1 Minute Daily Devotions
September 23, 2010
Choose Faith Over Fear
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10
I'm sure you have seen movies where the bad guys chase the hero down the street and into an alley. He runs across empty barrels, through hanging laundry, over a stack of rubbish and comes to...a brick wall! Panicked, our hero turns to face the bad guys and you note that his back is (literally) against the wall. And while you watch this scene, you subconsciously recognize it as a metaphor for many fearful moments in your life.
So often in the journey of faith, God leads us to what seems like a dead end, and we can be overcome with a sense of doom. Our human tendency is to take our eyes off of God, look at the problem before us and feel overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. And when fear floods in, faith floods out! How can you handle these times that seem so hopeless? When your back is against the wall, choose faith over fear. Stand firm in the faith and put your trust in God.
Realize that these frightening moments are only a temporary dead end. God will lead us to the point where we can no longer help ourselves and must trust in God alone. Then God goes to work, and He is glorified in a way greater than ever before. We are called to choose faith over fear, and trust that in God's game plan, there are no permanent dead ends!
Comments on this Devotion
From Grant on Sep 23rd:
I love bombastic, unpredictable Peter (before Pentecost). This reminds me of the time he stepped out of the boat to walk on the water. As soon as he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink.
Same point. In fearful times, keep your eye on the Lord. The worst may still happen, but he will be there at your side to sustain and comfort you. I know, because I have tried it both ways.
From Austin on Sep 23rd:
If you don't look to the Lord in tough times, where will you look? There is nowhere to look BUT our Lord.
The point of staying focused on God in trying times isn't just to make yourself feel better. It isn't just to reduce feelings of fear or anxiety, cause that may not even happen. It is to make sure you respond to the trial in the appropriate mannor. Without this focus you could respond in a way that makes things worse. Meditate on His Word in tough times, respond with Godly character, and leave your fear behind you. He, and only He, is worthy of your complete trust.
From purple416 on Sep 23rd:
My back is against the wall in my life right now. I thought my trust and faith was strong, but I feel like I'm folding. God sent this devotional just in the nick of time. Reading your comments, makes me feel weak, but strong. I'm realizing more and more how much we need each others encouragement. Thank you and God's Blessings.
From Hal on Sep 23rd:
It's strange, but sometimes in a moment of fear a vision of humor helps, especially if it reminds you of something more powerful than a joke. So try this:
Sunday after church, a Mom asked her young daughter what the Sunday school lesson was about.
The daughter answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt."
Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about.
He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming."
From Grant on Sep 23rd:
Purple - Assuming you attend a church, do you have a support group there? The past 3-4 years have been among the most trying in my life. Without support and prayers of multiple groups at my church (along with a fantastic wife) I don't know how I would have kept my focus.
I'm sure that the RFTH group will be praying for you.
From Sam on Sep 28th:
I broke a big promise to God and ever since i find myself in a bit of a rough situation. I was very sad and sorry and repented to God but I still feel stuck and it has been awhile. This may seem stupid but I am 20 years old and I promised God I wouldnt have sex until I am married. God has done an amazing thing for me in my life and has helped me to recently become a professional athlete but recently after that i was spending time with my girlfriend and completely out of the ordinary i broke the promise. It was completely unexpected and I felt terrible and repeatedly repented but now I am having a hard time accepting what I did was wrong and I feel like im looking for a loophole to what the Bible says about that subject. But it has been around 3 weeks and I have been doing awful with my sport. I had a couple nightmare perfomances when a really big oppurtunity came up for me and i just continue to do bad day after day. I was just wondering if you guys had any thoughts or anything. Sorry if it is a bit of a weird situation
From Janice on Sep 29th:
Sam, Itis a difficult situation you are in and the guys would probably do better with an answer but I would suggest that you seek out Christian counseling or else a men's accountability group for support through a church in your area. You might also contact Focus on the Family because they have some counselors you can talk to over the phone and will recommend someone to talk to in your vicinity. It is probably best to not continue to deal with this on your own because it may snowball into a bigger and bigger obstacle. I am saying a p[rayer for you right now as I end this. Blessings for your renewal to be steady and certain.