Fearless Faith

I like to know what's about to happen.  I don't mind surprises, as long as I have a vague idea of what's coming, but being completely in the dark about things scares me.  This is especially true in situations that involve performance of some kind... speaking to a group of people, taking a test, or helping someone complete a task.  When I don't know what's going to happen, I tend to fear the worst.

Writing this blog has been interesting because there have been many times that I have sat down to the computer without the slightest idea of what I am going to say.  At first, this really stressed me out.  How was I to glorify God if I couldn't come up with a topic?  I would stress throughout the day, but inevitably, when I went to write my post, something came to mind.

This has taught me so much about depending on God.  In a way, I suppose I know how the Israelites must have felt in the desert each time God gave them manna.  There was always the possibility that one morning they would wake up to nothing but dust and sand.  But the manna kept coming and soon it became apparent that the hunger wouldn't kill, but the fear might.

Having faith in God is the opposite of fearing the world.

We can be afraid that we won't measure up, or we can have faith that Jesus has made us enough.  We can be afraid that our plans will fall through, or we can have faith that God works for the good of those who love Him. We can be afraid, or we can have faith.

Every time I feel fear starting to rise up inside me, I remind myself who I am: a child of the God of Heaven's Angel Armies.

Christian's often talk about a "peace beyond all understanding," an idea that comes from Philippians 4:7 when Paul writes, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  But this is only half the story; this peace cannot be learned on it's own.  In the previous verse, Paul says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

If we put our faith in God enough to go to Him with our anxieties, He has promised that in return we will discover an inexplicable peace.  And God is faithful to fulfill his promises.