Gideon is one of the people in the Bible who is often afraid: He is afraid of the Midianites. Twice he asks God for signs. He is afraid to go into the Midianite camp by himself. In the above situation, he thinks he will be killed by the angel of the Lord. So Gideon…
“Gratitude is the lifebelt on the river of life,” someone once said. Another wrote: “Gratitude is good medicine for the soul. It’s a pity that very few people take it.” Gratitude is indeed a remedy for fear. The angel encouraged the fearful shepherds not to be afraid by pointing out what they could rejoice in….
We often think we have to do everything ourselves. A problem arises – and we immediately try to find a solution. Of course, if we don’t take care of it, it will only get bigger and never go away! Right? No! We have already remembered the servant of Elisha, who cries out facing the enemy’s…
It is difficult to trust someone who is not reliable, who constantly changes his views, or who can be described as changeable and fickle. These things never apply to our Lord! When John falls to the ground, half-dead with fear, the Lord calls out to him, “Do not be afraid!” and justifies it as follows:…
As believers, we often behave just like Elisha’s servant: we see the danger around us, despair, and have only one anxious question: “What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15). The army (of worries) seemed so insurmountably large to the servant that he did not even reckon with the possibility of the Lord’s intervening. He felt…
An unimaginable scene: Jairus, whose heart is full of anguish for his daughter’s life as he pleads with the Lord to come to his home, has just received the news that she has died. The situation is so hopeless that he is told that Jesus’ help is no longer needed. The Lord sees how the…
Twelve grown and seasoned men are rowing to the best of their ability. They know the rough Sea of Galilee like the back of their hands. But now they are all gripped by panic and fear of death. The storm they are trying to defy is getting stronger and the wind is howling incessantly. Water…
The Lord is coming! While for the Israelites this encouragement means that after the (future) time of tribulation the Messiah will appear and save them, we would like to apply this exclamation to us in the New Testament: Fear not, for the Lord is coming soon – to take you to himself! The Lord Jesus…
Why should Daniel not be afraid here? Because God loved him! When I know that someone loves me, I am aware that this person means well to me, is prepared to make sacrifices for me, and is willing to stand by me unconditionally. The daily awareness that the Lord loves us changes everything. Even when…
One job application rejection after the next, failing your final exams, rapidly rising prices, no savings, a sudden illness with long downtime. And then the car and the fridge both break down. Fear of the future. What will happen next? Uncertainty about what the future holds can be frightening. Will my pension be enough? What…
Faith and fear are closely linked. Faith drives out fear, but if faith is lacking, fear takes hold. The same applies to doubt: if we trust God more, doubt will disappear; if we do not trust Him, we make room for more doubt. Peter’s faith and his trust in the Lord when he leaves the…
God gives wonderful assurances and promises to the fearful here: His presence: “I am with you“. When we have the feeling of being alone, or when we are actually alone, when no one understands us or feels with us – He is there! His faithfulness: “I am your God“. We do not need to look…
Jacob is about to take a really big step. Going to a distant country at age 130 – without knowing whether you will even make it that far or what you will encounter there – can be really scary. Jacob, in particular, who always wanted to have control over his life situations and had often…
So that should take away the fear in our Bible verse: Thinking about the great God. If we get to know our God more, deeper and better, this will have a huge impact – also on our fear. Daniel writes: ”The people that knows His God shall act strong“ (Dan 11:32). And indeed, living in…
The lamentations live up to their name: it is probably Jeremiah who writes of the many troubles of his soul and his despair. For example, he laments: ”See, O Lord, that I am in distress; my soul is troubled” (Lam 1:20a). He writes of sighs, a sick heart, tears, a missing comforter. Truly depressing. But…
“Life as a disciple is not bedded on roses.” The Lord had just explained this to the disciples by introducing them to an unbeliever who seemed to revel in wealth without a care in the world. In contrast, He says that believers on this earth cannot always draw from the full. There can be times…
Unfortunately, we humans do not keep all the promises we make – for three reasons, among others: But our Lord has all these qualities. He is… Because this is the case, we can be without fear. Then we know that none of the many, many promises of the Bible will remain unfulfilled. So we can…
Anxiety leads to an absence of inner peace. You have no inner peace instead you are agitated. You can feel your heart beating fast, and you can’t calm down. Thoughts are racing, and sleep is flying. What is missing is resting in God. Peace is missing! How wonderful that one of God’s characteristics is peace….
We can well imagine that Paul was afraid (by the way, he was often afraid, see, e.g., 2 Cor 4:8). After all, he would now be entering enemy territory where people would hate him—a tremendously great task. The Lord calls out to him not to be afraid. And why not? God still had a plan…
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) A great mountain towers up before Joshua. He is to lead several million people into a foreign land. For 40 years he has witnessed…
