“Have no fear!” This phrase appeared in my thoughts as I sat quietly before the Lord this morning. I thought about that for a while. Fear is something we hear a lot about lately. People fear many things–terrorism, threats of nuclear weapons, even the future leaders of our country. But, if we put our trust in God, there is no need for us to fear. We see this promise in many places in God’s word. In Psalm 56:3-4, for example, David says that when he experiences fear, he will put his trust in the Lord. He realizes that, if his trust is in God, there is no reason to be afraid. Philippians 4:6-7 tell us that when we give our fears and anxiety to God, we receive His peace and He guards our hearts and minds.
A well-known pop singer/songwriter said, “There is no fear when you choose love.” As believers, we know this to be true because God is love. When we choose to live in love, we live in God and He lives in us. His love is made perfect in us. That means that we don’t need to fear because perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:16-18).
The key to overcoming fear is to put your trust in the Lord. But, we also need to keep our hearts and our minds focused on Him. Matthew 14:25-32 gives us a good example of why this is important. The disciples were in a boat at night and saw Jesus walking toward them on the water. The disciples were filled with fear because they thought it was a ghost. Jesus assured them that it was He and they had no need to fear. Peter needed more proof, though. He said, “Okay, Lord, if that really is You, then tell me to come to You on the water. When Jesus told him to come, Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk. He took one step, then another, then…
Peter took his eyes off Jesus and turned his focus to the wind and the waves around him, fear took over. The result? Peter began to sink.
In the midst of the storms and cares of life, we need to put our trust in the Lord and keep our focus on Him. If we focus on what is going on around us, we allow fear to creep back in and overcome us. So, what the Lord was telling me today is “Have no fear! Put your trust in Me and receive the peace that surpasses all understanding.”
Lord, help us to remember always to keep our eyes focused on You. I put my trust in You, Lord, and I choose to abide in Your love. Thank You for Your promise that, when I put my trust in You and live in Your love, there is nothing I need to fear. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
A Worshiper's Journal 