” is an expression I first heard at The Citadel. It’s the idea that we are hurried up to be ready for something and then we wait. For instance, a military unit may mobilize immediately because of a potential issue, be ready to go, and then wait hours or even days before the call finally comes to either launch the mission or stand down. That’s hurry up and wait. When it comes to God, we need to practice hurry up and wait, too. The truth of it is that we already have the first part of it down. We can be quick to ask God to “hurry up” and help with whatever it is we’re asking. However, God’s timeline isn’t our timeline.

  In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. Then God said to Noah, “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.  – Genesis 8:13-16, ESV

Having been locked up on a boat for almost a year, I’m sure Noah and family wanted to get out. On the first day of the first month, Noah and his family could see the waters had receded from the earth. I’m sure they were ready to go. We’re even told that they removed the covering from the ark and that the face of the ground was dry. However, we have no indication that Noah and family did anything to leave the boat. The birds had been sent. The cover was removed. But on the boat they remained? Why? This is a case where most of us would have tried to “hurry up” and get off the boat. Noah and his family didn’t. They waited. They waited on God. When God said come out, that’s when they left the boat.

Thinking through the situation, it only makes sense, but I’m of the opinion that most of us wouldn’t have thought this through. We’d have jumped at a chance to get back on the ground. However, the rain and the amount of water must have come as quite a shock to Noah and crew. They surely realized all the rules had changed. I’m sure they also felt that they could no longer trust when the land was safe and when it wasn’t. If you’ve ever walked in a swamp or marsh area, you know what I’m talking about. You go to step on what looks to be solid ground, only to feel your foot sinking in. Before you know it, you could be in up to your hip. I’m not even talking about quicksand. Quicksand is even worse. So while the face of the ground was dry, there was no way for Noah and family to know that things were okay. They had just gone through the destruction of the world. It was time to wait on God. They had done it God’s way since starting on the construction of the ark. They would see it through until he said to disembark. We can learn a lot from their example.

We must adopt the same attitude. The steps we want to take in life may seem safe to us. However, if God hasn’t given us the go ahead, we need to practice waiting. We need to be ready for God to move, and that’s the real “hurry up” part, not the “Come on, God, let’s get this moving,” and we can’t neglect the “and wait.” Should we do so, we could be taking a step on ground that’s not solid, that swallows our foot up and gets us stuck. We must wait on God. Don’t be in such a big hurry that you can’t wait on God. God is the seasoned pro. He’s the ultimate guide. He knows when it’s safe and when it’s not. Go ahead of Him and you’re taking a foolish risk. Follow behind Him and things will be for the best. Always.

Christianity Is Supposed to Include Risk

In information technology and business there is a phrase: “risk averse.” A person or organization that is risk averse doesn’t just look to come up with reasonable ways to deal with risk, but actually attempts to avoid risk altogether. The problem with risk avoidance is it also means life avoidance. Some things in life involve risk. Sports involve risk. Going off to an out-of-town college involves risk. Learning to drive involves risk. We’ve seen cases where parents choose not to let their kids participate in sports, expect them to stick around and attend college locally, and even, in extreme cases, refuse to teach them to drive when they’re first eligible. That’s risk avoidance. This risk avoidance also finds it way into our Christian lives. Following God by faith also involves risk. Too often, though, our Christianity is without risk. That’s not the way the Christian life is supposed to be lived.

  And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. – Mark 6:7-9, ESV

This passage is just one example of where God asked His followers to trust Him, even when they couldn’t see the safety net. To follow Jesus’ instructions here would have involved risk. They were to go out and take only the clothes on their backs and their walking sticks. That’s it. Food? Rely on others. Money? Not needed. How about a change of clothes? Leave those at home, too. Nothing is said about having a sword or some other form of personal protection. In that day and age, to journey the wilderness like that was risky, too. It meant they had to rely on God for their safety and provision. It meant they had to embrace the risk of following Jesus.

We don’t like risk much nowadays in our churches. We only go for a program when it’s well funded. We are hesitant to try new outreaches because we don’t know how successful they’ll be. On a personal level, we’re concerned about risking our own safety, whether physical or financial. As a result, we aren’t sacrificial in our giving or in our time. When I say “we” I do mean as a whole. There are exemplary individuals. But they are exemplary because they are the exceptions. They aren’t supposed to be the exceptions. But our churches are too busy playing it safe rather than accepting the risk that comes with following Jesus Christ.

Faith is all about accepting risk. Faith is about trusting that God is going to deliver on something He has called us to, even when we can’t see how it’s going to happen. The key here is that it has to be based on God’s calling. However, I wonder how often God simply doesn’t call any more because He knows the folks who would receive the call aren’t interested because it’s not safe. And I wonder if I am among those people. Faith isn’t logical in that you can see every step like a mathematical proof. However, faith is logical because of the body of evidence we believe shows that God always comes through if His people believe.

The Christian life is supposed to be an adventure. Adventure almost certainly involves risk. We aren’t seeing great things happen with respect to God because we are too risk averse. We are trying to be too safe. We are helicopter parenting God, if such a notion could be done. As a result, we miss out. Our churches wither and die. Why? Simply because we’re not willing to take the risk of trusting God at His Word. Oh, and while we are being risk averse, there are people in the communities around us and throughout the world who could use our help but don’t get it. Because to give it would mean we’d have to move outside of safe and we can’t do that, can we? I can only imagine what Jesus thinks. Lord, help us to put aside risk averse Christianity and embrace a life like the one You would have us lead.

God May Defy Your Logic

Imagine the situation: you and your spouse have raised what you think to be a good and proper son. You know that you’ve tried to impart your faith to him and you have certainly seen God bless him. Then he comes home one day and introduces you to his fiancee. Fiancee? No, that’s not right. He has his eye on a girl he wants to be his fiancee. Only, he needs your help to meet her and hopefully get the ball rolling. Your interest piqued, you ask who the girl is. When he tells you, you’ve heard of her. At this point in her life, she’s not very good wife material. Moreover, many of her beliefs conflicts with yours and his. You ask if there are better prospects and you begin to explain. Your son hears you out but then replies, “Mom and Dad, you have to understand, it’s love at first sight!”

This sounds like youthful indiscretion, does it not? Your son seems to be making a decision based on physical characteristics of the young lady. He doesn’t know her very well, if at all. To make matters worse, he doesn’t want to wait. He wants to get married now. He’s trying to get you involved in his grand scheme. What do you do? Do you say, “No,” because you suspect he’s being rash and immature, as young men his age often are? Let me recommend that before you respond so quickly, that you take the time to really, truly seek God’s direction. While the logical conclusion is obvious, your son is about to make a mistake, you could be very, very wrong. After all, it could be God’s intent for that marriage to be pursued.

  Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.” But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”

His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
          – Judges 14:1-4, ESV

The scenario I described is Biblical as these verses attest. Samson wanted to pick a woman whose values were likely very different than his own (later events would confirm this). He didn’t know her very well, probably just met briefly, but he wanted to marry her. It is understandable why his mom and dad balked. What they didn’t know was that God had placed this desire on Samson’s heart in order to set in motion a series of events which would help the Israelites against the Philistines. The logical conclusion from their perspective was incorrect. This wasn’t just youthful indiscretion. This was a passion that ultimately was derived from God’s hand.

The key here is that looking with the limited amount of information that Samson’s parents had, it doesn’t make any sense, but when looking at it from the perspective of God, it does. The problem is we have the perspective of Samson’s parents. We don’t have an all-seeing, all-knowing position like our God. Therefore, it stands to reason that what doesn’t seem logical to us is very much so when you have all the facts. The scenario I gave here is one of a son wanting to marry a woman who probably wasn’t a good choice. If you think Samson’s parents were upset, imagine Hosea’s! What this set of verses should teach us is not to dismiss any situation out of hand. Gather what facts you can and then walk into God’s throne room through prayer. If you rely on only what you know, you’ll make some big mistakes. You’ll miss what God wants to do. That’s not where we want to be. Take every situation of significance before the Lord, even if you already think you know what the answer is. You might be surprised to find you’re wrong.

Dealing with Fear

Fear is a natural response. It can keep us alive. For instance, fear might cause us to flee a dangerous situation. However, fear can also master us at the wrong times. A classic case is when we know we need to take a step of faith, but if we don’t take control of our fear we won’t take that step. As I told the children I taught yesterday, the absence of fear is unnatural. A person without any fear is insane. Courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is acting with that fear being present. I’m nervous and I’m scared about that step off faith. However, I know I need to take that step of faith so I choose to do so. That’s courage. But what about when that fear feels like it’s too much? Then what?

I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
          – Psalm 34:4-7, ESV

When fear threatens to master you, turn to the Master. David wrote these words and likely he felt that numbing fear many times during Saul’s pursuit. However, David kept moving. David kept acting. That’s because David kept trying to trust in God. He didn’t do it perfectly, but David did it often enough to be able to survive in spite of that fear. David’s experience with God is that God saved him from all his troubles. I know it’s bad theology to say if I’m in a bad situation then God is going to fix it just because I ask Him to. There are times when God allows bad things to happen because they serve a greater purpose. As I told the children yesterday, the Son of God being crucified was a horrible thing. The worst thing ever in the world. However, God the Father permitted it because that was the only way to redeem us from our sins. So if God is willing to allows the most horrible of things happen to His own Son, then we, too, must be prepared to suffer. However, when it comes to fear, we are to turn to God. Maybe He won’t deliver us from our troubles, but He will give us to courage to act in the face of them.

It is okay to be afraid. Abram was afraid but God reassured him. Hagar was afraid. God reassured her. Isaac was afraid. God reassured him. Jacob was afraid. God strengthened him as well. Gideon, David, Hezekiah, the jailer of Paul and Silas, and many more were strengthened and girded by God in their time of fear. They were given the ability to act in the face of that fear. Why? They trusted God. They called out to Him. They put their strength aside, for it was insufficient, and they let God’s strength be theirs. We have the same privilege and possibility. All it takes is for us to call out to God and admit our fear. We ask God for aid, to deliver us in the face of that fear and then we yield to Him. We do it His way. We allow Him to be in control. That is how to beat fear. That is how to win over it and be its master: by allowing the Master to be our Master.

What is holding you back? What are you afraid of? What step won’t you take that you know you need to take? What situation does fear have mastery over you? Turn it over to God. Acknowledge your weakness before Him. Ask Him for His strength and His support. Then listen and obey. God will deliver. He always does.