Is it really as simple as “Faith over Fear”?

Today’s devotional topic is about fear. There are so many situations in this life that can cause fear: fear of loss, having enough income, going to an interview, meeting new people, fear of heights, a spider or snake, contracting a virus, battling a disease, natural disasters, world events such as wars, crime, the economy and a number of things. You can just look at the news and the majority you see can provoke fear.

So how do we overcome fear? There's a slogan that we often see that says “Faith over Fear”, but is it really as simple as that? “Faith over Fear” may be easy to say, but how do we actually LIVE it?

The way we live it is to draw near to God through prayer and reading His Word.

First, we begin by asking God for the strength not to have fear through praying to him. As the scripture says in I John 5:14-15,

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

This tells us that we can approach God and ask Him to give us strength and confidence to help us overcome whatever fear we're facing and He will hear us and give us the strength. He will give us the tools, the ability and the capacity to overcome that fear and not be afraid.

Secondly, start each day reading God’s Word before the craziness of the day overtakes you. And if we start the day with His Word, we can carry that with us throughout the whole day. Reading God’s Word bolsters our confidence, gives us assurance and reminds us of His great promises such as:

“He will never leave us or forsake us.” Deuteronomy 31:8

“Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” Romans 8:38-39

“I can do all things through Christ to gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7

I highly recommend reading the book of Psalms. It is a book that is full of prayer and praise. It professes faith and trust in our Almighty God. One really good chapter is Psalm 91:

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.

If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

That chapter in Psalms is a wonderful assurance of protection! It is a good scripture to post on a wall or a mirror as a reminder.

If we seek God through prayer and spending time in His Word, we will be transformed more each day and our faith will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit that we can overcome fear. Then we can truly LIVE the slogan “Faith over Fear” and live without fear in this world.