Faith not Fear – Day 2 Devotional
Sheila Scheuerman
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” Isaiah 43:1-2 NKJV
What fears are you facing today? Is it a cancer diagnosis? A crumbling marriage?
Financial difficulties? Or your inability to protect your child? Life is a series of challenges and obstacles. John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans”. It’s the unexpected troubles in life that can trap us in fear. If we let it.I first came face to face with a battle over fear for my son when he was 15 – and I waslosing bad. I watched helplessly as he became trapped in OCD compulsions that took his morning and evening hygiene routines and turned them into hours of exhausting and inescapable repetitions. In desperation, he would tell me he hated how his brain worked and how he would rather have a leg cut off than deal with his OCD. He couldn’t get to school on
time. His hours of nightly compulsions left him drained and needing comfort. Fear attacked me. I developed physical symptoms like weakness, trembling, nausea, and weight loss. My thoughts were muddled, and I couldn’t process information as well or make
decisions. I couldn’t stop crying throughout the day. I felt helpless to protect my son. I felt like I
was drowning.
But there is hope. The bible says we have a choice. We can choose faith instead of fear. In both the Old Testament and the New, there are multiple scriptures to remind us not to fear. But does it tell us how? How do we fight the battle over fear and win?
With FAITH. Faith in God, his promises, and his character will drive out fear. When you can’t understand His plan, trust His character. He is loving. He is good. He has a plan for you. I love the scripture in Isaiah 43:1-2 because it reminds me of who I am in God. I am redeemed. I am HIS! God has called me by name, and he promises to be with me through the waters and through the fire. I will not drown. I just need to stop looking at the storm and look up instead. God is faithful and he was preparing me for this battle before I even knew it was on my
doorstep. I started to record my favourite scriptures in a journal and then to memorize them. I began to fill my prayers with these scriptures, and they became my declarations of faith. This prayer is adapted from Psalm 139: “God, you have searched my son and you know him. You are familiar with all his ways. You know when he sits down and when he gets up. You perceive his thoughts from afar. You know when he goes out and when he lies down. Before a word is on his tongue, you know it. You hem him in behind and before and you lay your hand upon him. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is too lofty for me to attain.” As you face the unknown today, know that you are loved, and you are held by a God who cares. And choose FAITH– not fear.
Note: If you are looking for more prayers embedded with scripture to pray over your children,
try Stormie Omartian’s book: The Power of a Praying Mom.