We have all felt fear, but do you allow it to hinder you from stepping into your blessing? This morning my devotion began with a focus on the woman with the issue of blood who had been afflicted with a bleeding condition for 12 years; no doctor, medicine man, or village healer could heal her. Her situation seemed bleak. Then the scripture took us to another scene involving a synagogue official whose daughter was dying and again, no one could help her. We are presented with two seemingly impossible situations in which I can be most certain that the people going through them were gripped with fear, fatigue, and a sense of hopelessness.
Who hasn’t been faced with a situation in which they felt afraid and didn’t know where to turn? I know I have been in this position many times. I always tell people that cancer taught me how to have faith, but owning a business taught me how to walk in it. When things don’t go as planned (and they often don’t), what do you do? I remember once saying to a fellow Christian business owner as we were commiserating over all it takes to keep a business going, “I don’t know how people who don’t know the Lord do it.” There are times when we are faced with situations and circumstances in which we can’t help but feel afraid because we’re human. God hotwired us with several emotions – fear being one of them; however, even though we feel fear, God does not give us a spirit of fear. I often remind myself of David in the Bible who said, “When I am afraid, I will trust in the Lord,” Psalm 56:3. He didn’t say if I am afraid, he said when. There are times we will feel afraid. Just remind yourself that God wired you with that feeling to alert you to when we need to fight or take flight; both call us to act. Will we fight, take flight, or allow apathy to immobilize us? Having done all we can do, why not take our mustard seed of faith and plant it in the One who specializes in making that which appears impossible possible. Jesus’ message to the synagogue leader was, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He commended the woman with the issue of blood for her courage to take faith and touch the hem of His garment.
Feeling afraid and overwhelmed? Look up, reach up, take courage, and let go. Just like Jesus told the woman, “Your faith saved you,” remember that when you think you can’t have faith…