We've all been there—standing on the edge of a new opportunity, a challenging conversation, or a significant life change, with our hearts pounding and a voice inside telling us to turn back. We pray for courage, for a sign, for the fear to simply disappear. We might even question our faith in those moments, wondering if we're truly trusting God when we feel so anxious. But what if faith isn't the absence of fear, but rather the decision to move forward despite it? What if faith is less about a feeling of unwavering confidence and more about a quiet, persistent trust in God's plan, even when our own knees are knocking?
This is a powerful and freeing truth. It shifts the focus from our own emotional state to God's steadfastness. It reminds us that our feelings don't always dictate the reality of our faith. We don't have to wait for the fear to subside before we take the next step. Instead, we can acknowledge the fear, offer it up to God, and then choose to act in faith. This is a continuous process, not a quick fix. It requires regular self-reflection and an openness to God's guidance. It's about aligning our priorities with His will and understanding that His presence is our greatest source of strength.
The Bible is full of stories of people who did it afraid. Moses, who felt inadequate and hesitant to confront Pharaoh, pleaded with God. Yet, he went.
Exodus 4:10 NIV Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
Esther, who risked her life to save her people, acknowledged the real and present danger she faced.
Esther 4:15-16 NIV [15] Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: [16] “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
And then there's Gideon, a man hiding in a winepress to thresh wheat.
Judges 6:11-15 NIV [11] The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. [12] When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” [13] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” [14] The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” [15] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”(emphasis mine)
Each of them was afraid, but they chose to trust God's calling over their own fear.
This is not a new concept.
Psalms 56:3-4 NIV [3] When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. [4] In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
The Psalmist doesn't say, "I am never afraid." He says, "When I am afraid..." It gives us a blueprint for those moments when we are afraid. First acknowledge the fear, and then intentionally place our trust in God.
Here’s a promise from God for those who trust Him.
Isaiah 41:10 NIV 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.
This promise is not a magic spell to remove fear, but a divine assurance of God's presence and support as we face it.
So the next time you feel that familiar flutter of anxiety, remember that God isn't asking you to be fearless. He's simply asking you to take the next step, hand-in-hand with Him, even if you're doing it afraid. Our faith is a journey of walking with Him, trusting His promises, and allowing His strength to be made perfect in our weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:6-10 NIV [6] Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, [7] or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. [8] Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. [10] That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (emphasis mine)
This is a powerful and freeing truth. It shifts the focus from our own emotional state to God's steadfastness. It reminds us that our feelings don't always dictate the reality of our faith. We don't have to wait for the fear to subside before we take the next step. Instead, we can acknowledge the fear, offer it up to God, and then choose to act in faith. This is a continuous process, not a quick fix. It requires regular self-reflection and an openness to God's guidance. It's about aligning our priorities with His will and understanding that His presence is our greatest source of strength.
The Bible is full of stories of people who did it afraid. Moses, who felt inadequate and hesitant to confront Pharaoh, pleaded with God. Yet, he went.
Exodus 4:10 NIV Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
Esther, who risked her life to save her people, acknowledged the real and present danger she faced.
Esther 4:15-16 NIV [15] Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: [16] “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
And then there's Gideon, a man hiding in a winepress to thresh wheat.
Judges 6:11-15 NIV [11] The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. [12] When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” [13] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” [14] The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” [15] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”(emphasis mine)
Each of them was afraid, but they chose to trust God's calling over their own fear.
This is not a new concept.
Psalms 56:3-4 NIV [3] When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. [4] In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
The Psalmist doesn't say, "I am never afraid." He says, "When I am afraid..." It gives us a blueprint for those moments when we are afraid. First acknowledge the fear, and then intentionally place our trust in God.
Here’s a promise from God for those who trust Him.
Isaiah 41:10 NIV 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.
This promise is not a magic spell to remove fear, but a divine assurance of God's presence and support as we face it.
So the next time you feel that familiar flutter of anxiety, remember that God isn't asking you to be fearless. He's simply asking you to take the next step, hand-in-hand with Him, even if you're doing it afraid. Our faith is a journey of walking with Him, trusting His promises, and allowing His strength to be made perfect in our weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:6-10 NIV [6] Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, [7] or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. [8] Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. [10] That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (emphasis mine)
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