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Over the past couple of weeks, I have seen and heard messages related to fear. Sometimes I notice my own fear and other times I don't realize I'm acting out of fear until someone else notices it.
I can think of many times throughout scripture where God says, "Do not fear..." This passage in Isaiah is one that stays with me.
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.Isaiah 43:1-2
Many times the emotions we experience from those around us reflect how people deal with uncertainty. Life's difficulties can bring out the best of us and the worst of us. We notice grief, fear, and anxiety in ourselves and others around us.
Paul's letter to Timothy reminds us that, God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7
When we can understand that it is fear, anxiety, grief or hopelessness talking, we can realize the unexpected outburst is not about us. It then allows us to respond to the hurting person in a way we could not have before. I find it quite miraculous what we can give when we know the pain that someone is dealing within.
How can you respond to fear in a new way knowing that God says, "I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you..."?
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