Faith, fear and trust

People talk about our friend who always said his dad died when we was 46 and his time would be up then too. He always said it. Then when he was killed in that horror smash on 31st May everyone said "wow, he was right - amazing!" I thought - he got what he asked for. Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not being cruel or insensitive but we are told all over the bible - we need to CONFESS life. The church we used to attend taught us to watch what we say. The bible tells us that LIFE AND DEATH are in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." And in 18:20: "A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled."

Even the world has caught onto this – all the child experts and shrinks, whatever – tell us to build our children up and to tell them they are clever and pretty, etc --- and they will live it out. Now, if the world can get this why can’t we get something that was divinely inspired thousands of years ago?

Doctors have given me a poor prognosis but I don't care what they say. And it doesn’t mean I am dying either. So many people automatically assume the worst is going to happen and I used to be one of them. Sure I am scared - but that doesn’t mean I am not trusting. In Psalm 56:3 David wrote, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You,". When he wrote this, he feared for his life! People wanted him dead and he knew it!

Now, sometimes we can get into condemnation and think that if we are afraid we are sinning. Read Romans 8:14-15 “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

I used to think that this meant that if we were afraid, we were wrong! I realized a few days ago – it’s okay to be afraid – that’s where faith steps in! Faith is not the absence of fear - it's holding onto God when you are afraid.

God gave me this promise - Isaiah 38:5 - and note it does not mean i have 15 years LEFT - but he will ADD them to my life. and they will be good ones.

In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’ “
This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken: “Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps.” So the sun’s shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.
A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:


Hezekiah wrote it himself, after his illness AND RECOVERY! He’d been told get his affairs in order as he was going to DIE – yet God spared him! He recovered! He was afraid, cried out to God – that little bit of faith is what saved him.

Be blessed.
J.