FEAR

Dr. Nell Collins

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

1 Timothy 1:7

Trust is the biblical alternative to fear. The question is often asked, "How does one trust the Lord in times of great difficulty or sorrow?" Psalm 37:3-7 gives us a very clear picture of how to do so.

We trust God when we take the gift of salvation freely offered and rejoice in Jesus alone. We further demonstrate ongoing trust as we unleash our life to His sovereign care and settle back into a life of obedience to God’s Word and service to others. As we continue to respond to God’s Word on a daily basis by becoming more like the Lord Jesus Christ, we wait patiently on his working out all the details of our lives for His eternal glory and our eternal good.

If we spell TRUST in an acrostic and look at the action words given in that passage, we can understand how to please God by trusting Him:

Trust in the Lord (vs.3) T Take the gift of salvation.

Delight in the Lord (vs. 4) R Rejoice wholly in Jesus alone.

Commit thy way unto the Lord (vs. 5) U Unleash your life to the sovereign plan of God,

  Whose way is perfect.

Rest in the Lord (vs.7) S Sacrificial submission to God and Sacrificial service to men.

Wait patiently on the Lord (vs. 7) T Total responsibility for results of your obedience completely left with God.

God has every right, and my permission, to rearrange my life at any time...in any way, in order to fulfill His plan for its influence, to His glory.

May God help you today to replace human fear with confident trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

©2003 N.A. Collins

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