Mission Venture Ministries

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) 

Although we like to think that we’re in charge of our lives, in reality, we don’t know what the next day may bring, let alone the next month or year. Life is full of uncertainties, but if we focus on the worst possibilities, we will live in a constant state of stress fear and anxiety. This is not what the Lord intends for us. His desire is to fill us with His peace, a peace that is not earthly, but goes beyond our circumstances (John 14:27). 

We need to understand however, that when God is neglected and the believer tries to live without the source of their salvation they loose communion with Him. And once we start abandoning God it becomes harder and harder to sense His presence and we start feeling fearful and alone. 

Sadly, many professing believers are neglecting God and that is why so many of them are weak, unable to reason and can’t handle situations that there are faced with. The antidote to this is to get alone with God. 

Jesus always found a lonely place to talk to His Father; and all of God’s faithful men took time to be alone with God seeking His direction. If we want to be strengthened by the Lord we need to make time for Him and ask for guidance and for help. The Bible tells us that: “You do not have because you do not ask God” (James 4:2). 

At times people say that they trust God but their actions prove otherwise. Fear and anxiety are the tools of the enemy. The Bible says “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). 

When anxious thoughts come up, we have two options. We can either dwell on them or we can bring them to God and be victorious like the psalmist was: “I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).   

Paul gave the church in Philippi an antidote for anxiety when he told them: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). 

When fear and anxiety about our future start to scare us, we need to look at the amazing examples the Bible provides of God’s rescue. Like with Moses, so much of what he experienced was unpredictable. After Moses escaped from Egypt, he lived as a shepherd in the desert for 40 years; this after having been raised in Pharaoh’s household, and now was being used by God to rescue the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. How did he do it? Hebrews 11:27 says, “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is Unseen.” 

The key to facing an uncertain future is having a relationship with our heavenly Father trusting in the Lord. 

Every true believer has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and that relationship includes intimate communion with Christ through prayer, praise, and meditation. When Jesus promised “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20), He was speaking to all those through the ages who would place their faith in Him. 

When our hearts are pure through confession of sin and a lifestyle of obedience, our conscience is clear, and our minds are spiritually sensitive and discerning. And even though as human beings we can at times become fearful and anxious, we need to be reminded that we have been equipped with the mind of Christ, which He has given us by His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:16). 

Therefore, with the awareness of God’s faithfulness, life’s uncertainties lose their power to make us fearful. We can trust God always since we see how He’s been with us in the past, working every situation out for our good and His glory. Instead of letting that fear and anxiety take over, always remember that God will teach us how to deal with anything that comes our way, if we trust in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). 

As the psalmist wrote, with the Maker of heaven and earth watching over us, we need not fear anything (Psalm 23:4; Psalm 121). 

And Psalm 91 gives assurance to those who “dwells in the shelter of the Most High” and who says of God, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” (verses 1-2). 

We must always remember these amazing words especially now, in these times of uncertainty in the world that those who trust in God can live fearlessly: “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (Psalm 91:5-7). 

There is a direct correlation between faith and the confidence to face the dangers of life: “If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent” (Psalm 91:9-10). 

And finally we rest in God’s promise: “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him” (Psalm 91:14-15). 

Remember, that when we choose this path of trust and obedience, God is glorified, and we are blessed.

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