Sunday Prayer | Fear is Not Our Guide

Headed to meet my Sweet T at a family restaurant located just off Interstate 20 called The Farmhouse, I jammed out to the Demon Hunter record “Peace,” released back in 2019. It’s got some good thrashing jams with Christian themes, including one number called “Fear Is Not My Guide.” What a fitting statement for these present times!

Fear is cruel. It chokes our potential, cementing us in a slew of what could have been. Living in fear is a death sentence in its own right, far worse than any prison an unseen enemy can build. We can’t live life afraid. God didn’t intend for us to exist that way.

While Scripture teaches us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), we aren’t told to live in fear. Paul encourages Timothy, assuring him “…God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

This season of grave uncertainty has upset our sense of security. We are unsure and afraid to leave the boat for fear of drowning. In these difficult times, we must exercise both wisdom and courage. While we should take precautions to keep ourselves and those we love out of harm’s way, we cannot isolate ourselves. We aren’t meant to be hidden in the dark.

When all this craziness began, my Sweet T reminded me that only God knows the days of her life. If He intended to allow her to get the virus than she’d get it and there was nothing she could do to stop it. That doesn’t mean she threw caution to the wind. She took precautions. She followed the recommendations. However, she also refused to live controlled by fear. She knows fear and doubt are tools of the Devil designed to turn our eyes of God. (Matthew 14:22-23)

Rest assured, we‘re not dismissive of the Virus, the economic havoc, societal challenges, or the division in our Country. We are all too well aware, having close friends who suffered from COVID, knowing people who lost their jobs, and witnessing the division firsthand.

Speaking of Sweet T, she and I are celebrating our twelfth wedding anniversary today. We’ve seen the world go through a lot since we first met twenty years ago. Yes, it took us awhile to get married, but that’s a God story for another time.

Reflection Questions:

1. How have the events of 2020 shaped your faith?

2. What do you do to stay encouraged and keep your eyes firmly fixed to Jesus?

3. How would you encourage a loved one living in fear?

4. How can I encourage you today?

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for giving us a spirit of boldness. Help us be courageous as we encounter opportunities to be the salt and light in the lives of others. May we continue working out our salvation with fear and trembling. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

May the Lord shower You with His grace and mercy. May God’s word illuminate and influence your life today and forevermore. 

Blessings,

The Devotional Guy™

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