lioncourageWhen we find ourselves in situations that make us fearful, we can draw courage and reassurance from the knowledge that we don’t have to face our fears alone. Other people may have the best of intentions when they try to reassure us, but people have their limitations. The opportunities for fear to arise can seem endless, from crime to natural disasters to economic upheaval, but in the midst of feeling totally vulnerable we can turn to God and draw on a never-ending source of protection and deliverance.

God has no limits, and the protection He offers to those who believe in Him brings real peace of mind. His love has a way of short-circuiting and casting out any fears we have, because it’s stronger than fear (1 John 4:18). It doesn’t matter what’s going on in the world or what kind of turmoil threatens us; when we depend on Him to keep us safe, He’ll never fail us.

Regardless of whatever storm is brewing in our lives, Jesus can calm it by His very presence. His disciples learned this firsthand when they were crossing the water and a storm threatened to sink their boat. Jesus was with them in the boat, and He spoke directly to the storm (Matt. 8:23-26; Mark 4:36-39; Luke 8:22-24). This was a very real and present danger, yet Jesus chastised them for letting their fear get in the way of their faith. “But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’” (Mark 4:40).

Jesus was able to ensure the safety of those entrusted to Him then, and the same holds true for us now. We can have faith in His ability and willingness to deliver us from trouble when we call on Him. It’s His nature to do so, and He’ll never change or budge on this promise to us. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

Jesus was God, yet totally human at the same time. He felt all the emotions we feel, including fear, so He knows what’s going on inside of us when we’re at our worst. The Bible is filled with reassurances both in the Old and New Testaments not to let fear stop us. God will never let us down when we place our trust in Him. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3).

We can take courage in the knowledge that He’ll never leave us. When Moses was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness, enemies and danger were everywhere. God was aware of the potential that the people’s courage would fail them and fear would stop them, and He spoke words of encouragement through Moses. “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deut. 31:6). When we feel all alone, we must remember this promise.

God doesn’t promise us we’ll never feel afraid, but He does promise us that when we call on Him, trouble won’t overcome us. “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). He’s bigger than our fears, anxieties, and worries. Instead of telling God about our trouble, we can tell our trouble about God.




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