During the age of the Divided Kingdom in c.930 – c.586 B.C., the Northern Kingdom, Israel, joined forces with Syria to fight the Southern Kingdom, Judah.
The shifting geopolitical alliances brought much uncertainty and fear to King Ahaz and the nation of Judah and they “trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm.” – Isaiah 7:2, NLT
Many of us experience uncertainty and fear in our lives. As parents, we fear our children making poor choices.
Some of us are fearful about losing our aged parents and loved ones to life-limiting illnesses, while others are afraid of losing their jobs or businesses during challenging economic times. These fears keep us awake at night.
The Lord spoke to King Ahaz of Judah through the prophet Isaiah, “Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smouldering stubs of firewood…” (Isaiah 7:3-4, NIV).
Like King Ahaz, we can draw comfort from Isaiah’s words and move from fear to faith.
What can we do in the face of fear?
Keep calm. Amid tumultuous circumstances, we can keep calm and not act rashly. We need a clear and steadfast mind to work through our fears. As we take time to pray and seek God’s perspective, we recall His promise of peace to us.
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” – Isaiah 26:3-4, NLT
Remember His promises. We are not alone in our fears. God knows and understands what we are going through. We find assurance in His promise to be with us and protect us no matter how daunting our situations are.
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” – Isaiah 43:2, NLT
Do not lose hope. It is easy to become faint-hearted when we are overwhelmed by fear. When all hope is lost, we lose heart. In such moments, cling on with hope to the unshakeable, unchangeable and unstoppable Christ Jesus and the promises in God’s Word.
“This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” – Hebrews 6:19, NLT
When we find ourselves overwhelmed, we must “be careful” – to pay attention and listen to God’s Word.
Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT), “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
As we hold fast to His promises and the hope we have in Christ, may we live, not in fear, but by faith and trusting in our God.
Lam Kok Hiang has over 30 years of experience in full-time Christian vocational ministry. He holds a MA (Biblical Studies) from Dallas Theological Seminary and has led Cru Singapore as National Team Leader since 2006. An avid runner, Kok Hiang shares a love for books with his wife, Sharon. Together, their desire is to see young leaders rise up in local churches and missions agencies across Asia.
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