Talk Tuesday-Don't Be Discouraged By Your Fear

Faith and fear co-exist in an unequal balance throughout most of our lives. It is almost impossible to know what faith is without experiencing the fear that doubt brings. The Apostle Paul boldly proclaims that, “...we live by faith, not by sight,” 2 Corinthians 5:7. Fear is driven by sight, and its offspring is doubt. Faith, while unseen, is built on trust. This trust is predicated on the knowledge of who GOD is, and that HE WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO. “God is not a man, that He should lie,
 or a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfil it?" Numbers 23:19. Faith exists in spite of our fear, and trust overcomes doubt. Doubt and fear exist in the shadow of faith when we, as earthly sojourners, hold on to the power of our resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who promises eternal life to all who believe in Him. “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see,” Hebrews 11:1.

How can we increase our faith, and diminish our fear? Hebrews 4:12 states that the Word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword, while Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that God's Word will not return to Him void; it will accomplish His will in our lives. Faith rooted in God's Word provides us with the power to stand in the midst of painful circumstances. Jesus Himself exemplified this by His response to Satan's temptation in the desert, “But He answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,’” Matthew 4:4 (Deuteronomy 8:3). Paul writes to the church in Ephesus and calls the Word of the God, 'the sword of the Spirit' (Ephesians 6:17).

We at BGO want to encourage you to stand firm in your faith. We have witnessed God work miracles in our lives and continue to see Him move mountains that appeared unshakeable to our human eyes. Many of you know that I have faced health issues in the past. After my initial diagnosis and two subsequent surgeries, I was left with some residual mobility deficit. Each year I was told that I would not see much more improvement. Each year I did. During my last annual check up, I heard the words, “You are going to deteriorate.” Yet the truth is that I am continuing to see remarkable improvement.

Don't be discouraged by your fear, just take it to the cross. Line it up against the Word of God, and watch it crumble as your faith starts to take an immoveable shape. Jesus never said our sojourn would be easy. “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,” John 16:33. Hold on to God's Word and remember, “Those who trust in the Lord
 are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
 so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever,” Psalm 125:1-2. Be blessed!

We invite you to share your testimony of the many times that God's Word strengthened your faith and crushed your fear. Click on the comments link below to do so. You never know who you might encourage today!