Choosing Faith Over Fear
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
Without faith no one can please God. [Anyone //who comes to God] must
believe that He is real
and that He rewards those //who truly want to find Him (Hebrews 11:6, NCV).
Friend to Friend
I grew up in Texas //where tornadoes are a common occurrence. When the
clouds took on a peculiar shade of green and the wind began to blow, we
would turn on the radio and wait for any news, hoping and praying () it
was just an ugly storm /headed our way. Many times we were forced to
climb down /into the damp, musty storm shelter /buried in our back yard. I
hated those storms!
* take on; 1. to deal with 2. to begin to have, use, or do
* musty; having a stale, moldy, or damp smell.
Dan and I had been married several years /when God moved us /to South
Florida //where hurricanes seemed to be the norm for native Floridians.
Then Hurricane Andrew came along, and I experienced first-hand [the
devastation] () these monstrous storms can inflict. I saw nothing normal at
all about them. Hurricanes sweep brutally over their prey /with vicious
strength and leave nothing but destruction and terror /in their path.
Homes are reduced to useless rubble, memories are washed away, and
lives are lost. Even today, certain parts of South Florida are still
rebuilding.
I have always thought of hurricanes /as something () mankind could
certainly do without, but I once read an article //that said hurricanes
are necessary /to maintain a balance in nature. Scientists say ()
hurricanes are tremendously valuable /because they break up a large
percentage of the oppressive heat //that builds up at the equator.
Hurricanes are also indirectly responsible for much of the rainfall in
North and South America. Good really can come from bad.
The storms of life are much the same. Trials, pain, difficult circumstances, and hard times are all part of life. Things happen //that are beyond our understanding and out of our control. If you are like me, I find myself turning to God with the question, “Why?”
That’s where faith comes in.
* Things happen //that are beyond our understanding and out of our control.
Things (//that are beyond our understanding and out of our control) happen.
Faith means being sure of the things () we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real /even if we do not see it (Hebrews 11:1, ICB).
Faith is built upon trust. God wants us to trust Him in the trials
of life. Even when we do not understand [what is happening]
or cannot
explain the circumstances. Even when nothing makes sense and everything
seems wrong.
God did not come /to eliminate storms. God came to fill each storm with His presence and power. It is easy to trust Him /when the seas are calm and the skies are clear, but the true strength of our faith is measured in the midst of a raging storm. A crisis always reveals [what is really inside]. [What life does to us] depends on [what life finds in us]. Faith is a deliberate choice /to believe God and walk through our fear, knowing () we can trust Him every step of the way.
Let’s Pray
Father, I confess to You that my faith is weak. Forgive me for giving
in to doubts and fears. I know () Your plan for me is certainty and hope.
Please help me face today with Your faith in my heart. Enable me to
walk straight ahead /through my fear knowing () You are with me in each
step. Today, I choose faith.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.