Trust in God

   “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear?  The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom am I afraid?” (Ps 27: 1)

   Each day there are fears we must face.  Some real, some imagined, but fears nevertheless.  We sometimes get so concerned with our fears that we forget who is on our side.  We forget that the Holy Spirit is within us.

   We are taught to deal with our fears.  “Man up!” is the attitude we are supposed to take when something threatens.  Not only are we to face our fears we are expected to face them on our own.  We are to overcome the worries and concerns of everyday life.

   I am not ashamed to admit that I can’t always face my fears alone.  In some cases I am confident that I would succumb to them if there were no help for me to draw on.  Where does my help come from?  In many cases it comes from my wife; she strengthens me in so many ways.  I know that I can always turn to her and she will be there for me.  I pray that I am as much support to her as she is to me.

   But what of the times when we both fear?  A family emergency or a serious illness.  Of course we still turn to each other and support each other but there is a greater source of comfort and strength.  God can calm all our fears and strengthen us to face the hardest challenges.  All we need do is ask.

   Think of the fear the apostles must have felt after Jesus died.  They still didn’t fully understand all that He had tried to teach them.  So they hid in a locked room for fear of those who would have killed them just as they had Jesus.  But the advocate that Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit, came upon them and took their fears away and emboldened them in their mission.  They no longer feared but preached of Jesus and His teachings even though they knew it could cost them their lives.

   The fears we face each day are also subject to the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit.  God will support us and give us the ability to overcome our fears.  Just as He was there for the apostles He is there for us.  He will take our hand and lead us home.

   “Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord! (Ps 27: 14)