Fear Not

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

I read a story about a woman who felt God called her to move to Israel some years ago for ministry. She struggled with fear and circumstances around her.

“Times were tough in Israel at the time and I lived in an area of Jerusalem where bomb threats, bomb squads and bus bombings were commonplace. I found myself constantly looking around, imagining that this person or that person was carrying a bomb and envisioning all the terrible things that could happen to me if they were. The fear was consuming and paralyzing”.

This is a tactic that the enemy just loves to use on those who are called according to God’s purposes. For the simple reason when we are afraid, we are distracted from the calling He has on our lives. Though she had a heart to share the good news of Messiah with her people, she was not available to be a blessing to the people around her because she was too busy worrying for her life.

She goes on to say “One day, I had a revelation about this fear. The Lord showed me that I was His child and that if I know He has called me to Israel to accomplish His purposes and I am actively seeking opportunities to accomplish them, even my death would be to His glory. I needed to fear for my physical well being no longer, I was in His hands. Instead, I needed to be concerned with the spiritual well being of the people God put in my path.”

God has called us of each to do great things for Him! Let’s not be distracted by the lies of the enemy which tell us we are not gifted enough, not able enough, not strong enough, not financially stable enough to go forth and do bold works for the Lord. I am familiar with these lies because I’ve heard them all when I’ve stepped out myself.

Each time we start to work on building a new mission team, as we are doing now, I see those same feelings crossing people’s faces. Many say they’ve always wanted to go on a mission trip but the fears fathered by the lies of satan start to grow and the list of ‘reasons’ they come up with for not going grows along side it. If satan has his way, no one would be taking the gospel to those in need and there will never be a ‘good’ time to go.

Let’s ask God for wisdom, the grace and the freedom to be in the right places at the right times and the boldness to speak up for Him! There is no more fulfilling place we can be than this.