But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:1-2 (NIV)
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:28-31 (NIV)
Faith in our Lord Jesus is the antidote to fear. Do we need more help than the Eternal God the Father, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit who are our refuge and strength at all times? Nothing is beyond them – nothing is too hard. Lay your troubles down at the foot of the cross and do not go back and pick them up again. We are to rest secure in Him for He shields us all day long and the one the Lord loves rests between His all-powerful shoulders. It is His desire to help us. We are His. He proved His love by the cross – and if He has done the greater, will He not do the lesser?
We are never separated from the presence of God. Wherever we are, God is there. He sees all, knows all and takes all into account. If His eye is always on the sparrow – how much more so us. Fretting and worrying should have no place for the child of the King. It is Satan that is the great troubler of our soul’s rest. And it is his desire to rob us of the rest God desires for us. The adversary whispers in our ears “give up,” testing us to fear the present crisis or the future. Whatever God allows, He gives the strength to persevere through. It does us well to remember that the less rest the soul has in God presently, the less strength it will find to bear up in trials when hardships inevitably arise. We are to take comfort in the fact that every event is the product of His providence; not a sparrow falls to the ground – much less a saint – but that the Hand of God is not in it. Remember as well, He has promised He will never leave or forsake us and He will teach us all we need to know. We must encourage our hearts to be dependent upon His amazing promises and pray them back to Him whenever fear surfaces. Always turning our eyes upon Jesus.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)