We live in a time of uncertainty and fear. We do not know what the next day brings, much less the next year. We are facing a viral pandemic that we now understand as an endemic, meaning we will deal with this virus for years to come. Many countries face civil unrest, including the United States. Since the last election in the United States, many are fearful of the direction those currently in power will take the nation, others fear revolt from those that are no longer in power and from their supporters. Gun owners are afraid of losing their rights, others are afraid of guns. Christians are afraid that new laws will make their lives more difficult, others are afraid of Christians overturning their rights. Dickens’ was writing of his own generation but his observation rings just as true today, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” (A Tale of Two Cities)

Take out a pen (pencil) and a piece of paper and spend the next three minutes writing whatever concerns or fears you have in you life today. I’ll wait . . . . . . . . . . . .

I have my own list. Some of what I wrote concerns the church, COVID-19, politics, and some personal concerns. Your list may be similar.

How can we face our fears?

John tells us, “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1Jo 4:18). And Paul tells Timothy, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2Ti 1:7). The answer to our fear is faith in God’s perfect love for us. Yet, how do we cultivate such a faith?

Take time to read through the narrative of God and his people. The stories of the Old Covenant, the stories of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Gideon, Samuel, David, and so many others are not so much their stories as they are God’s story. They demonstrate for us the work of God in the events of their lives. The events of their narratives reveal that God knows our fears. We can be certain He is there with us. We learn that God sees the whole story before it unfolds for us, because it is His story.

A recent Bible discussion on Nehemiah reminded me this simple truth, “God is the big picture and He walks with me through the details.”

– Scott

Bonus video: Fear is a Liar by Zack Williams