Waiting in a long line to ride a roller coaster, I considered turning back several times. When it was finally my turn to board, the safety bar in the seat I was to occupy wouldn’t release properly. I was afraid of getting stuck, but I hopped in anyway. When the safety bar came down too tightly on my lap, I felt trapped and scared! I considered waving my hand and asking to be excused from the ride. But an attendant announced over the loudspeaker, “You can scream and you can shout, but there’s no way we’ll let you out.”
Thankfully, my ride that began with near terror ended in exhilaration!
God’s people had an intense encounter with fear shortly after leaving Egypt. “The [Israelites] looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them” (Exodus 14:10). The Egyptian forces were massive and moving quickly.
This threat caused the Israelites to consider turning back and surrendering to their enemies. They told Moses, “It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!” (Exodus 14:12). Moses might have been scared too, but his faith in God gave him courage. He told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today” (Exodus 14:13). Moses knew that giving in to fear would mean missing out on the blessings of the Promised Land.
Thankfully, the Israelites pressed forward and escaped the Egyptians. The Bible tells us that God used the whole event to display His glory (Exodus 14:4). If you’re facing a scary situation, remember that the great God who delivered the Israelites is with you.
The psalmist wrote, “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you” (Psalm 37:5). May we rest in His power and presence today.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: John 3:22-36
More:
Read 2 Timothy 4:16-18 to see how God’s presence and support can empower us despite our circumstances.
Next:
How might God want you to display His glory in your life? What’s the relationship between fear and faith?
Gary Shultz on June 20, 2016 at 5:45 am
For me Jennifer almost everything is packaged in your last paragraph, commit, trust, and He will help. In every situation the commitment may take a little time for us to focus. Stunning events send us reeling and we are overwhelmed. But the rest of what you stated is the deal for me – ” May we rest in His power and presence today.” In His presence we are centered on His power and can rest in the situation. In each event you talked about, apprehension and unwillingness had to be endured to reach the place God had for them. The people that stepped up and made the difference where those who quickly applied the faith commitment. Thanks Jennifer
gagirllive on June 20, 2016 at 7:26 am
Yay, Jennifer! You did it afraid! You pressed through your fear and made it through to the other side of that roller coaster ride! (I don’t think you had much of a choice from what the attendant said. 🙂 ) Life is often like that, isn’t it? We have no other choice but to take the ride we’re on…and we sometimes have to do it afraid. I think there can be a healthy tension between fear and faith. To me, faith is not the absence of fear but rather choosing to go forward in the confidence of God’s presence and His power to get us on the other side of it. We are not overwhelmed or paralyzed by our fear. We use it as a motivator to press forward. I like the way the KJV puts Psalm 37:5…”Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Knowing the LORD will “bring it to pass”—knowing I will get on the other side of this fearful situation as I trust and commit it to Him is what keeps me going forward. Another verse I memorized as a child comes to mind also…”What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” (Psalm 56:3) I can’t count the number of times I’ve recited those words while shaking in my boots through a fearful situation. From roller coasters ( yeah, me too!) to public speaking to heartbreaking and uncertain circumstances I have no control over, I have had to press through my fears holding on confidently to God’s powerful outstretched arm. There are some things we just can’t run from. We have to go through. We have to stand still and watch the LORD fight for us. The Israelites found themselves between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea…between The Rock and a hard place…no way out but through. And God made a way through, displaying His magnificent glory. Too often, many of us retreat or cower and miss the glory. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is on our side! He will fight for us through every fear. Glory to His name! Thanks, Jennifer, for this encouragement today. Manifold blessings to you!
samgaskill on June 20, 2016 at 7:53 am
“Just be still and watch the Lord rescue you!” My gratitude runs deep when I think of the many times I have been rescued. Love the “fright” or “flight” analogy. Who has not been there? Can’t imagine a life without my Lord to make a way! Thank-you Jennifer and Gary and Georgia Girl and all who may comment today. The encouragement is awesome! Blessings, Mary
gagirllive on June 20, 2016 at 8:14 am
Amen, Mary. He is the God who rescues us! But let’s remember that His deliverance can look different from what we think. He can deliver us “from”, “through”, and “to”. Either way, we are victorious in Him! Grace and peace to you, dear. (Did you know that our dear sister Sandy had a heart attack?! I know you will pray fervently with us for her recovery. Thanks, Mary.)
samgaskill on June 20, 2016 at 8:26 am
Amen! Sometimes I suspect my delivery (other than from eternal separation from God) has been more from the “weedy stuff” in my heart! For God has turned my “mourning” over my sin into life giving joy, hope and promise! Thanks for sharing about our dear sister Sandy. Kim has let us know. She has been greatly missed on the forums! Have a great day my friend!!
gagirllive on June 20, 2016 at 8:46 am
Great! Didn’t know if you got that or not. I pray that Sandy is able to read today’s devo and take comfort in its truth, our prayers, and her Savoir.
samgaskill on June 20, 2016 at 9:21 am
A blessed reminder that God delivers us from those “BIG” trial times, rescuing us from the pit of despair, leading us out of our dry desert places, those times when we might want to run, give up and despair; yet He also daily prunes us, delivering us from our sins of self-righteousness, judgment, bitterness, envy, haughtiness, etc. I am reminded of a time many years ago when God exposed a seed of “bitterness” in my heart. My husband and I had attended a conference a year before on the subject of forgiveness as guests of another couple. Little did I know (God did) I would need all that I learned there for a time that was coming! I falsely believed I was a quick to forgive person, rarely angry; bitterness was not something I struggled with. Fast forward….God brought me to a place where forgiveness was hard, I had never felt so wounded or betrayed by people I looked up to and trusted. I forgave outwardly, and professed this trying to believe it myself, but bitterness took hold and I knew I needed God’s help. God took me through many studies, many hours spent alone with Him, in His Word until freedom finally came. To this day, I have not suffered with bitterness or unforgiveness that isn’t quickly brought under control. I hope it never rears its ugly head again, but I know without a single doubt God will deliver me again if needed. He will prune me and grow something more beautiful out of that ugly twig. The fruit of God’s Spirit living in me has in no small way grown through this gentle and at times tough pruning that comes to all those God loves. This fruit our Gardener continues to cultivate and ripen is what we Christians need to fulfill the plan and purpose of our lives God has set in motion. To God be the glory for all our deliverances! AMEN!
godlove on June 20, 2016 at 10:06 am
I learnt about the relationship between faith and fear in one Bible lesson on the story of Jesus calming the storm. The notable verse was when Jesus asked His disciples “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40) The point of the lesson being that God takes away our fear through the faith that He gives us. Jesus teaches us that we might (will) face storms in life, but as we keep our faith in Him, He will guide us safely through the storms. Therefore, there is no need to fear but only to put our faith in God for He never fails. Jesus saves indeed. Thanks Jennifer. Blessed week to all.
gagirllive on June 20, 2016 at 11:10 am
Amen, godlove. I believe the implication in Jesus’ question was “Do you still have no faith even after all you have already seen Me do?” Those disciples had seen His miraculous power…turning water into wine, feeding thousands, giving sight to the blind, etc. Their prior experience with Christ should have fortified their faith in the midst of their present fears. So it is with us. We must remember and press forward in faith, trusting God for the victory. Someone said FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. That certainly can be true, but sometimes what we fear is very real. We just have to see God as bigger than what we fear. In the light of His greatness, all things shrink to their proper size. What a great devo today for the fearful heart! Thanks for sharing that insight from your Bible study. Be blessed, brother.
godlove on June 20, 2016 at 3:00 pm
I understood Jesus’ question in the same way too, gagirl. Similarly, having experienced God’s help and divine intervention in so many situations in my life so far, I get comfort, when I am faced with any storm, from the knowledge that He can and He will see me through it. My faith has increased a lot as a result of witnessing His power at work in my life. As you put it so well, God is bigger than all our fears and in the light of His greatness, all things shrink to their proper size. Blessings to you too, my dear sister.
philipforchrist on June 20, 2016 at 11:37 am
The word for the season! Thanks, Jennifer and God bless you. Amen
hsnpoor on June 20, 2016 at 12:08 pm
“Moses knew that giving in to fear would mean missing out on the blessings….”. There is so much truth in that statement. We always want to think of a blessing as something we perceive to be good to satisfy our wants and our God is so awesome, that that is often what we receive. But, as GAgirl, so wisely stated above, the blessing is that we are always in a win-win situation with our God because in the storms of life he will always be right there with us in them, so there is no need to fear, and we can count on being delivered through them to the other side and if the “other side” happens to be into His Presence, all the better. There just is no downside with our Lord. Praise His Name!
You know, the ODB scripture for today really dovetails well with this devotional too….Psalm 68:19. What a comfort!