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“He (God) will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.” Isaiah 33:6 (NIV)

Four letters packed with power – f – e – a –r , but not the kind of power we’re looking for. Fear has the power to derail our dreams and sabotage our future. Fear has the power to keep us safe, predictable and far from taking faith steps that will transform our lives. Instead fear lands us on the sidelines watching everyone else moving forward. It fuels regret because we long for what we are afraid to seize.

I glimpsed this first-hand in the life of a friend. Her life had been characterized by bouts of fear that kept her captive looking out the window yet bound within the safety of her self-imposed prison. How did she land in this place? Fear was a trait her mother taught her well. Every opportunity for something new turned into a list of don’ts because of a tragedy that “could” happen. To this day she still hides behind the drawn blinds of what “could” happen. Disillusioned and unsatisfied, her life is drenched in regret of what “could” have been.

Sadly, too often we exchange the all consuming peace that God offers for generational fears that leave us locked into safe rather than victorious. God’s formula for power leaves no room for the chains that fear generates. Instead, He offers us the opportunity to trust Him in all things – even the unsettled, unpredictable, and at times risky moves of transformational belief.

Are we allowing fear to dominate our response to God’s instructions? Are we imprisoned by what “could” happen rather than capitalizing on the “fear nots” that God promises? Real empowerment only comes when we trust and believe that God is the ordainer of our days.

“Father, trusting You will always position us to move past fear into victory.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life