Day 15: Faith vs. Fear
I remember when my children were little, going to a swimming pool. This particular pool didn’t have a kiddie pool or water shallow enough for my two preschoolers. So, we stood in the pool, and held out our arms for our kids to jump from the edge of the pool into the safety of our arms. Our son immediately took the plunge, laughing and splashing in the cool, refreshing water. But our daughter stood on the edge, so desperately wanting to jump in, but for some reason, unable to overcome her fear and just trust us to catch her. She got so frustrated with her inability to conquer her fears that she stood on the edge and threw a little temper tantrum, but we never were able to get her to jump into the pool that day, even after watching her little brother jump safely into our arms multiple times. I can’t remember if she ever did get into the pool that day.
In today’s passage, the children of Israel faced a challenge to their faith. God had promised to give them the bountiful land of Canaan. They had seen God miraculously bring Pharaoh and Egypt to their knees. They had seen God part the waters of the Red Sea, allowing them to cross on dry land. They had seen God miraculously provide food and water in the desert. They had seen God help them to defeat a tribe of desert warrior pirates. They had watched God act on their behalf over and over again. Yet, as soon as they heard that the people of Canaan were powerful, that their cities were fortified, and that there were giants in the land, they threw a temper tantrum, weeping and crying, plotting to appoint a new leader to take them back to Egypt.
How quickly they took their eyes off their all-powerful God and focused instead on the giants that stood between them and the land God had promised them! They allowed their fears to hijack their faith and send them running in the opposite direction from where God wanted them to be. And how they suffered for their lack of faith! None of them would ever live to see the Promised Land.
Where is your focus today? You need to keep your eyes on the Author and Finisher of your faith instead of on the giants that stand before you. It’s all about perspective. When you have your eyes fixed on Almighty God, then the problems and challenges are relegated to their proper place, and you recognize that God is bigger and more powerful than any problem you may face. Suddenly, your faith surges, and your fears are overcome because you’re looking at everything from a right perspective.
So when all you can see is the giant
before you, how do you get things into perspective? Turn your eyes on Jesus, on the Living God
who is both willing and able to help you.
Remind yourself through Scripture Who God is and what He is capable of
doing. Claim the promises of God for
your situation. And ask God to take your
little mustard seed faith and to grow it until you are able to believe that God
is in control, no matter what.
Listen:
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