In preparation of our meeting to determine when and how best to resume services at POP, I have been reading several things about the virus we’re struggling to contain. I have to admit, as I kept reading, it kind of scared me. This virus is no joke. True, if you’re under 60 and without preexisting conditions that weaken your immune system, the chance of you dying from it are very low. But for our more vulnerable, it can be a death sentence. If left to our fear, we might never move on, yet fear is a gift from God when it helps us to focus on what we need to be focusing on. Rational fear can be a good thing and a God thing.
It’s at times like these that we turn to God. When there is a threat on the horizon and we feel vulnerable, God assures us that He can be our strength. Psalm 56:3 tells us how David got past his fear. It reads, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” Now, David had much to fear. His king wanted to kill him, the Philistines wanted him dead, even his own son wished for his demise. There were many threats on his horizon, so he turned to the only one who could make a difference, his Lord. Did it minimize the threat? No, but it did help him to understand that he had the power of God beside him and that fear in an irrational sense (when all you have to believe in is yourself) can do more harm than good. When God says, “do not fear for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10), He’s not talking about the kind of fear that puts the urgency where it should be placed. He is talking about the fear one gets when there is no one at their side to fight the battles with them whether they be against the Philistines or Covid-19. His will is for us to remain calm so our rational fears might overcome or irrational fears.
Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us saying, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Anxiety comes to us when it feels the answers to our problems don’t exist or are, at least, hard to come by. Anxiety can cause a whole lot of trouble for your body and your mind. God would have you take all that useless anxiety and place it at His feet. He’s certainly big enough to carry our irrational fears and worries. His goal is that we approach each difficulty with urgency but also with an inner peace that only He can provide.
God’s got this! He’s not a disinterested spectator, he is a loving Father who wants the best for His children. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Irrational fear is not from God, it is the devil’s tool to keep us from solving our problems with love and a sound mind. Find that inner strength that the Holy Spirit has given you and face your fears with the confidence that you don’t stand alone. Psalm 94;19 says, When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul.” I pray that in these trying times, that same inner peace can be yours. Trust in God to calm the storm. Please pray with me:
Heavenly Father, forgive us for all of those times we have let irrational fears get the best of us. Remind us every day of Your love for us and Your promise to never leave us or forsake us. Bring Your peace to our hearts so that the devil has no hope. Help us to use our fears properly, so that Your will, will be done. Give us rest from our anxieties and lead us beside still waters so that our souls may be restored. Amen.
