Friday, November 21, 2014

Fear Not


Read: Isaiah 43:1-12

But now thus saith the LORD that created thee…Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.                              Isaiah 43:1

     “Keep Calm and Carry On” – the plain letters scrolled out the words of the motivational poster produced by the British government in 1939, just in time to usher in the Second World War. The Ministry of Information published the poster to be posted in shops and distributed as pamphlets in the event of a wartime disaster. They knew the disheartening effect a bombing could have on a ravished city, so they were proactive in their approach. The poster was intended to set the people at ease and to make them want to go on the offensive in the fight. Little was known about the poster until 2000, when it was rediscovered because it was never actually posted in Britain. It has since made a comeback as a decorative piece because of its positive message – in the face of difficulty, we must “keep calm and carry on.”
     Many things in life will give us cause to fear. Perhaps the biggest inciter of fear is the fear of the unknown. “Where will I go to college? Who will I marry? Where will I spend my life? What is it that God wants me to do with my life? – all these are legitimate questions that often bring about a sense of fear to the asker. Another stimulator of fear is the fear of failure. That apprehension is enough to keep many people from ever stepping out into the unknown to accomplish the truly great things. Their fear of looking foolish or the fear of being embarrassed by their failure hampers many people’s lives that could have been well-lived.
     You know the feeling you get when you are walking in a dark place and suddenly you feel like you are being followed? Your walk turns into a run, which turns into a dead sprint because you are running for your life (There are other things that give you wings besides Red Bull energy drinks). The truth is, though you are running scared, there is nothing behind you. The fears we face in our lives is a lot like running from shadows. There really is nothing to fear because we have God on our side. He has promised to protect us, to lead us, and to give us His best when we follow him; so what is left to fear? The best thing you could do if you have fears is to write down all of those fears on a piece of paper, and then write a note on it: “Dear God, these belong to you.” Then give then to Him. He can handle those problems far better than you can. Perhaps the British slogan would be better amended: “Keep calm, trust God, and carry on.”


Quote of the day: “When the root is deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.”





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