Have No Fear, God is Near
By Keri Eichberger
Bible Reading:
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. Psalm 56:3–4
I have battled with worry, anxiety, and fear since before I can remember. I wrote a book about these hot topics. And I’ve often wondered if people knew how much I still struggle in this arena, if they would think I had no business weighing in on such weighty issues. If so, my comeback defense would be—if only they knew how much more I used to be consumed by anxiety and constant unease. Because the truth is, my considerable progress might suggest some profound gained wisdom. Something else that perplexed me as I began to bring this message into the world was the volume of people who believed worry wasn’t one of their primary problems.
Well, I have two things to say about my contemplations. One, God truly has helped me win more and more over my worry. Two, no matter how much someone thinks they don’t worry, they do much more than they realize. Which brings me to the conclusion: We all need God‘s constant reminders that we don’t have to fear because our good and sovereign God can be trusted.
How about you? Do you struggle with worry and fear? What are your thoughts? Are you consumed with an idea, a plan, or a circumstance? And do you try to control outcomes, or tend to strive for perfection frequently? We could say yes to these questions more than we’d like to admit if we were honest. I’ve become convinced that worry is wrapped up in all of those things. And ultimately, fear is at the root. Unresolved fear that is soaked in misplaced faith and misguided trust.
You might be very well aware that you have unresolved fear and worry. Or maybe the enemy has been sneaky with you, and you can hardly see it. Either way, we all have it. So, to help us win this war over worry, I have some reminders for both of us—truths that I know I need to continue to place deeper and deeper within, again and again.
In the face of any thought that stirs up unease and swells with uncertainty or amid any situation that starts to overwhelm, there are a couple of truths we need to reclaim: that God is in control and that God loves us. And if these two statements are factual, which they are, we have nothing to fear.
Easier said than done, I know. But God has every single detail of your life under his authority. And God loves and cares for you perfectly and unconditionally. You, me, all your people, and all of his people. So, that means we can all relax. We can slow down. We can let go a little more. We can enjoy life a whole lot more. And we can breathe a bit deeper and move much more freely.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
As you consider whatever has you worked up, about whatever, will you reclaim and replace your faith and trust in God with me? Friend, we can trust him. And we can live with less fear because our good, sovereign God is always near.
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