“Meet Your Fears With Faith”  – Max Lucado

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?  When the wicked came against me
to eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.   Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.”                Psalm 27:1-3 (NKJV)

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”                        Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

 Imagine “Fear” as a dark creature with long fingers wearing a tattered hat.  This hat covers much of his disfigured face, but his dark eyes are visible.  His cold and intimidating glare is quite unnerving and if caught off guard, his appearance can stun, startle, and terrorize an unsuspecting believer.

Fear giggles with glee when he catches the children of God unprepared and napping, for he has accomplished the quest his master has sent him on with flying colors.  Satan wants believers to be ineffective and powerless.  He will try everything in his power to daze and stupefy us into a state of inaction and idleness.  To dumbfound a Christian into paralysis is to create a roadblock and delay in the plans of God. 

Now imagine “Faith” as a Sailor in his uniform whites.  What a courageous and confident fellow he is indeed!  No rough waters or storms can knock him off his feet.  He is steady and well balanced.  His eyes reflect a quiet confidence that oozes strength and vigor.  One look upon his appearance and Fear crumbles to the ground, a dark mass of broken bits.

Hebrews 10:38 says that the “just will live by faith.”  A “Just” person is someone who is fair, virtuous, and honest.  “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1)  So a JUST person, living by faith, is virtuous and certain of things not seen.  He knows that God is beside him, even when he can’t see Him.  When Fear approaches a JUST man, his faith in God is what foils the devil’s attack. 

Faith does not make things easy.  Faith makes things possible. Luke 1:37 reminds us, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”  Sailor boy Faith knows this truth.  It is what gives him the confidence to stare hurricane force winds and deadly storms in the face without a blink of his eye.  He knows that God is steering his ship and that all he needs to do is hold on, trusting God to see him through his adventure. 

If you are facing storms that bring you face to face with FEAR, call out to God.  Ask Him to mature your Faith.  You will most likely have to weather out the storm you are experiencing right now, but your Father will use your willingness to trust in His provisions to mature you.  He will command you to toss Fear overboard during storms.  God is the Captain of your ship and Fear has no place on deck. 

The best part of seeing your way through a storm, even if you think you have been blown off course, is that God will always man the wheel of your vessel and deliver you through every storm in your life.  You will never really be blown off course, maybe redirected, but always in the place God has intended for you.

There is a calm after a storm.  Enjoy the fresh air and the gentle breezes.  Allow them to minister to your weary soul.  Let the faith of God rule in your heart.  May it bring you through every gale and hurricane, bluster and thunderstorm in life.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”   Hebrews 11:1 (NAS)

“That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”  1 Corinthians 2:5 (NKJV)

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”   Psalm 56:3-4 (NKJ)

Cheryl Zelenka writes a Christian Encouragement Blog called http://facingtrials.com