Trust – the Antidote to Fear

A new foot-bridge was recently opened in China – it spans a deep gorge and is hundreds of metres long. But it’s different from most bridges – its flooring is made of glass! There is a natural reticence to trust that a floor you can see through is safe to walk on. So, in an opening display designed to give people confidence that the foot-bridge was safe, they drove a car full of passengers across it. No need to be afraid, if it will take a car it will take you! The bridge is safe – you can trust it.

David, the psalmist, had learned in many situations that God could be trusted. If God could enable him to kill Goliath with a stone from his sling, then what reason did he have to be afraid of his enemies? God could surely be trusted in all situations. We can look at hundreds of stories in the Scriptures in which God has acted on behalf of his people and been with them in difficult or lonely situations. We can therefore say with confidence that this God, the God whom I love and serve, has demonstrated his faithfulness to others and, therefore, I CAN trust Him and will NOT be afraid.

I was once faced with a dreadful situation in which a man motivated by evil was threatening my life. I will never forget the miraculous way in which God protected me. I know I can trust Him to be my deliverer. I will never forget the miraculous way in which God provided the money with which we were able to purchase Ellel Grange back in 1986. I know I can trust Him to be my provider. And I cannot forget the hundreds, no thousands, of times when in ministry situations God has set captives free and healed the broken-hearted. I know that God hears and answers prayer.

So if, today, you are struggling with personal fears, then take courage from the many times in the Scriptures when God delivered His people. Think back to the times when God has been your personal, help, healer or deliverer. Instead of letting the enemy grip your heart with fear, allow the Lord to surround your heart with love and the assurance of His presence in and through the journey of life which you are now on. He is utterly faithful and totally trustworthy.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that there is no situation in our lives that you are unaware of. Whatever bridge you are asking us to cross, we know it is safe if You are with us. Help me, Lord, to overcome fear hand in hand with You, by walking forward in confidence that You are my deliverer, my provider and my healer. In Jesus’s name, Amen.