Fear Not - Martin Wiles

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. Isaiah 41:10 NLT

I stared at the button that read “Reset Settings,” thinking it might solve my issue. Fear, however, kept me from clicking it. 

Computers seem to have a mind of their own. Sometimes an update will make a change in the way something performs. Or I may accidentally press a key combination and find my computer doing things it’s never done before. 

Recently, mine stopped giving me prompts when I typed in words I’d typed in previously. Not a huge discomfort, but when I’m in a hurry, it’s easier to click on my email than have to type it. Seconds are also saved by clicking on my name rather than having to type it. So I had my IT friend take a gander. After trying a few unsuccessful things, we came to the dreaded “Reset Settings” button. He said, “Click on it.” I feared what might change. He told me not to worry. If it changed something, he could fix it. So I clicked, and all my missing functions reappeared. For a month, I’d been languishing in aggravation when I could have stepped out in faith. 

Fear may be a natural human emotion, but it often gets in the way when serving God. It has stymied God’s people on more than one occasion. Fear led Abraham to lie about his wife. Fear kept Moses from wanting to approach Pharaoh. Fear made Gideon ask for a sign assuring him of God’s presence. Fear made the disciples think they were going to die in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. 

Fear has kept me at bay a few times as well. What would my friends think if I served God instead of the addictions they did? How would I pay my bills if I left everything to attend college and study for the ministry? 

An old saying comforts me: “If God leads you to it, He will lead you through it.” Trite? Maybe. But true nonetheless. God never takes us where He hasn’t already been in His plans. He never asks us to do anything He won’t provide the means and sustenance for us to do. “Fear not” should be our battle cry as we move out into the unknown lands of God’s will. 

Where does God desire to take you that fear won’t let you go?

Prayer: Father, give us courage to follow wherever You lead with the confidence You’ll go before us.

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