Psalm 56:3-4
But when I am afraid,
I will put my trust in you.
I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?
–
Lately, plans, purpose, and goals have been heavy on my heart as my life and vision are shifting. I love my life, I have had beautiful opportunities and doors open for me. God has established my steps, even now as I feel the tug of a shift in my life and goals. With this comes a fear of the world, change, and the unknown. It is hard to shift from comfort and what we know is working.
God says many times throughout the Bible, some variation of, “Fear not!”
Why does he say it so many times? Well, many sources say that the Bible says it 365 times throughout the Bible. However, many sources also say that this is untrue. Either way, He says it a lot. Again, the question is, why?
Well, God knows that it would take us trusting Him for us to fulfill His plans in our lives. With trust comes the unknown factor. To some degree, everyone struggles with the fear of the unknown.
Applying to school? The unknown of our acceptance, finances, relationships, and success.
Moving to a new area? The unknown of work, relationships, opportunities, and community.
Having a kid? The unknown of what the heck you are doing or why the baby is crying again. I am experiencing this firsthand as I type this.
Some individuals have choice paralysis. We have so many things to choose from and then we worry about what happens if we make the wrong one. Why is this? Fear of the unknown outcome.
We mere humans want to control and know as much as we can. This is something I personally struggle with on a daily basis.
But we are not God. We did not see and know all. We really, in the grand scheme of things, probably don’t want to. But that is why God reminds us not to fear but instead trust Him.
God is holding out His hand, gently saying, “It’s going to be okay in the end, just trust me.” He is waiting for you to take His hand and walk with Him.
As this post came to mind, I was reminded of a childhood song from one of my very favorites… Veggitales.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK72_–ZsM4
God is Bigger than the Boogie Man.
He is also bigger than the unknown.
He is bigger than your struggles and battles.
He is in the middle of it with you, waiting for you to turn to him and ask for His help navigating it.
Prayer:
God, I ask that you open the eyes of the person reading this today. I pray that you would show yourself to them in a way that they find you and your peace. Comfort them, Lord. The world is big and mean and scary. There are so many things that are out of our control. Father, I ask that you soften our hearts and open our fists to give up the things that we are holding onto in our attempt to control the world around us. We relinquish control to you. Help and guide us.
In Jesus’ name, amen.