Fearless: No Longer Scared

There is a bush called the gorse bush which is replete with thorns – both large and small.  Throughout the year, the thorn neither drops off nor softens, rather uncompromisingly hardens.  Yet, half-way up appear two brown furry balls seemingly mere specks at first, that break at last out of the previous year’s thorns into a flower ablaze with fragrant golden glory! These flowers enfold themselves amidst the thorns in this impossibly hostile environment – fearlessly bringing forth the glory of God. A picture in nature of God making beauty out of our thorns if we will only let Him. We do not need to be fearful. Our “death” in the wintertime is necessary to give way to the “resurrection” of our springtime’s.  Remember, spiritual insight does not come without a high cost. We need not be afraid as believers in Jesus for we are in the Master’s loving hands – even though at times it may not “feel” like it, our feelings cannot make it so. He desires to transform every believer’s suffering into something gloriously wonderful – and His work is always going on. The gorse flower blooms not in spite of but because of the thorn.

Believers can be fearless because we accept God’s answer received knowing He gives us the grace sufficient to meet the need. If we do not have the need, we do not have the grace. He is not a grace waster. When pain consumed missionary Amy Carmichael, she could not  think of anything but the pain - being too weak to think or even pray.  Yet, she lifted her hands to the Lord, as the psalmist prescribed, as a gesture of acceptance, faith and adoration to the Lord. We have the confidence of our Father’s promise that our pain will lead to unimaginable glory, the glory of which she basks in now. God offers what no eye has seen, nor what ears have heard, nor what mind has conceived to those who place their trust in Him.  Live fearlessly – if we suffer with Him we will also reign with Him.