FIGHTING FEAR WITH FAITH

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." - Isaiah 41:10

We are living in troubled times.  Our nation is deep in debt.  Many families are struggling financially.  Religious liberty is under assault in our country.  Churches are struggling.  Marriages are falling apart.  Drug addiction is widespread.  There is racial unrest.  Violent crime is increasing.  The political climate is tense. To make things worse, there seems to be little hope for a turnaround.

It would be easy to let fear run our lives.  It is tempting to give up hope and simply hang on till Jesus comes.  I find that most Christians are pessimistic about the future.  There is an undercurrent of fear and dread. 

We need to remember Paul's words to Timothy:  "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7).  God does not want us to live by fear.  Instead, the Bible says, "The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17).

We can overcome fear with faith, but it needs to be the right kind of faith.  Our faith should not be in circumstances, people or politicians.  Our faith needs to be anchored in the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ.

God challenged Israel to trust Him, despite the temptation to live in fear.  In Isaiah 41:10, God said, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."  The words God spoke to Israel parallel New Testament truth for believers today.  God gives His people five reasons not to fear:

1.  WE HAVE THE PRESENCE OF GOD

First of all, God said, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee."  Jesus said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."  (Hebrews 13:5).  God will always be with us regardless of what the future holds.  The psalmist wrote, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  We have an ever-present God for our ever-present need.  Why worry, then?

2.  WE ARE THE POSSESSION OF GOD

God said, "... be not dismayed; for I am thy God."  We belong to Him.  You can be sure that God will take care of His possessions.  John wrote, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God..." (1 John 3:1).  God takes care of His children.  Good parents look out for their children and take care of them.  Certainly our Lord loves us and will take care of us, thus we don't need to worry or fear.

3.  WE HAVE THE POWER OF GOD

Furthermore, God said, "I will strengthen thee."  God give us strength that we need at the exact time we need it.  Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me," (Phil. 4:13).  Without Him, we can't do anything; but with Him working in us and through us, all things are possible.  Fear, worry and dread are unnecessary if the all-powerful God is at work within us.

4.  WE HAVE THE PROVISIONS OF GOD

God said, "... I will help thee."  God will provide what we need.  Paul wrote, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:13).  God never promised us a life without problems.  We will need help.  It is great to know that help is available 24 hours a day.  Help is just a prayer away. 

In my work, often I have to call an expert to help me resolve technical problems.  This is fine until I work in a location that doesn't have a telephone or cell service.  In life, I have help available all the time.  He knows the answers to my problems.  When I pray, the Lord is there to help.  Have no fear, God is near with the help we need.

5.  WE HAVE THE PROTECTION OF GOD

Finally, God said, "... I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." God keeps His children.  Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:27-28).  The President of the United States is protected by the Secret Service.  God Himself protects the child of God.  Why fear if the Lord is protecting you?

Unbelievers have every reason to worry and fear.  For the child of God, our future is held in the hands of God.  He is in control and we can trust Him with the future!