Br. Steven Mathew
- Secretary, YPECWR
we are living in a [1]perilous time, in a world that is filled with snares and toils.
The pandemic has started a new era of fear and anxiety which has made us all like the mouse which runs inside a wheel.
As thoughts filled with fear begin to overwhelm us, we begin to run faster and faster inside the wheel,
trying to meet the expectations of others while also trying to take control of our situation. We, in this drudgery routine,
will not make even the slightest progress if we do not allow God to take sole control over these inapprehensive and fearful circumstances.
We as humans always want to perceive a positive outcome of any situation. But many times, we come face to face with alarming and atrocious experiences. These situations can instill a sense of fear in us which can then continue to affect us mentally. The post covid era has been extremely harsh on the youth which is evident from several studies and journals stating the rapid increase of depression, anxiety, and other mental-based illness among the youth.
But God’s plan for his children is so profound that human minds cannot perceive it. Whenever we are startled by a sense of impending doom, we can overcome it by relying on the promises of God and [2]ensconcing them into practice.
- The terror by night
- The arrow that flies by day
- The pestilence that walks in darkness
- The destruction that lays waste at noonday
A very striking example we can take into consideration is the Corona Virus that is a pestilence that walks in the darkness, which no human can see with their naked eye, and could be anywhere ready to pounce into our body. But God’s amazing love has kept us secure all through this pandemic and he will continue to protect us under his wings.
Although God’s promise is always with us, the greatest weakness that we face is “disbelief” when encountering fearful circumstances. And we are not alone, in Mathew 14:26 ( Read Bible Verse) we read that “When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified.” In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”. For the slightest moment when Jesus called out to them and asked them not to be afraid, they believed, and Peter even tried to walk towards Jesus. But as soon as he saw the winds, a fearful wave of disbelief swamped him and in that exact moment, the disbelief caused him to start sinking.
We as humans always want to perceive a positive outcome of any situation. But many times, we come face to face with alarming and atrocious experiences. These situations can instill a sense of fear in us which can then continue to affect us mentally. The post covid era has been extremely harsh on the youth which is evident from several studies and journals stating the rapid increase of depression, anxiety, and other mental-based illness among the youth.
But God’s plan for his children is so profound that human minds cannot perceive it. Whenever we are startled by a sense of impending doom, we can overcome it by relying on the promises of God and [2]ensconcing them into practice.
The scripture tells us that God’s children will “not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday” (Psalm 91:5-6) Read Bible Verse
These verses enlighten us on the four occasions God promises to protect us:- The terror by night
- The arrow that flies by day
- The pestilence that walks in darkness
- The destruction that lays waste at noonday
A very striking example we can take into consideration is the Corona Virus that is a pestilence that walks in the darkness, which no human can see with their naked eye, and could be anywhere ready to pounce into our body. But God’s amazing love has kept us secure all through this pandemic and he will continue to protect us under his wings.
Although God’s promise is always with us, the greatest weakness that we face is “disbelief” when encountering fearful circumstances. And we are not alone, in Mathew 14:26 ( Read Bible Verse) we read that “When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified.” In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”. For the slightest moment when Jesus called out to them and asked them not to be afraid, they believed, and Peter even tried to walk towards Jesus. But as soon as he saw the winds, a fearful wave of disbelief swamped him and in that exact moment, the disbelief caused him to start sinking.
One of the ways to conquer this disbelief is to use one of the highly competent weapons God has given to us i.e. the power
of positive words. Psalm 91:2 says, “I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Read Bible Verse The psalmist clearly indicates the power
in our positive words when he said “I will say….”. The confidence which led David to kill Goliath was his
unfathomable faith in God and the words of belief which he pronounced before King Saul as “The Lord has saved me from
lions and bears; He will save me from this Philistine. (1 Samuel 17: 37). Read Bible Verse
Although Goliath was huge in front of him, yet his positive belief made him realize that just because Goliath is so huge, that stone slug from his slingshot will not miss Goliath’s big head. But just like David who refused to use King Saul's armor, we should not depend on men or their power to redeem us in these fearful circumstances. Instead, we should fight with our spiritual weapons(2 Corinthians 10:4) ( Read Bible Verse) and we will certainly overcome - always.
To fight the soldiers of fear we have to fight with the gospel. If we try to fight with our flesh we will always end up concealing our hearts from God. But he is the one who will always guard our hearts (Philippians 4:6-7 Read Bible Verse) and will hide us under the shadow of his wings (Psalm 17:8 Read Bible Verse). He is our abiding place and under the shelter of his presence, he hides us from all the human [3]intrigues (Psalm 31:20 Read Bible Verse). The Word of God is our deliverance from all the anxiety, paralyzing fear, life-sucking depression, and mental illness that we could face in this post covid era. It will help us annihilate all the remaining walls of disbelief that keep us far apart from his protection. Jesus loves us and wants all of us. He died for us on the cross to redeem us from every kind of fear that tries to cripple our grace.
So, take all your worries, fear, and anxiety to the Lord in prayer and leave it there with him. Allow Lord to deal with all the burdens you have in your backpack. Shape your worries into prayer and let the peace of God which transcends all understanding guard your hearts and your minds. Finally, remember God’s promise in Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” - tie them on your neck and write them upon the tablets of your heart.
Enjoy a life free from fear because it belongs to you in Christ Jesus.
Although Goliath was huge in front of him, yet his positive belief made him realize that just because Goliath is so huge, that stone slug from his slingshot will not miss Goliath’s big head. But just like David who refused to use King Saul's armor, we should not depend on men or their power to redeem us in these fearful circumstances. Instead, we should fight with our spiritual weapons(2 Corinthians 10:4) ( Read Bible Verse) and we will certainly overcome - always.
To fight the soldiers of fear we have to fight with the gospel. If we try to fight with our flesh we will always end up concealing our hearts from God. But he is the one who will always guard our hearts (Philippians 4:6-7 Read Bible Verse) and will hide us under the shadow of his wings (Psalm 17:8 Read Bible Verse). He is our abiding place and under the shelter of his presence, he hides us from all the human [3]intrigues (Psalm 31:20 Read Bible Verse). The Word of God is our deliverance from all the anxiety, paralyzing fear, life-sucking depression, and mental illness that we could face in this post covid era. It will help us annihilate all the remaining walls of disbelief that keep us far apart from his protection. Jesus loves us and wants all of us. He died for us on the cross to redeem us from every kind of fear that tries to cripple our grace.
So, take all your worries, fear, and anxiety to the Lord in prayer and leave it there with him. Allow Lord to deal with all the burdens you have in your backpack. Shape your worries into prayer and let the peace of God which transcends all understanding guard your hearts and your minds. Finally, remember God’s promise in Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” - tie them on your neck and write them upon the tablets of your heart.
Enjoy a life free from fear because it belongs to you in Christ Jesus.
Phrases & Meaning
1 Perilous : Full of danger or risk..
2 Ensconcing : Establish or settle.
2 Intrigues : The secret planning of something detrimental.
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