How to Make the Journey from Fear to Faith

Hello and welcome to Girls to Grow! It’s a beautiful fall afternoon here. And while I’m not a fan of how early in the evening it gets dark now, I do love that we’re back to it being light earlier in the mornings.

I’ve almost finished Priscilla Shirer’s Bible study on Elijah. This week we’ve looked at how Elijah ran from Jezebel and her death threat in 1 Kings 19. That led to a deeper look at other Bible characters who found themselves in a place of fear but were able to journey through it to faith.

Let’s look at three examples.

Jacob.

He was running from his brother Esau who was plotting to kill him. [Genesis 27:41] His mother’s plan was to send him to visit her family until Esau’s anger passed. Jacob was off on a journey to an unknown land to stay with unfamiliar people. On the way, he encountered God.

“And behold, the Lord…said, ‘…I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.‘” ~Genesis 28:13-15

Moses.

He used to be a prince living in a palace. Now he’s a shepherd out in the middle of nowhere. Moses once thought he could help his people break free from their bondage, but his way hadn’t worked. Until he encountered God, in the midst of a burning bush.

“Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” ~Exodus 3:10

Gideon.

The Israelites are in bondage to the Midianites. Gideon and his father are threshing wheat in hiding so that the enemy won’t come and take it away. [Judges 6:11] Then Gideon encountered God.

“And the Lord looked upon him, and said, “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?…Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites…’” ~Judges 6:14, 16

How did these men get victory on the other side? How did they go from a place of fear or uncertainty to living out God’s plan for them?

They trusted God. They believed what He told them and acted on it.

Let’s revisit each of them.

Jacob.

“…If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go…then shall the Lord be my God.” ~Genesis 28:20, 21

What does Jacob come back and say later on in his life? “…O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac…I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant…” ~Genesis 32:9, 10

Moses.

Did it take Moses a minute or two to work through what God wanted him to do? Oh yes. But in Exodus 4:20, he returns to Egypt with the rod of God in his hand. And what does Moses say on the banks of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army breathing down his neck?

“And Moses said unto the people, ‘Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.‘” ~Exodus 14;13

Gideon.

He has gathered an army, seen it shrink, then overheard a man telling about his dream that Gideon would defeat the Midianites.

“And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream…that he worshipped, and returned unto the host of Israel, and said, ‘Arise: for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.‘” ~Judges 7:15

Each of them believed what God said. They had faith that God would keep His Word, that He was faithful to His promise.

What’s your struggle today? Are you running from a certain situation? Are you afraid of following through on something God’s asked you to do?

God has a promise for you in His Word. Could one of these be what you need today?

Do you have a need for God to meet? “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:19

Do you feel left alone by God? “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” ~Hebrews 13:5

Do you want wisdom? “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” ~James 1:5

How about strength? “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

Desire victory over fear? “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” ~Isaiah 41:10

I’ll end with an example from Paul’s life in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10.

“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;”

They trusted in God. He delivered. And they continued to trust that He would deliver them in the future.

Claim a promise from God’s Word and trust Him to be faithful to keep it. May God help us as Christian women in 2021 to rely on His promises and trust Him for every need today and for those that are ahead.

Related posts:

• 11 Common Fears and the Bible Verses We Can Use to Fight Them
• How to Keep on Going When Your Faith Is Weak
• 3 Convicting Reasons Why We Don’t Trust God